“Radha Krishna Pranay Bikriti HladinishaktirAsmaat
Ekatmanabapi bhubi pura dehabhedang gatou tou"
- (Swarup Damodar Goswamipad)
The above sloka gives us some idea about what Srimati Radha is. The meaning of the sloka as given by Krisnadas Kaviraj in Chaitanya Charitamrita.
“ Radhika hayen Krishner pranay-bikar
Swarupshakti Hladini naam janhar” -- (1)
“ RadhaKrishna Ek Atma dui deha dhori
Anyonye bilase rasa aswadan kori “ -- (2)
To talk about SriRadha, the above definitions are invaluable and possibly the best if not the only way to proceed. So, we need to understand what is said by Krisnadasji in the above two couplets. The literal meaning is: (1) SriRadha or Radhika is the ultimate of Krishna-Pranay or Love for Krishna (“bikar” means resulting into a final shape or the absolutely last stage of processing a thing). SriRadha is also the Joy-rendering power (Hladinishakti) of SriKrishna. (2) Although Radha and Krishna are ekatma or one only, but, for enjoying the rasa, or theultimate essence through divine sports, the God has taken two separate forms in Vrindaban by separating Himself from His primary power.
God, what we the Vaisnavas conceive as, is beyond the “Absolute” (termed as Absolute by Sankaracharya) and has powers. Krishna, the Supreme God, is all powerful. He is thought basically composed of two powers -Bahiranga i.e., through which He manifests Himself into the cosmic order and Antaranga through which He does all the Leela or divine sports manifesting Himself in several ways. This Antaranga is also called “Swarupshakti” or the Primary Power which describes His self. SriRadha is the manifestation of this power which when referred to her name is called Hladini or the Anandadayini shakti. There are again three parts within this – Satt by which He exists in his self and holds existence of the world; Chitt by which He is the all-knowledge and imparts knowledge on people; and Hladini by which He is all-joy and gifts joy to His devotees.
The first two are engulfed within the third. In fact, the first is engulfed within the second and the second within the third to be precise. This can be explained as follows. An existence is possible without knowledge and happiness but, for knowledge to be there its existence first is a must; so when we talk about knowledge, existence is ensured in itself. Likewise, Happiness cannot be asserted without existence and knowledge. Talking about being happy pre-empts one’s Existence and also Knowledge, at least the knowledge that it is existing if nothing else. So, Hladini also encompasses within it Satt, “the power to exist” and Chitt, “the power to be knowledgeable”. Thus, SriRadha is the sum-total of Krishna’s Swarupshakti.
God, as we see Him, is not only the Almighty or All-Majestic but also the All- beautiful and All-Sweet, especially when we talk of Krisna of Vrindaban, He is just All-Sweet, All-charming (Madhuryamoy). He wants to enjoy this charm and sweetness of His. Now, in order that He Himself can do this, He separates out from His self someone who will adore the infinite sweetness and charm that He possesses. So, the one God divides Himself into:- (a) the Being-for-self (b) the Being-for-expression. The former is He Himself i.e, Krishnawho attracts and the latter is His Primary power by name Radha, who adores His infinite charm and enjoys the infinite sweetness. It is quite understandable that to adore or enjoy an infinite thing the adorer has to be part and parcel of the infinite.
Functionally, SriRadha, the daughter of King Brisabhanu of village Barsana, Vrindaban, is seen to be making Krisna, the son of King Nanda of Nandagaon, Vrindaban enjoy His Joyfulness – “Hladini Koray Krisne Anandaswadon” (Chaitanya Charitamrita) and make Him enjoy His own sweetness in innumerable ways like RaasLeela etc., – “Krishna-ke koray Shyam-rasa-modhu-paane”. Also, it is through Her that Krishna makes His devotees enjoy His sweetness & charm and through this window (SriRadha) He distributes Ananda or Joy to those devotees who have a craving for this.
I think it is necessary to say few words about the terminology “Pranay Bikriti” used in the sloka at the top. Pranay ordinarily means Love, but it has a definite place in the step-ladder of love where it gradually gets into richer/higher forms with the love becoming more and more intense. These steps are :
Prem ->Sneha ->Maan -> Pranay -> Raag -> Anuraag -> Bhav -> Mahabhav, the final stage as given by Rup Goswamipad. The development of love into one after the other above noted stages is called Bikar and “Pranay Bikriti” means the final stage where SriRadha is situated, the ultimate intensity of love for Krisna.
There still remains the question –“Why Pranay-Bikriti and not Prem-Bikriti?” To get answer to this, we need to refer to the “Ujjwal Neelmoni” by Rup Goswamipad where the definition of these terminologies are given with example for each stage. Pranay is the third stage after Prem. In this stage the lover has the feeling of unity (Abhinna manan) with the beloved and that makes them forget the physical difference between them. Radha has the feeling of oneness with Krisna due to this.
Thus Radha and Krisna are Abhinna or one in two ways – 1) As Power & Powerful - Radha is the Power and Krisna is the Powerful one. These two are inseparable like the Fire and its Heat; the Flower and its Fragrance – one cannot exist without the other. 2) As Lover & Loved at the Pranay stage of love, where the bodily distinction gets submersed in the intensity of love. Actually SriRadha’s love is much above this stage – she is permanently seated at the Mahabhav stage for all times.
Radha and Krishna are also Bhinna i.e,Not One or separate in two ways – 1) As two separate body forms which the God Himself as created 2) As Lover who is the owner or Ashray of love which is Radha, and the Beloved who is the subject or Bishay of love. This relation is called – Bhedabhed Tattwa.
To talk more about Radha I need to put quotations as below.
“Debi Krisnamoyee proktaa Radhika paradebataa
SarbaLakshmimoyee sarbakantih sanmohini paraa”
–Brihadgoutamiya tantra
SriRadha is Debi (one who has exquisitely glowing beauty and grace); Krishnamoyee (one who is encapsulated by nothing but Krishna only both externally and internally or full of love for Krishna all over Her self); Paradebata (supreme goddess); SarbaLakshmimoyee (one who is the physical form of all the mights, pomp and majesty of Krisna); Sarbakantih (one who is capable of fulfilling all desires of Krisna), Sarbamohini paraa (the entire creation gets stupefied, captivated or fascinated by the brilliant charm of SriKrishna. Such a charming personality gets fascinated, captivated by the sight of SriRadha. She is called Krishnamohan and since Krishna is the supreme God so Radha is the supreme Goddess).
This supremacy of SriRadha is admitted by SriKrishna Himself through several statements as
quoted below.
“Krishna kahe aami hoi raser nidhan
Purnanandamoy aami chinmoy purnatattwa
Radhika-r preme aamaa koray unmatta.
Na jaani Radha-r preme achhe kato bal
Je bal amare kare sarbada bivhal ” – Chaitanya Charitamrita.
Meaning, “Krishna says, I am the Treasure (the largest one) of rasa or sweetness. I am All-Joy and All-knowledge & Bliss. But, Radha’s love makes me mad. I do not know what strength Her love has got that it makes me enchanted, bewildered all the time. The Scriptures say about God, the supreme :
“Etasyoiba anandasya anyani bhootani matramupjibanti” – Shruti
Meaning, all creatures of this world becomes joyful and happy by deriving only a tiny droplet from His (Krishna’s) treasury of joy which is ever full.
Such Krisna says –“ Eimato Jagater sukhe ami hetu, Radhika-r roop gun amar jibatu” - Chaitanya Charitamrita.
I am the cause of joy for the entire world but Radhika’s beauty and virtues are my life - “Momo rupadikang jagataang sukhoika hetuh, Momo tu sukhoika hetuh SriRadha rupaani”.
“Aama hoite jar hoy shata shata gun, Sei jon ahladite pare mor mon.
ama hoite guni baro jagate asombhab, Ekali Radhika taha kori anubhab.”
- Chaitanya Charitamrita.
Krishna says that to be the cause of my joy someone has to be hundreds of times more virtuous than me. None in the universe can be greater than me in this respect (or for that matter in any respect), only Radhika is one for whom this has been possible.
Sri Krishna has accepted Sri Radha as His Guru (Radhikar prem guru aami shisya naut, Sada aamay nana nritye nachay udbhat” - Chaitanya Charitamrita.). He is Jagatguru or world-mentor and Radha is His guru, thus She is the guru of Jagatguru, the greatest of all gurus. A very interesting dialogue in this respect is reproduced below from Govinda Leelamrita, 8th Sarga, 77th sloka:
Place – Vrindaban, Time – During Krishna’s stay in Vrindaban,
Dialogue between Radha & her friend Brinda.
Radha – “ Dear Brinda, where are you coming from?”
Brinda – “ From SriKrishna’s lotus feet”
Radha - “ Where is he?”
Brinda – “ In the woods near Radhakund”
Radha – “ What is he doing there?”
Brinda – “ Learning to Dance”
Radha – “ Who is the guru (teacher)?”
Brinda –“On each of the trees all around him, you in your various dancing postures is appearing before him. Enchanted, he is trying to copy them by dancing and ecstatically running after those of your figures”.
So of whom the Supreme Lord is a disciple and a mad lover that is SriRadha.
There is a song recorded in an audio cassette by HariOm Saran which says –
“Radha-shakti bina na koi Shyamaru darashan paawe,
Aradhan kar Radhe Radhe Kanha bhagke aawe “
Meaning: Unless empowered by Radha none can get a glimpse of Shyam (Krishna of Vrindaban). If you worship Her by chanting Radhe Radhe then Shyam will come running to you.
So, Chanting SriRadha, Holding Her as Guru, Singing in Her praise let life be spent.
> JAI RADHE <