Goddess Radharani is said to have been born at Barsana, a mountain slope in Uttar Pradesh. The mountain on which it is situated is known as Brahma Parvat. This is not too far from Mathura. According to the Hindu calender, th...is fast is observed on Ashtmi of Shukla Paksha in
the month of Bhadrapada every year. Radha Ashtmi is celebrated after 15 days of
Sri Krishna Janmashtmi. Bhaktas circumambulate Gehvar forests on Barsana
mountains. It is also a grand celebration at Vrandavan. The Ashtsakhi temple of
Goddess Radha is very popular in Vrindavan. It is a day boosted with spiritual
activities devotional songs and hymns to celebrate Srimati Radharani.
There are various versions of Radharani’s birth. According to Padma Purana, She
is said to be the daughter of Vrishbhanu and Kirti. Radha’s mother is known
prominently as ‘Vrishbhanu Patni’ or wife of Vrishbhanu. Somewhat similar to
Sita’s birth, the king got goddess Radha as the daughter of mother earth when
the king was cleaning land for a Yajna. The king raised this girl as his own
daughter. Along with this, one legend says that when lord Vishnu was taking
incarnation as Krishna, he asked the members of his family to take incarnation
along with him on earth. Then, wife of lord Vishnu came on earth as Radha.
The Brahma Vaivrat Purana goes on to state that Goddess Radha was the
companion of lord Krishna. But, she got married to a man whose name was Rapan or
Rayan. It is said that she turned into a adult at the time of her birth. Goddess
Radha is considered as Sri Krishna’s extension as his pleasure potency. Some of
the epics consider her his wife.
Srimati Radha is also representative of the gopis of Vrandavan. Spiritual writing contain the description of eight
companions of goddess Radha along with her description. The companions are
Lalita, Vishakha, Chitra, Indulekha, Champaklata, Rangdevi, Tungvidya and
Sudevi.
Nothing is more misunderstood than the divine love of Radha
and Krishna. Their love is the embodiment of passion and devotion. Her passion
for Sri Krishna symbolizes the soul’s intense longing and willingness for the
ultimate yoga or unification with God. She is the undivided form of Sri Krishna;
He is Her soul and She is his soul. She is Atma and He is Parmatma; yet again
she is also his Paramathma. In the absence of her feminine energy, Sri Krishna
does not exist. In other words, Radha is the feminine aspect of Sri Krishna and
therefore not different from Him.
Sri Krishna is not only the ultimate
object of all love, but also is the topmost enjoyer of all loving relationships.
She propounds this dynamic expansion as unlimited desires to enjoy a loving and
spiritual relationship. This will always remain a mystery unless on puts on a
spiritual cap to see her divinity as inexpressible divine element. Radha is the
worshipper as well as Krishna’s deity to be worshipped. Thus she is known as
Radhika. Towards this yoga they engage in sublime loving pastimes to exhibit
supremely transcendental loving exchanges. "When Srimati Radharani smiles, waves
of joy overtake Her cheeks, and Her arched eyebrows dance like the bow of Cupid.
Her glance is so enchanting that it is like a dancing bumblebee, moving
unsteadily due to intoxication. That bee has bitten the whorld of My heart."
-Vidagdha-madhava 2.51.
by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi