Radha
| Radha | |
|---|---|
Mūlaprakriti - Primordial goddess Mother Goddess Hladini shakti ("blissful energy") Goddess of Love, Compassion and Devotion Supreme Goddess in Krishnaism | |
| Member of Panch Prakriti | |
Idol of Radha at ISKCON Temple, Pune | |
| Other names | Madhavi, Keshavi, Shreeji, Shyama, Kishori, Radharani |
| Devanagari | राधा |
| Sanskrit transliteration | Rādhā |
| Venerated in | Radha Vallabh Sampradaya, Nimbarka Sampradaya, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Pushtimarg, Mahanam Sampradaya, Manipuri Vaishnavism, Swaminarayan Sampradaya, Vaishnava-Sahajiya, Haridasi Sampradaya |
| Affiliation | |
| Abode | |
| Mantra |
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| Symbol | Golden Lotus |
| Day | Friday |
| Texts | Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Naradiya Purana, Padma Purana, Skanda Purana, Shiva Purana, Gita Govinda, Gopala Tapani Upanishad, Garga Samhita, Brahma Samhita, Chaitanya Charitamrita |
| Gender | Female |
| Festivals | |
| Genealogy | |
| Avatar birth | Raval, Barsana (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Parents |
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| Consort | Krishna |
| Dynasty | Yaduvamsha-Chandravamsha |
| Part of a series on |
| Hinduism |
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| Part of a series on |
| Vaishnavism |
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Radha (Sanskrit: राधा, IAST: Rādhā), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. In scriptures, Radha is mentioned as the avatar of Lakshmi and also as the Mūlaprakriti, the Supreme goddess, who is the feminine counterpart and internal potency (hladini shakti) of Krishna. Radha accompanies Krishna in all his incarnations. Radha's birthday is celebrated every year on the occasion of Radhashtami.
In relation with Krishna, Radha has dual representation—the lover consort as well as his married consort. Traditions like Nimbarka Sampradaya worship Radha as the eternal consort and wedded wife of Krishna. In contrast, traditions like Gaudiya Vaishnavism revere her as Krishna's lover and the divine consort.
In Radha Vallabha Sampradaya and Haridasi Sampradaya, only Radha is worshipped as the Supreme being. Elsewhere, she is venerated with Krishna as his principal consort in Nimbarka Sampradaya, Pushtimarg, Mahanam Sampradaya, Swaminarayan Sampradaya, Vaishnava-Sahajiya, Manipuri Vaishnavism, and Gaudiya Vaishnavism movements linked to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Radha is described as the chief of Braj Gopis (milkmaids of Braj) and queen of Goloka and Braj including Vrindavan and Barsana. She has inspired numerous literary works, and her Raslila dance with Krishna has inspired many types of performance arts.