The Radha-Krishna amour is a love legend of all times. It's indeed hard to
miss the many legends and paintings illustrating Krishna's
love affairs, of which the Radha-Krishna affair is the most memorable. Krishna's
relationship with Radha, his favorite among the 'gopis' (cow-herding maidens).
There are numerous
legends and stories of Radha and Krishna depicting their true love.
Radha's devotion and dedication towards Sri Krishna is the most sincere
one.
Radha, also called Radhika, Radharani and Radhikarani, is the childhood friend and lover of Krishna in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, and the Gita Govinda of the Vaisnava traditions of Hinduism. Radha is almost always depicted alongside Krishna and features prominently within the theology of today's Gaudiya Vaishnava sect, which regards Radha as the original Goddess or Shakti. Radha is also the principal object of worship in the Nimbarka Sampradaya, as Nimbarka, the founder of the tradition, declared that Radha and Krishna together constitute the absolute truth.
Radha, daughter of Vrishabhanu, was the mistress of Krishna during that period
of his life when he lived among the cowherds of Vrindavan. Since childhood they
were close to each other - they played, they danced, they fought, they grew
up together and wanted to be together forever, but the world pulled them apart.
He departed to safeguard the virtues of truth, and she waited for him.
He vanquished
his enemies, became the king, and came to be worshipped as a lord of the universe.
She waited for him. He married Rukmini and Satyabhama, raised a family, fought
the great war of Ayodhya, and she still waited. So great was Radha's love for
Krishna that even today her name is uttered whenever Krishna is refered to,
and Krishna worship is though to be incomplete without the deification of Radha.
One day the two most talked about lovers come together for a final single meeting.
Suradasa in his Radha-Krishna lyrics relates the various amorous delights of
the union of Radha and Krishna in this ceremonious 'Gandharva' form of their
wedding in front of five hundred and sixty million people of Vraj and all the
gods and goddesses of heaven. The sage Vyasa refers to this as the 'Rasa'.
Age
after age, this evergreen love theme has engrossed poets, painters, musicians
and all Krishna devotees alike.
Radha Krishna Bhajans:
(Krishna bhajans) Na Mein Meera Na Mein Radha - by Mridul krishna shastri ji
Krishna is the supreme God on this earth....
Krishna is the God of love and peace...............
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.In Sanskrit,the word Krishna means 'all-attractive'.Krishna is the
most beautiful, powerful, famous, wealthy, wise and renounced. Since he
possesses all these opulences at the same time and in full, He is
defined as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Birth:
According to Bhagavata Purana,
Krishna was born without a sexual union, but by divine "mental
transmission" from the mind of Vasudeva into the womb of Devaki. Based
on scriptural details and astrological calculations the date of Krishna's birth, known as Janmashtami, is 19 July 3228 BCE and departed on 3102 BCE. Krishna belonged to the Vrishni clan of Yadavas from Mathura, and was the eighth son born to the princess Devaki, and her husband Vasudeva.
Mathura (in present day Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh) was the capital of the Yadavas, to which Krishna's parents Vasudeva and Devaki belonged. King Kansa, Devaki's brother, had ascended the throne by imprisoning his father, King Ugrasena. Afraid of a prophecy that predicted his death at the hands of Devaki's
eighth son, Kansa had the couple locked into a prison cell. After Kansa
killed the first six children, and Devaki's apparent miscarriage of the
seventh (which was actually a secret transfer of the infant to Rohini
as Balarama), Krishna was born.
Vasudeva carries Lord Krishna and takes him to Mathura
Since Vasudeva knew Krishna's life was in danger, Krishna was
secretly taken out of the prison cell to be raised by his foster
parents, Yashoda and Nanda, in Gokula (in present day Mathura district). Two of his other siblings also survived, Balarama (Devaki's seventh child, transferred to the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva's first wife) and Subhadra (daughter of Vasudeva and Rohini, born much later than Balarama and Krishna).
Mother Yashodha with Shri Krishna
Krishna's Childhood:
Lord Krishna was brought up safely by his foster parents mother Yashodha and father Nand in Mathura.
The maternal uncle of Krishna,that is Kamsa was destined to die in Krishna's hand,so Kamsa decided to kill Krishna right from his birth. During his childhood, Krishna faced several perilous situations that
were designed by the notorious Kansa, however no one could slay him for
his unsurpassed divine power.
here were great rejoicings and celebration in Gokula after the Braj
people came to know about the charming son of Nand and Yashoda. The
astrologers predicted that this divine child would kill the demons and
the evil, thus he should be called the Lord of the herds and the Gopis.
King Kansa somehow came to know that his reason of death lived in Gokula
and kept on sending demons to slay all the children of the place.
Lord Krishna drinking the milk of demon Putana
A rakhshasi named Putana took up the appearance of a beautiful lady with
poison in her breasts, and went to Gokula aiming to kill Krishna. She
entered Yashoda`s house and mingled with everyone very gracefully. She
took up the baby Krishna in her lap and tried to give him her breast
milk that had fatal poison. However, to her astonishment Lord Krishna
hold her tight and sucked so hard as to take her life oput along with
the poison. The poison had no effect on the Lord, while Putana rakhshasi
flew away and fell dead on a far away hard ground with her original
huge and distorted appearance. Lord Krishna gave her salvation by
drinking her milk.
Soon, another event took place, when Lord Krishna was sitting under a
cart playfully and sucking his toe. Another rakshasi saw him and went to
sit on the cart with the aim to crush it and kill the baby Krishna.
However, the Lord gave a hard blow on the cart and everything fell apart
and killed the demoness. When Krishna was only five months old, a
ferocious whirlwind came to sweep him away from his mother`s lap.
Steadily, the storm became a cyclone, but could not even lift Lord
Krishna. Lastly, he allowed the wind to take him up in the air, but came
down unharmed after thrashing the demon down to death.
Lord Krishna ... a mischievous boy:
The childhood frolics of Lord Krishna is loved and adored by the
Indians. He is worshipped by the childless in the desire to attain a
charming and blessed child like Lord Krishna. The childhood photo of
Lord Krishna is said to be a lucky one in every household.
Krishna and Balaram stealing butter...
Krishna and his elder brother Balaram were very mischievous.They would steal butter from the neighbourhood houses.Even though the butter was kept at a height on shelves,Krishna would somehow manage to steal the butter.Every time the Gopis complained about Krishna to his mother calling him
butter thief, he made some plausible excuse and pacified his mother.
Just watch the below video to see how our beloved God Shri Krishna plays his pranks!!!!!!!
Krishna...along with the other cowherd boys:
Krishna spending time with other cowherd boys...
Krishna was always playing with his cowherd boy friends and girlfriends and
all the residents of the village and all the animals. His pure devotees,
upon hearing of these pastimes, aspire to go there and engage in loving devotional service to Krishna....
Krishna Lifts Govardhana Hill
Krishna lifts the Govardhana hill with one finger..
Video of Krishna lifting Govardhana hill:
Once, when Krishna was about seven
years old, the men of the cowherd village were planning a sacrifice
to honor the demigod Indra, who sends rain. Krishna is always the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, whether acting as a little boy or not, and He
did not really like this idea. Why should these fortunate people, who
had Krishna Himself in their very midst, offer a sacrifice to a mere
demigod, whose only power was to give material help?
Using persuasive powers far beyond those of an ordinary boy, Krishna
talked His father and the other men into simply offering the sacrifice
to Govardhana Hill, which is an expansion of Krishna, and which is blessed
daily by His lotus feet as well when Krishna and His friends herd the
cows there.
The men agreed to do this, but when Indra looked down and saw that the
sacrifice meant for him had been diverted by this “talkative little
boy,” he called for the clouds that bring the rains of devastation.
These are not ordinary clouds, and are very dangerous. The clouds came
and poured water and hail upon the helpless village of Vrindavan, and
as the land disappeared under flooding waters, the villagers appealed
desperately to Krishna for help.
Krishna protected them by lifting Govardhana Hill and holding it aloft
like an umbrella, balanced on the little finger of His left hand, for
seven days while the entire village and all the cows and calves remained
sheltered beneath. For seven days no one felt any fatigue, hunger, or
thirst.
Finally Indra understood his mistake. He called off the clouds, and
after the floodwaters receded, he met Krishna in a secluded place to
offer his apology and his obeisances.
Krishna's Flute:
Music is integral to faith; it works its powers over even inanimate
things. Our major divinities are usually depicted with musical
instruments, such as Lord Shiva with the damaru and Goddess Saraswati with the veena. With Lord Krishna, however, the flute is more than a mere musical instrument. Can anyone imagine Krishna without His bansuri?
In the Bhagwata Purana there is a whole chapter about Krishna playing His transcendental bansuri
in Vrindavan. People of every age, animals and the trees and shrubs
too would stand still to savour the divine vibration and it seemed they
would melt and swoon listening to the melodious note of his flute. It
was like casting a magical spell on whosoever it touched.
Divine Flute Played ( Lord Krishna )...Instrumental....Just Beautiful.......(Meditation)
When Krishna plays his sweet flute:
Krishna was a very good friend too:
should at least be able to feed the
children enough."
On hearing this Sudama felt very hurt & said, "What can be
done? We can't ask for favors from anybody."
Sudama's wife replied, "You talk of Krishna so often. You have
been saying that you have a deep bond of friendship with him. He is
the King of Dwarka, so why don't you go to him? There won't be any
need to ask for anything there."
Sudama found wisdom in the words of his wife. He decided to go
to Dwarka & said, "I'll definitely go to Krishna but what
should I take along for his children?"
Sudama's wife borrowed some rice snacks from their neighbor. She
bound the food in a piece of torn cloth & Sudama took the
bundle & left for Dwarka.
On seeing Dwarka, Sudama was amazed. The entire town was built
with gold & the people were very well-off. He asked for
directions for Krishna's palace & finally reached there. On
seeing Sudama who looked like a hermit, the palace guards asked,
"Why have you come here?"
Sudama answered, "I want to meet Krishna who is my friend. Go
& tell him that Sudama has come to meet you."
The guard smirked on seeing Sudama's attire. However, he
hesitantly went & informed Krishna of Sudama's arrival. On
hearing Sudama's name, Krishna immediately stood up & ran to
meet him. Everyone looked on in wonder upon seeing such a great
King running bare-footed to meet his poor friend.
Krishna took Sudama into the
palace. They recalled their childhood days at the Sandipani's
school. Seeing Krishna's wealth, Sudama felt ashamed of the rice
snacks that he had brought & tried to hide the bundle but
Krishna snatched it from him. While enjoying the snack Krishna
said, "I have never tasted such sweetness in anything else."
Later, they sat to have their meal
which was served in gold plates. Sudama felt sad as he remembered
his hungry children at home. He stayed at the palace for two days
but he couldn't prepare himself to ask Krishna for any favors. On
the third day, he got ready to go back home. Krishna embraced
Sudama & escorted him out as he bid him farewell.
On the way back, Sudama wondered,
"What shall I say when my wife asks me what I've brought back?"
As Sudama approached home, he could
not find his hut! Instead, his wife came out from a magnificent
palace & dressed in elegant clothes. She told Sudama, "Look at
Krishna's might; we have been rid of our poverty. Krishna has ended
all our miseries." Sudama recollected Krishna's pure love & his
eyes welled up with tears of joy.
Video of Krishna and Sudama story:
Moral: So friends, did you see how pure
was the friendship of Krishna & Sudama? True love doesn't
distinguish between high & low status or between riches &
poverty. Therefore today, even after thousands of years, the
friendship of Krishna & Sudama is remembered all over the world
as a symbol of true love.
Krishna and the Gopis of Vrindavan: Gopi is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning 'cow-herd girl'. In Hinduism specifically the name gopi (sometimes gopika) is used more commonly to refer to the group of cow herding girls.
The gopis of Vrindavan total one hundred and eight in number, they are generally divided into three groups: Gopi friends of the same age as Krishna; maidservants; and gopi messengers.
The first group are the most exalted, Krishna's contemporary gopi
friends, the second group are the maidservants and are the next most
exalted, and the gopi messengers come after them. The primary eight
gopis are considered the foremost of Krishna's devotees after Srimati
Radharani. Their names are as follows :
Lalita (gopi) Sakhi
Vishakha Sakhi
Campakalata Sakhi
Citra Sakhi
Tungavidya Sakhi
Indulekha Sakhi
Rangadevi Sakhi
Sudevi Sakhi
Krishna and Balarama were very naughty children. Krishna loved playing the flute while Balarama tended the cows. The young milkmaids called gopis liked the sound of the flute and also went along with Krishna and Balarama when they went to graze the cows.
One day, the gopis went for a
bath in the river nearby. Krishna and his friends decided to play a
trick on them. They quietly followed the gopis too the river and hid
behind the trees.
When the gopis shed their clothes and went into the river to bathe, Krishna and his friends emerged from the bushes and took their clothes and hid them. The gopis begged and pleaded for their clothes. After teasing them for some time, Krishna finally decided to give back their clothes.
Rukmini:
Krishna with Rukmini....
In Hinduism, Rukmini also pronounced as "Rukhmani" is the principal wife and queen of Krishna at his city of Dwarka. Krishna heroically eloped with her to prevent an un-wanted marriage at her request (described in the Bhagavata Purana). Of Krishna's 16,108 queens, Rukmini is the first and most prominent. Rukmini is also considered to be an Avatar of Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune.
Satyabhama:
Krishna with his two wives Rukmini and Satyabhama
Satyabhama is the third wife of Lord Krishna, known for her strong will and tantrums. She is believed to be a partial avatar of Bhudevi.
Radha:
Radha , also called Radhika, Radharani and Radhikarani, is the childhood friend and lover of Krishna in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, and the Gita Govinda of the Vaisnava traditions of Hinduism. Radha is almost always depicted alongside Krishna and features prominently within the theology of today's Gaudiya Vaishnava sect, which regards Radha as the original Goddess or Shakti..
Krishna went to his mother, Yashoda, and turned on the full force of
his charm. "Mother," he said, "I want you to send a message to Radha's
family, asking for her hand in marriage." Yashoda thought this was
another of Krishna's pranks. But when Krishna persisted she replied
firmly and clearly. She said, " You cannot marry Radha for several
reasons. She is engaged to Aiyyan. You are the son of a chief and her
family is much lower in status. She is older than you. And she is a
brazen girl, totally unfit to be a wife."
Krishna
then used his final weapon. He threatened that his mother would not
only lose a lovely daughter-in-law if she refused, but also her son.
Yashoda then asked him to settle the matter with his father. So Krishna
went to Nand and repeated his request. His father said with a wink, "I
have noticed that you are spending more and more time with the girls
lately. No wonder you want one for yourself. There are many chieftains
who would willingly wed their daughters to you." Krishna interrupted and
said that he wanted to marry Radha and not a chieftain's daughter. The
arguments were repeated. Finally Nand said he was no match for Krishna
in a debate. Their family priest, Sage Garg, was arriving the next day
and Nand would refer the matter to him. Krishna told Sage Garg that
since he and Radha desired each other, they should get married. Garg
replied that desire as a reason for mating is the way of animals. The
matching of temperaments, family backgrounds and future plans should be
considered while selecting a spouse. Krishna stated that even as per
these considerations he could not find any fault with his choice.
Radha's temperament was perfectly matched to his, their family
backgrounds were similar and both of them would be spending the rest of
their lives in Vrindavan doing what the men and women of Vrindavan had
always been doing. Sage Garg then said, "I think it is time to tell
you the truth about your birth. You are the eighth son of Prince Vasudev
and Devaki. It was prophesied that you would kill your maternal uncle
Kansa and deliver the Yadava race from his tyranny. Hence you were
secretly brought to Gokul and were brought up as the son of Nand and
Yashoda. The great sage Vyasa has foretold that you will be the leader
of the Yadava race and the saviour of all humanity. Hence I have brought
Sage Sandipani with me, who is to begin your education in the
scriptures, procedures of governance and the art of warfare. We all have
great expectations of you. Radha is a village girl. She will not be a
suitable companion in this endeavour. That is why we are against this
marriage." Krishna quietly digested what had been said and then
replied softly but firmly. "First of all I would like to aver that Nand
and Yashoda are my parents and I will always look upon them as such.
Then I would request you to keep the story of my birth a secret from the
people of Vrindavan till it is time for me to leave. If they learn the
truth then their attitude towards me will change and this I will not be
able to bear. You say that I am to deliver all humanity from suffering. I
cannot begin this formidable task by thrusting the person who loves me
the most into unbearable suffering.
From the moment Radha saw me tied
to the mortar eight years ago, there has not been a single day that she
has not waited for me. With every breath that she has drawn she has
taken my name. For her spring comes when I come to meet her and winter
begins when I leave her. If I had died fighting Kaliya, the poisonous
snake, many in Vrindavan would have been heart broken. Mother would have
never stopped crying and father would have lost his smile forever. But
Radha would have given up her life there and then. Radha lives for me
and in me and I live for her and in her. If you prevent this marriage,
you will be depriving me of the right and power to carry out the great
tasks you want me to. I beseech you with folded hands to grant your
consent." Sage Garg was overcome by the rationality and intensity of
this speech. He gave his consent. Radha's joy knew no bound. And in the
celebrations that followed Aiyyan was forgotten.
--------- Part 2 The
news that Krishna was leaving spread like wildfire throughout
Vrindavan. The youth sensed that they were losing a staunch friend; the
maidens sensed that they were losing a man of their dreams and Radha.... Before
Radha could even begin to ponder upon the consequences, the melodious
sound of a flute wafted throughout the village. The women left what they
were doing and ran to the Madhuban. There was no time to wear their
ornaments or comb their hair. While running they tried to arrange their
clothes to give an appearance of modesty but soon gave up. Radha picked
up her anklets and raced ahead of everyone else, her bosom heaving with
excitement. Her Kahn was calling her. Krishna was standing in his usual
spot, his right leg crossed over his left, and playing his flute with
gay abandon. Radha cuddled up to him and began to sway in the rhythm of
his music. The other maidens formed circles around them and began to
dance. The men folk, the elders and children too had come there, but
were watching from a distance, so as not to embarrass the dancers. Every
maiden wanted Krishna to dance only with her, every maiden imagined
that Krishna was dancing only with her and the spectators could see a
multitude of Krishnas, each dancing separately with one of the lasses.
Such is the power of love; such is the power of faith. This was the
Maharasa or the "great dance". When the dancing stopped Krishna and
Radha were missing.
Radha and Krishna were heading for their
favourite nook in the Madhuban, near the Yamuna river. Radha was in
Krishna's arms, her tousled head resting on his shoulder. "Will you always be like this, Kahn?" asked Radha. "Always," he replied, "Till the sun and the moon endure."
But Radha was not satisfied by this assurance. "Will you always remember me?" she asked. "How can I forget you," replied Krishna, "You are my Goddess of beauty and joy." They
reached their destination and huddled close together on the mossy
grass. They kissed tentatively at first, but the pent-up passions soon
engulfed them and they united in body and soul. After a while Radha got
up and began to tie her disheveled tresses into a knot. "Will we always
be together after we are married," she inquired uncertainly. Krishna
replied that they were inseparable and that they had just got married
according to the Gandharva tradition. According to the this tradition,
sexual intercourse among consenting couples was tantamount to the
marriage rituals provided the male was of royal descent. "You will
always be my prince," said Radha, "but you are not of royal blood. And I
do not regret our love making so you do not have to justify it." Then
Krishna narrated the story of his birth, of his being the redeemer and
his leaving for Mathura before dawn. Radha let the whole narration sink
in and appeared to be forming some decisions of her own. "Is there
anything that can make you stay?" she asked. "Nothing can hold me
from my destiny and my duty." Replied Krishna firmly. "Why do you worry?
Are you afraid that I will die at Kansa's hands? It will be over soon
and then I will call you to Mathura" "No, I am sure that you will
kill Kansa. And then you will become the king of the Yadavas. A lot of
people will look up to you, will bow down before you, and will depend on
you. You will become the saviour of humanity," said Radha. "And you will be my queen, by my side always," added Krishna. "No,"
replied Radha surely. "I am a poor cowherd girl. I will be lost in the
palace intrigues. There will be many princesses wooing you and wanting
you at any cost. I will be awkward and gawky compared to them. This
village girl will be a handicap to you in your new avatar. For you will
undeniably change. Your life will be filled with politics and
manipulations. You will fight wars and participate in destruction. That
will be a part of your destiny and I don't pass judgment. But the Kahn I
loved was a cowherd boy, whose calling in life was to graze cattle, who
played the flute and danced in the woods and whose crown was a peacock
feather and weapon was a bamboo staff. I will not be able to see you in
any other form." Radha was now sobbing convulsively and Krishna has to
take her in his arms to calm her down. After regaining her composure
Radha continued. "Please listen to me Kahn! Let me stay here and take
care of your parents. Here in Vrindavan I will see you in the waters of
the Yamuna, the slopes of Govardhan and the trees of Madhuban and hence I
will always be with the Kahn I knew." They sat silently for a while
reflecting on the past, savouring the last moments of togetherness and
coming to terms with the future. Krishna broke the silence. "You are
right Radha. In Mathura I will have to change and if you come with me
then you will have to change as well. I will not be the Krishna you knew
and you will not be the Radha I knew. We will not be able to replicate
the magic we weaved here. And without either of us here, Vrindavan too
will wither away. But if you stay back, then Vrindavan will become an
enduring shrine to our love and you will be its deity." Krishna then
told Radha that preparations had been made for them to get married in
the Vedic manner and since the auspicious moment was drawing near they
should return. Radha requested that Krishna leave his flute behind as a
gift to her and Krishna readily agreed.
It was time for the final
parting. The villagers had turned out to personally meet Krishna. Radha
stood beside her mother in law, dressed in bridal finery, her face
covered modestly by her sari. From time to time she looked up at
Krishna, each glance a pledge of eternal devotion. Krishna's eyes met
Radha's each time and he smiled at her reassuringly. Any other
communication in front of the elders would be out of place. So no words
were said and no hands touched. Krishna touched his mother's feet and
mounted the bullock cart with Nand, Balaram and Akrura. Radha looked
without blinking at the cart till it disappeared round the corner and
then fainted. Krishna never set foot in Vrindavan again.
-------------
Part 3 Krishna
never set foot in Vrindavan again. But legend has it that he did come
face to face with Radha once, later … much later. After he had killed
Kansa and become the leader of the Yadavas. After he had shifted his
capital from Mathura to Dwarka. After he had married Rukmini and
Satyabhama and the others.
It was at the occasion of a total solar
eclipse. A massive congregation had gathered at the field of Kurukshetra
to bathe in the holy tank of Syamantapanchaka after the eclipse. (It
was said that a dip in this tank after eclipses purified the soul. It
was here that the great sage Parshurama had come to atone for killing
the evil kings and warriors. He established that all killing is sinful,
even when the persons killed are evil and deserve to die, even killing
in war. Hence all killings have to be atoned for.) All the major
kingdoms were represented. Krishna was leading the Yadavas.
Dhritarashtra of Hastinapur was there with his sons the Kauravas and
nephews the Pandavas. So were many other kings. Little did they know
that soon they would be engaged in a do or die battle on this very field
some years later. Many common folk had come as well. Among them was the
cowherd community of Vrindavan. When Krishna's parents, Vasudev and
Devaki learnt of this they wanted to meet Nand and Yashoda. They had
never met Krishna's foster parents and wanted to thank them for taking
care of their son in his formative years. The meeting was a very
emotional one. Balaram met his old cronies and reminisced about old
times.
But when Krishna came face to face with
Radha no words were said. No hands stretched to meet each other, no
smile played upon lips and no eyes sparkled with delight. Only a million
thoughts flashed through each mind and a deluge of tears flowed from
each pair of eyes. Radha had promised not to get involved with Krishna's
later life and she intended to keep that promise. Krishna did not want
to say or do something that would make things difficult for Radha. They
stood staring stonily at each other till all the thoughts were exhausted
and the eyes were dry. Though Krishna and Radha had been physically
separated, they had been inseparable spiritually and would continue to
be so till the end of the world. Radha had seen the splendour in which
Krishna's wives lived and the joy he lavished on them. But she knew that
his tears were for her alone and that each drop was more valuable than
all the riches of the world. Krishna knew that Vrindavan would be
enshrined forever because of Radha's sacrifice. Both were assured that
they had taken the correct decision many years ago. Without saying
anything they said everything and went their separate ways. They never
saw each other again.
Video showing song of a devotee Panduranga Jaya Krishna Mukunda Murari.....................
