Who is Radha? Why is Her name always taken before Lord Krishna’s—Radhe Govind, Radhe Krishna, Radhe Shyam? Is She merely Shree Krishna’s consort, or does Her existence reveal a deeper spiritual truth about God Himself?
For centuries, poets have tried to capture Radha Tattva in their musings, and sages have meditated upon Her mystery. Yet Her glory transcends words. Her presence pervades the cosmos, yet is tender, whispering through the groves of Braj, the melody of Krishna’s flute, and the hearts of countless souls who seek Her grace.
The Vedas proclaim Her Form indescribable, beyond speech, mind, and intellect. However, to guide devotees, saints and scriptures offer glimpses of Her divine essence. Let us journey into the glory of Shree Radha Rani.
The Energy of God
Here is a philosophical truth to begin with.
The Nārada Pañcharātra states:
ekadeśha sthitasyāgnir jyotsnā vistārini yathā parasya brahmanah śhaktis tathedam
Just as the sun remains in one place, yet illumines the entire solar system through its rays, likewise the Supreme Divine manifests the cosmos through His innumerable energies. Of these, one is māyā—with which God creates this material world. Another is jīva-śhakti—the countless souls, eternal fragments of God. Yet beyond both is the most wondrous of all, Yogmāyā—God’s own personal, all-powerful energy.
Shree Krishna reveals in the Bhagavad Gita:
ajo ’pi sannavyayātmā bhūtānām īśhvaro ’pi san
prakṛitiṁ svām adhishthāya sambhavāmyātma-māyayā ~ Verse 4.6
“Although I am unborn, the Lord of all living entities, and have an imperishable nature, yet I appear in this world by virtue of Yogmaya, My divine power.”
Through His Yogmāyā shakti, God manifests on earth in His personal Form and displays His virtues and leelas. During the Mahārās, Shree Krishna sought the shelter of this very power to create the circumstances for the divine play to unfold. Without Yogmāyā, Krishna would remain unmanifest. Thus, all that is otherwise inconceivable about God is made possible only through this divine energy. It is also through this very power that He sits in the hearts of all the souls and still remains veiled from them. For instance, when a doctor places a stethoscope on the chest, no sound of God’s presence can be heard. This Yogmāyā shakti of God is none other than Radha.
And here lies a profound mystery: God's powers can take on a personal form. Just as Ganga flows as a river and is worshipped as Goddess Ganga Devi, Yogmāyā manifests as Durga, Sītā, Lakshmī, Kālī, Radha. However, the Naradpanchratra declares: Goddess Mahalakshmi, who is the consort of Maha Vishnu, the master of uncountable planetary systems – appears from the left side of Radha’s body. From Her also emanate, Durga, Mangalakali, Kali, Shivadhatri, Vaishnavi, Brahmani. Hence, all these goddesses are Radha’s different aspects. Just as Ram, Krishna, Shiv, and Narayan are different manifestations of the same Supreme Being, so too the various Forms of divine energy are unified in Radha.
Further, Radha and Krishna are not two distinct beings but one eternal divine reality manifested in two forms.
The Sāma Rahasyopaniṣhad proclaims:
anādirayam puruṣham ekamevāsti tadeva rūpam dwidhāvidhāya samārodhana tatparobhūt tasmāttam rādham rasikānandam vadavido vadanti
“Since eternity, the one Supreme Lord has divided Himself in two forms, the Energetic and the Energy. That Supreme Energy (the Yogmāyā power) is Radha, who is worshipped by the knowers of the Vedas.”
The relationship between Krishna and Radha is that of Shaktiman (the energetic) and Shakti (the energy). They are inseparable. The Naradpanchratra offers a striking analogy: Just as the whiteness of milk is inherent and inseparable from the milk itself, in the same way, Radha and Krishna are one.
Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj echoes this in the Bhakti Shatak:
Joi Radha soi Krishna hain, in men bhed na man ~ Verse 1
“Whoever is Radha, the same is Krishna. Do not differentiate between them.”
Scriptural Mention of Radha Ji
There are many still who wonder why the Srimad Bhāgavatam, though overflowing with Krishna’s pastimes, does not explicitly mention Radha Rani’s name. The answer is rooted in the mystery of its speaker, Śhukadev ji.
Śhukadev, known as Leela-śhuk was the divine parrot of Radha Rani. Such was his devotion that uttering ‘Radha’ would send him into months-long ecstasy. To complete the narration of the Bhāgavatam to King Parikshit within seven days, Śhukadev refrained from taking Radha’s name directly. Instead, he hinted at Her presence subtly through poetic allusions and synonyms. Let us explore some of these references.
yam gopīmanayat krishno ~ Verse 10.30.35
During the Maharas with the gopis, Shree Krishna took one Gopi with Him and disappeared from there.
anayāridhato nūnam bhagavānīśhvaro harih ~ Verse 10.30.28
The other gopis left behind, searched for Krishna in deep anguish. Soon they discovered the footprints of two. They realized that this Gopi had performed extraordinary devotion to Shree Krishna; therefore, He took Her alone with Him. The Gopi referenced here is also Radha.
kāmayāmaha etasya śhrīmatpādarajah śhriyah
kuchakunkumagandhadhyam mūrdhnā vodhum gadābhritah ~ Verse 10.83.42
In the above verse, Rukmini and other queens of Shree Krishna confessed their longing to serve that ‘Śhree,’ whose kumkum is on the feet of Shree Krishna. Here the word ‘Shree’ has been used for Radha, not Mahalakshmi as some might interpret. The queens of Dwarika were themselves descensions of Mahalakshmi, so they would not yearn for the dust of their own lotus feet. Interestingly, in the birthplace of Radha Rani, people refer to Her as ‘Shreeji.’
Here is another subtle reference that appears:
ākṣhiptachittāḥ pramadā ramăpatestāstā vicheṣhṭā jagrihustadātmikah ~ Verse 10.33.16
The Master of Ramā did rās with the gopis. The word ‘Ramā’ can also mean Lakshmi, but that is not the usage here, since Vishnu, the Master of Lakshmi, does not do the Rās leela. Thus, here ‘Ramā’ has been used for Radha—showing once again how despite endeavouring to keep Her name hidden, Radha’s name automatically shines forth.
Although Sage Ved Vyas composed the Bhāgavatam, it was not the only Purana he authored. Many others too came from his pen where he glorifies Radha Rani.
● The Padma Purana states: Thousands of Lakshmis are expansions of Radha, having manifested from Her.
● In the Narad Purana: From the left side of Radha Rani manifested Mahalakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune.
● In the Adi Purana, Ved Vyas states: Radha is eternal.
● In the Matsya Purana: Rukmini resides in Dwarika, but Radha is forever in Vrindavan.
● In the Devi Bhagavat Purana: Utter the name Radha before Shree Krishna’s.
● And in the Brahma Vaivartak Purana: Shree Krishna is Radha’s masculine Form.
Therefore, scriptures are filled with numerous authoritative proofs glorifying the supreme truth of Radha Tattva. And last but not the least, the Vedas also mention Radha ji.
Quotes from the Rig Veda state: “O all-knowing witness seated in everyone’s hearts, who took Radha away from the gopis (during the Mahārās)! We call you for our protection.” The third mantra mentions: “I offer my pranam to the daughter of Vrishbhanu” (Radha ji’s father). The Atharva Vediya Rādhikopanishad states: “Radha is that entity, the dust of whose lotus feet the Master of the Universe places on His head.”
Worshipped by the Lord Himself
Factually, the name ‘Radha’ holds two meanings. First, Radha is “the one who worships Shree Krishna.” Second, She is “the one who is worshipped by Brahm, Shree Krishna Himself.” In Her very Name lies a divine paradox!
Now reflect for a moment: who are you? The body, mind, and intellect belong to you, but they are not you. You are the soul, and these exist only to serve the soul, forever striving for its happiness. Just as the body serves the soul, the soul itself is a servant of God, and Shree Krishna is the Soul of our soul. Yet the scriptures remind us that Shree Radha is the soul of Shree Krishna. If the soul itself lies beyond the grasp of the intellect, how can anyone fathom the Soul of the soul of the soul—Radha? She is the Supreme Soul, the very essence of Shree Krishna. This profound truth finds reflection in the story of Raskhan, a great saint who once struggled to understand the nature of Their divine bond. Raskhan had heard that Shree Krishna serves Shree Radha, even presses Her feet. This seemed to overturn worldly norms. Was Radha His wife? He wondered. Should not the wife serve the husband? When Raskhan attained God-realization, Shree Krishna Himself appeared before him in that very Form.
"Dekhyo dur jyon kunj kutir mein, Baithyo palotat Radhika payan"
Raskhan beheld Shree Krishna in a forest bower, gently pressing the lotus feet of Radha Rani. In that moment, divine knowledge dawned upon him—Lakshmi, the eternal wife and consort, forever serves the Lord in His form as Vishnu. Yet Shree Krishna Himself remains in eternal service to Shree Radha. Only then did Raskhan realize that Radha is not merely Krishna’s consort; She is His very Soul. Such is Her supreme divinity!
Source of Grace and Loving Devotion
There is yet another aspect to Radha Rani’s unparalleled glory.The Yogmaya shakti governs all the other energies of the cosmos and hence is called the Divine Mother of the universe. And among all manifestations of the Yogmaya shakti, Radha Rani holds a unique place. Just as in the world, a mother expresses many moods like sometimes stern, protective, gentle, the Divine Mother too appears in various ways. In Her fierce Forms, such as Kālī or Durgā, She protects creation by destroying demons. But in Her Form as Radha, Her only role is to participate in Shree Krishna’s sweet pastimes and to shower that divine love upon all souls. She is the tender, loving form of the Divine Mother.
The Radhopanishad states:
ye yam rādhā yaśhcha krishhno rasābdhirdeheśhchaikah kridanārtham dvidhā bhoo
“Radha and Krishna are one but have assumed two forms for the purpose of performing loving pastimes.”
Shree Krishna is the Supreme masculine, the embodiment of eternal existence, while Radha is His Hlādinī shakti—the power of divine bliss and love. From age to age, They descend into this world, revealing ever-new pastimes. In doing so, They inspire countless souls to cultivate loving devotion to the Supreme.
On the path of devotion, the motherly aspect of the Divine holds deep significance. Scriptures affirm that even in the material world, a mother’s love, sacrifice, and compassion make her far more deserving of reverence than a father. If this is true in the human realm, one can only imagine the boundless compassion and mercy of the Divine Mother, and how supreme Her position must be.
Saints teach that the only way to attain God is through His grace. And the power of grace, or Kripā shakti, is embodied by Radha Herself. When one calls to Her with a yearning heart, She responds with limitless compassion, bestowing parā-bhakti, the highest form of devotion. Enchanted by Her summons, Shree Krishna cannot resist showering divine love upon that fortunate soul!
As Swami Mukundananda beautifully sings in this kirtan: Bol Radhey, bol Radhey, chale aayenge Murari, bol Radhey!
Conclusion
Picture finding a ring on the road. You casually pick it up and think, “It is probably worth ten or twenty dollars.” Then someone tells you, “This ring is worth a million!” Instantly, your joy and astonishment soar, and you would treasure it with the utmost care. Similarly, when we truly realize the greatness of Shree Radha, even the simple act of uttering or singing Her name fills the heart with devotion and surrender. The Mother of the universe and the wellspring of divine love, drawing every soul irresistibly closer to Shree Krishna—that supreme transcendental entity is whom we call Radha Rani.
Call to Action
Celebrate Radhashtami—the divine appearance of Radha Rani, with Swami Mukundananda at the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas on 31st August 2025.
Rejuvenate yourself at the Dallas Spiritual Retreat. Join in person or online!
🗓 Dates: August 30 – September 1
📍 Location: Hyatt Place Dallas
Experience three blissful days filled with:
● Yoga & meditation
● Kirtans and spiritual discourses by Swami Mukundananda
● Cultural celebrations and picnic
● Q&A sessions
● Special programs for kids and youth
Immerse yourself in a transformative retreat that nourishes the body, mind, and soul!
Resources
● Who is Shree Radha? | Vedic Scriptures Revealed This About Radha Rani
● The Secret About Shri Krishna’s Relationship With Radha Rani | Yogmaya, The Supreme Power of Krishna
● Spiritual Dialectics, Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog; 1st edition (10 April 2011)