Radha Krishna

In the divine dance of Radha and Krishna, two souls merge into one, transcending all boundaries. The reality of life is that by embracing the divine love of Radha and Krishna, our hearts find solace, and our spirits attain liberation. Their love is a symphony of devotion, painting the canvas of our souls with divine colors.

Once Krishna left Vrindavan for Mathura to defeat Kansa, he never returned. That was his karma. Radha never questioned Krishna and spent the rest of her life immersed in immortal love. A common question often asked about Radha and Krishna is whether they are the same entity. Many scholars believe so. Lord Krishna is known to embody different energies.

His avatar as Krishna is a manifestation of his external energies, whereas his internal strength is Radha—an incarnation of Shakti on earth. It is widely believed that Radha and Krishna are incomplete without each other. They are worshipped together, even though they were not life partners.

It is said that Krishna met Radha on earth when he was around five years old. Known for his mischievous ways, Krishna once created a thunderstorm while out grazing cattle with his father. Perplexed by the sudden change in weather and unable to manage both his cattle and child, his father left Krishna in the care of a beautiful young girl who happened to be nearby.

Once alone with the girl, Krishna appeared in his divine form as a grown young man and asked her if she remembered the time they had spent together in heaven. The girl, his eternal beloved Radha, recognized him, and the two reunited on earth in a beautiful meadow amid the rain. The story of Radha and Krishna’s love is incomplete without mention of his flute. The tales of their Raas Leela, along with the gopis in Vrindavan, are well known.

However, a lesser-known aspect of their relationship is the hypnotic effect Krishna’s flute had on Radha. The soulful melodies flowing from his flute would captivate her, drawing her out of her home to be by his side.

If they were so deeply in love and inseparable, why did Radha and Krishna not marry? This question has puzzled devotees and scholars alike. Some believe their marriage was not possible because Radha was a manifestation of Krishna’s inner self, and one cannot marry one’s own soul.

Though Radha and Krishna never married in their human forms, theirs was a divine union. To understand it, one must grasp the finer nuances of rasa and prema. Their love was a pursuit of spiritual ecstasy that transcended worldly definitions. Radha’s love for Krishna was profound and spontaneous, breaking through all obstacles in its path.

Radha and Krishna’s earthly relationship is marked by a long separation, often attributed to a curse Radha received before her incarnation. According to the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, during their time in Goloka, Radha had a heated argument with Krishna’s attendant, Shridama. In a fit of rage, Shridama cursed Radha to endure 100 years of separation from Krishna in her human form. It is believed this curse caused Radha’s lifetime of longing and separation from Krishna on earth.

Despite its many trials, the love of Radha and Krishna not only endured its brief spell among mortals but has lived on for centuries, inspiring millions even today. That, in itself, is a testament to the beauty and depth of their bond.

There is an interesting story about Radha and Krishna meeting in heaven. As they come face to face, Krishna hesitates, uncertain, but Radha remains calm. She greets him, saying, “How are you, Dwarkadheesh?”

Krishna looks perturbed. “I am your Kanha, Radhe. Do not call me Dwarkadheesh. Do you know that tears swelled in my eyes whenever I remembered you?”

“That is strange,” Radha replies, “because I never forgot you. You were always in my thoughts. I never wept, for fear that your image in my eyes might be washed away.”

Krishna listens in silence. Goddess Radha continues, “You never met any of us after leaving Gokul. Your fame spread far and wide, but did you realize how much you lost in the bargain? You spent your younger days relishing the sweet waters of Yamuna, surrounded by pure love. But you spent most of your life in Dwarka, surrounded by the salty sea.”

Krishna then asks, “Tell me the difference between Dwarkadheesh and Kanha.”

Radha replies, “As Dwarkadheesh, you placed your trust in the Sudarshan Chakra that spins on one finger, but you forgot the flute that plays with ten fingers. Kanha, when you were in the presence of love, you saved thousands of lives by lifting Govardhan on one finger. But when you were away from love, you took many lives with the Sudarshan Chakra. In war, life is taken, but in love, one sacrifices life for others. In love, one can suffer but cannot make others suffer.”

Radha then refers to the Mahabharata. “You gave the world the Bhagavad Gita, teaching karma and detachment. But did you follow it yourself? You gave away your army to Duryodhana, yet you became Arjuna’s charioteer, watching your own army perish before your eyes. Your soldiers were your subjects, like your children. How do you justify their deaths? You could witness such destruction because the feeling of love had abandoned you.”

“Today, on earth, the Gita provides wisdom and guidance. People revere it as sacred, but they do not place their trust in Krishna, the charioteer of Arjuna. Instead, they have faith in Kanha of the Bhagavata, the symbol of love. My name is not even mentioned in the Gita, yet even today, people chant ‘Radhe Krishna, Radhe Krishna’ at its conclusion. This is the true power of divine and eternal love. If you notice, my name always comes before Krishna’s, even in common greetings.”

A question often asked is why Radha’s name is not mentioned in ancient scriptures. The answer is that Radha dissolved herself so completely into Krishna that she became one with him. A separate account of her became unnecessary. Radha is not merely in a relationship with Krishna—she is Krishna. She is invisible, like his shadow. She dissolves completely into him. Radha and Krishna together form a complete whole. Krishna alone is an incomplete name.

The Krishna of the Gita and the Krishna of the Bhagavata are entirely different. While the Krishna of the Gita stands on a battlefield surrounded by war and violence, the Krishna of the Bhagavata sings, dances, and celebrates life. There seems to be no meeting point between the two. That is why different people worship different aspects of Krishna’s life. No one absorbs all the contradictions of life as he does—peace and war, life and death, love and violence all coexist within him.

Did you know that Krishna is also called Yogeshwar, the lord of yoga, whose practice is born out of joy and bliss? He embodies and represents all aspects of life.

Krishna fully embraces the world. His acceptance is so complete that it is difficult to distinguish where the world ends and where God begins. Most great religious figures renounced the world to find peace, meaning, and unity with the divine. But Krishna did not.

He proved that, like a lotus in water, one can remain unattached while living in the midst of relationships. Among the galaxy of enlightened souls, Krishna stands apart—he fully accepts life on earth. He does not live for the sake of heaven. Life has never received such deep and unconditional acceptance from any other enlightened being.

Krishna’s life is Leela—a divine play—and he performs it perfectly. He is called Maha Yogi, one who has attained the highest form of yoga. He has reached the ultimate heights and depths of spirituality.

Krishna is always smiling, his flute on his lips, casting a spell over the people of Gokul. Even cows respond to the melodies of his flute. He dances with all his heart and soul with the gopis of Nandgaon and his beloved Radha. Such is his enchantment that Radha and each gopi feel as though Krishna dances with them alone.

You cannot think of Krishna without Radha. She is inseparable from him. Radha sacrifices everything for Krishna’s love, even her identity, becoming the first part of their joint name. We say Radha Krishna, not Krishna Radha. She is his song, his dance, and all that is tender and refined in him. Together, Radha and Krishna form a perfect, complete union.