Guest guest Posted February 18, 2004 Report Share Posted February 18, 2004 "Hello, I was just passing by and i wanted to comment on your website. first, It is a very interesting and carefully constructed site. it is a good reference for shaktha practices. one thing that surprised me however was your claim that radha was the divine equal of krishna. I am curious as to how you scripturally justify this. in the bhagavatham and mahabharatha [as far as i know], i have come across radha as the foremost of krishna's disciples. his main consort, among many others, is mentioned as Rukmini Devi [lakshmi incarnate]. so if you should have time, i am curious as to how you have reached the conclusion that radha is an aspect of shakthi. thank you, gautham reddy" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2004 Report Share Posted February 18, 2004 Namaste Gautham Reddy: Regarding our homepage presentation of Radha Devi, you write: "One thing that surprised me however was your claim that Radha was the divine equal of Krishna. I am curious as to how you scripturally justify this. ... If you should have time, I am curious as to how you have reached the conclusion that Radha is an aspect of Shakthi." I am really glad that you wrote, because at least a year ago I promised to contribute a scriptural explanation to follow Prisni's excellent devotional essay. Please bookmark the page and check back - I will endeavor to provide an in-depth discussion on this point within the next few weeks. However, I can give you the "short answer" right now. The direct scriptural basis for Radha's ontological equality to (and some would argue superiority to) Krishna is none other than the great Brahmavaivarta Purana, in which Radha is explicitly equated to Shakti, Durga and Lakshmi. As you know, as Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu, so Radha is said to be an avatar of Lakshmi. The philosophy of Lakshmi as supreme, independent deity is most fully fleshed out in Pancharatra school -- a kind of Tantric subsect of Vaishnavism, which propounds a decidedly Shakta approach to Lakshmi; that is, one that elevates Her to the status of Supreme Divinity. Kinsley explains: "In the Pancharatra creation scenario, Vishnu remains almost entirely inactive, relegating the creative process to Lakshmi. ... Lakshmi alone acts, and the impression throughout the cosmogony is that She acts independently of Vishnu (although it is stated that She acts according to His wishes). ... The practical effect ... is that [Vishnu] becomes so aloof that Lakshmi dominates the entire Pancharatra vision of the divine. In effect, She acquires the position of the Supreme Divine Principle, the underlying reality upon which all rests, that which pervades all creation with vitality, will and consciousness." The most important Pancharatra text is the Lakshmi Tantra, which -- among other things -- teaches us that Lakshmi both created and embodies the entire Universe (seen and unseen) out of a mere one- billionth fraction of Herself (14.3). Lakshmi here performs all of the acts that traditional Hinduism attributes to the great male gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. As Lakshmi Herself puts it: "Inherent in the Principle of Existence, whether manifested or unmanifested, I am at all times the inciter, the potential in all things. I manifest Myself as the Creation, I occupy myself with activity when Creation begins functioning, and I ultimately dissolve Myself at the time of destruction. I alone send the Creation forth and again destroy it. I absolve the sins of the good. As Mother Earth to all beings, I pardon them all their sins. I am the Giver of Everything. I am the thinking process itself and I am contained in Everything." (50.65-67) In the Lakshmi Tantra, Lakshmi (not Vishnu) is creator, maintainer, and destroyer; She is the sole object of devotion and meditation; She is the dispenser of grace; She is the bestower of liberation (50.131-132). And yet, for all of that, She retains Her fundamental association with fertility, abundance and well-being -- again, like Lajja Gauri, She is the "sap of life" that vitalizes all Creation; but here She is also said to be the supreme "sap of consciousness" that underlies the entire manifest world (50.110). But what I REALLY need to do now is put a lot of material from Brahmavaivarta Purana on the Radha page so that others will be able to read and assess this material and decide for themselves how much weight it merits in their own sadhana. Once again, I thank you for lighting a fire under me so that I will get to that forthwith! Aum Maatangyai Namahe , "N. Madasamy" <ashwini_puralasamy> wrote: > "Hello, > > I was just passing by and i wanted to comment on your website. > first, It is a very interesting and carefully constructed site. it > is a good reference for shaktha practices. one thing that surprised > me however was your claim that radha was the divine equal of > krishna. I am curious as to how you scripturally justify this. in > the bhagavatham and mahabharatha [as far as i know], i have come > across radha as the foremost of krishna's disciples. his main > consort, among many others, is mentioned as Rukmini Devi [lakshmi > incarnate]. so if you should have time, i am curious as to how you > have reached the conclusion that radha is an aspect of shakthi. > > thank you, > gautham reddy" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2004 Report Share Posted February 18, 2004 The Nirvana tantra is quoted in Principles of Tantra(by Arthur Avalon) to show the importance and equality(even superiority) of Radha with Krishna. A host of other tantras also seem to support the same idea. Interestingly, Krishna is thought of as male form of Lalita and Radha as an incarnation of Shiva according to some. Rgds , "Devi Bhakta" <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > However, I can give you the "short answer" right now. The direct > scriptural basis for Radha's ontological equality to (and some would > argue superiority to) Krishna is none other than the great > Brahmavaivarta Purana, in which Radha is explicitly equated to > Shakti, Durga and Lakshmi. > > As you know, as Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu, so Radha is said to > be an avatar of Lakshmi. The philosophy of Lakshmi as supreme, > independent deity is most fully fleshed out in Pancharatra school -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 18, 2004 Report Share Posted February 18, 2004 Thanks as always, Satish ... If you'd like to forward any of this material, I will incorporate it onto the Radha page. Thanks again DB , "Satish Arigela" <satisharigela> wrote: > The Nirvana tantra is quoted in Principles of Tantra(by Arthur > Avalon) to show the importance and equality(even superiority) of > Radha with Krishna. > > A host of other tantras also seem to support the same idea. > > Interestingly, Krishna is thought of as male form of Lalita and > Radha as an incarnation of Shiva according to some. > > Rgds > > , "Devi Bhakta" > <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > > > > However, I can give you the "short answer" right now. The direct > > scriptural basis for Radha's ontological equality to (and some > would > > argue superiority to) Krishna is none other than the great > > Brahmavaivarta Purana, in which Radha is explicitly equated to > > Shakti, Durga and Lakshmi. > > > > As you know, as Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu, so Radha is said to > > be an avatar of Lakshmi. The philosophy of Lakshmi as supreme, > > independent deity is most fully fleshed out in Pancharatra school -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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