On Sri Radharani

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Namaste all

 

Sri Radha is an incredibly important goddess in Shakti philosophy.

As I was taught, Sri Radha is the Shakti that governs one individual

Prana - one's life force.

 

Sri Radha, while not as popular a goddess amongst Shaktaas as Mother

Durga, Kali, Lalita, and others, does have a role in Shakta cosmology.

 

For example, if one looks in the Devi Bhagavata Purana:

 

" 1. S'ri Nârâyana said :-- This (Highest) Prakriti (Nature) is

recognised as five-fold. When She is engaged in the work of Creation,

She appears as :-- (1) Durgâ, the Mother of Ganesa, (2) Râdhâ, (3)

Laksmî, (4) Sarasvatî and (5) Sâvitrî. "

 

and later

 

" Now I will describe to you about the Fifth S'akti, the Devî Râdhikâ.

Hear. She is the Presiding Deity of the five Prânas; She Herself is

the Life of all; dearer than life even to S'rî Krisna; and She is

highly more beautiful and superior to all the other Prakriti Devîs.

She dwells in everything;

She is very proud of Her good fortune (Saubhâgyam);

Her glory is infinite; and She is the wife, the left body, as it were,

of S'rî Krisna and She is not in any way inferior to Him, either in

quality or in the Tejas (Fiery Spirit) or in any other thing.

She is higher than the Highest; the Essence of all, infinitely

superior, the First of all, Eternal, of the nature of the Highest

Bliss, fortunate, highly respected, and worshipped by all.

She is, the Presiding Devî of the Râsa Lîlâ of S'rî Krisna. From Her

has sprung the Râsa mandalam and She is the Grace and the Ornament of

the Râsa mandalam (the dance in a circle in Râsa).

She is the Lady of the Râsa Lîlâ, the Foremost of the Jovial,

humourous (witty) persons and dwells always in Râsa.

Her abode is in Goloka and from Her have come out all the Gopîkâs.

Her nature is the Highest Bliss, the Highest Contentment, and

Excessive Joy; She transcends the three Sattva, Rajo and Tamo Gunas

and is Nirâkâra (without any particular form); but She dwells

everywhere but unconnected with any.

She is the soul of all.

She is without any effort to do anything and void of Ahamkâra.

She assumes forms only to show Her favour to Her Bhaktas.

The intelligent learned men (Pundits) read Her Mahimâ (glories) in

meditating on Her according to the Vedas.

The chief of the Devas and the Munis could never see Her; Her

clothings are fire-proof and She is decorated with many ornaments all

over Her body.

Her body looks as if the crores of moons have risen all at once;

She is the Giver of Bhakti (devotion) towards Krisna, services towards

Krisna; and She bestows all wealth and prosperity.

In Varâha Kalpa, i.e., when the Varâha incarnation took place, She

incarnated Herself as the daughter of one Gopa (cow-herd), named

Vrisabhânu.

And Earth was blessed by the touch of Her feet.

She is such as Brahmâ and the other Devas could never perceive Her by

any of their senses, yet everyone at Vrindâvan saw Her very easily.

She is the Gem amongst women.

And when She is seen on the breast of Krisna, it seems that lightnings

flash in the blue mass of clouds in the sky.

In days gone by, Brahmâ practised several austerities for sixty

thousand years to purify Himself by seeing the nails of Her toe; but

far from seeing that, He could not have that even in his dreams.

At last He succeeded in seeing Her at Vrindâvana and became blessed.

O Child Nârada! This is the fifth Prakriti and She is denominated as

Râdhâ. Every female in every Universe is sprung from a part of S'rî

Râdhâ or part of a part. "

 

 

All of this is from:

" The Devi Bhagavatam Purana, translated by Swami Vijñanananda "

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk09ch01.htm#page_797

 

The translation is a bit dense, but it's a very worthwhile volume to

read through.

 

Jai Maa.

--

-S. Santo Sengupta

" Aum Shanti Shanti Shantih. "