A Tribute to Radha’s sweet Love for beloved Krishna

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A Tribute to Radha's sweet Love for beloved Krishna

 

How can one achieve love communion with God? This yearning — often

compared to that of a pining lover — has poured forth in poetry and

song, myth and fable. Among them is the story of Radha's yearning

for Krishna.

 

With madhura Bhakti or sweet devotion, Radharani achieved atmasamyogam

or union with the Divine. When we call Him Radhakrishna, we acknowledge

this love-union. Indian tradition enumerates three paths for a soul to

experience this union: jnana marga or way of knowledge; karma marga or

way of action and Bhakti marga or way of devotion. Of these three, the

path of devotion is filled with a rare sweetness and ecstasy experienced

by the devotee, Bhakti.

 

Five types of mellow states are induced by Bhakti: Santa or veneration,

dasya or servitude, sakhya or friendship, vatsalya or parenthood, and

madhurya or conjugal love. Radharani exemplifies a devotee who is on the

path of madhurya bhakti. She is steeped in the sweetness of her love for

the Lord. His name is ever on her lips. His image is enshrined in her

heart. Her eyes long to see the bewitching form of Krishna. Her ears

strain to hear the captivating melody of His flute. Her soul is immersed

in Him. Such is the intensity of her love that effortlessly she achieves

the state of ekagrata.

 

Rishis and munis achieve such one-pointed devotion after years of

arduous penance and severe self-denial. But Radharani achieves this by

treading the bhakti marga with love. So enraptured is she by the

beauteous form of Krishna that she loses all consciousness in His sweet

remembrance. Herself is effortlessly effaced, and her identity subsumed

in that of His. Out of such forgetting of the self and identification

with the Divine arises the state of union with God.

 

As the repository of divine joy, Radharani is referred to as the

pleasure-potency of the Lord. One evening Krishna was reeling under the

spell of his own atmic joy. Bliss emanated from His entire being, and it

so happened that `atmaanandabhuti' or the blissful experience of

the divine soul emerged from Him in a ball of brilliant light. Radharani

was seated on the banks of the Yamuna, lost in deep contemplation of

Krishna. Attracted by the intensity of her devotion, the ball of light

surrounded her and finally merged in her. Ever since Radharani is called

a bundle of bliss and folklore maintains that to this day, Krishna

trails after Radha, imploring her to shower once more upon Him, His own

inherent bliss.

 

Radharani's love for Krishna was untainted by selfish desire. She

existed only to please Him; all her senses were engaged in the worship

of Krishna. The Narada-pancaratna states: ``Bhakti is engaging all

our senses in the service of the supreme personality of godhead, master

of our senses. When the spirit soul renders such service unto the

supreme, there are two side effects. First, the devotee is freed from

all material designations; and second, his senses are purified by being

employed in the service of the Lord''. Pure love transformed

Radharani from a simple cowherd girl into an eternal goddess, presiding

alongside her Lord, reigning in the hearts of all His devotees as the

beloved Radharani.

 

(By Tunisha Mehrotra)