Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 19

Thread: Is Radha brah***?

  1. #1

    Is Radha brah***?

    namaste,

    An interesting bit of information came up in another thread:

    Quote Originally Posted by smaranam View Post
    Then who is Radha?
    The answer is Radha is KRshNa svayam. His internal bliss potency, alhAdini shakti.

    One acharya gave a very nice explanation.
    Once all the devas went to Shri KrshNa in Golok and said, Lord, by Your grace we know so much, You perform all these leelas and we see that, You play roles to protect the good and destroy evil, we see that. All this is what You do for the world, it is Your compassion.
    Yet we don't really know You as You. We want to know Who You are.
    So KRshNa said that is not very easy - Understanding Me.
    Then He created His 'Sva' , Himself from His left and a beautiful fair maiden was seen. This is Radha.
    ..Which makes me wonder and air my own long-held (but very personal) belief about Radha, that is--

    1) Radha (to make matter simple by using the popular Vedantic usage) is none other than "Nirguna Brah***" as contrasted with Krishna the "Sagun B".

    2) This is why Radha - Her persona or even the name - is a perfect blank, nowhere to be found - in the whole of the Mahabharata. But still, some tradition made it a point to remember on Radha. Why?

    3) This only suggests that Radha played a role in Mahabharta - which is a central one - but not recorded because of the very nature of Her role.

    4) This also explains in what ways the Bengali (a synonym otherwise for Devi place of influence) Vaishnavism is distinct from, say, South Indian Vaishnavism.

    5) So, the question is-- if this is true, then is this something privy to inner circles of Vaishnava initiates in the particular Vaishnab tradition?

    6) As for my own "long held" belief, this has to do purely with Vedic understanding and the roles of Krisna and Radha according to it. However, the Vedantic terminology should suffice for the view-point I am trying to make here.


    So my idea is just to float this thread, not to cause any consternation or confusion. Or am I just raving (as usual )?
    Things to remember:

    1. Life = yajña
    2. Depth of Āstika knowledge is directly proportional
    to the richness of Sanskrit it is written in
    3. Āstika = Bhārata ("east") / Ārya ("west")
    4. Varṇa = tripartite division of Vedic polity
    5. r = c. x²
    where,
    r = realisation
    constant c = intelligence
    variable x = bhakti

  2. #2
    Join Date
    June 2013
    Location
    Maharashtra
    Posts
    570
    Rep Power
    1125

    Re: Is Radha brah***?

    Namaste kAlicharan..

    Radha character is a controversial character of purana. Some say she was a lover of Krishna, some say she was incarnation of bhakti devi and some say (including me as well) radha character was introduced by some Bengali poet and besides there's not even a single mention of radha in entire Mahabharata, Vishnu purana and bhagavata purana. So it's hard to believe but I personally imagine radha as bhakti which is one with brahman (with upadhi). When such bhakti gets perfected by wisdom of Brahman, the distinction between Krishna(formless Brahman), radha(Bhakti) and the self gets merged in nirguna brahman.

    Radha is brahman, Krishna is Brahman, all is Brahman. So this self after ceasing of upadhi must be Brahman
    Hari On!

  3. #3

    Re: Is Radha brah***?

    Quote Originally Posted by Kalicharan Tuvij View Post
    namaste,

    ..Which makes me wonder and air my own long-held (but very personal) belief about Radha, that is--

    1) Radha (to make matter simple by using the popular Vedantic usage) is none other than "Nirguna Brah***" as contrasted with Krishna the "Sagun B".

    2) This is why Radha - Her persona or even the name - is a perfect blank, nowhere to be found - in the whole of the Mahabharata. But still, some tradition made it a point to remember on Radha. Why?

    3) This only suggests that Radha played a role in Mahabharta - which is a central one - but not recorded because of the very nature of Her role.
    Hare KRshNa

    RAdhA is KRshNa's prema (prema shakti, alhAdini shakti). The Divine Love that KRshNa is made of and is the Source of, is RAdhA. This is why when the Devas say "We want to know You, putting aside what You do for the world -- paritrANAya sAdhunAm vinAshAya cha dushkRtAm, dharma sansthApanA...", KRshNa shows them His prema.

    This prema has absolutely no traces of anything in this material world, it is devoid of any desires of the individual (which can be defined as kAma). This prema always strives to bring happiness to KRshNa. This is RAdhA. KRshNa Himself is always bringing peace and happiness to those who surrender to Him or live in His shelter (sharaN). At the same time, He revels in His own prema - RAdhA.

    Any desire for the individual's benefit is called kAma, and this kAma is a topsy-turvy poor perverted reflection of prema. Prema has nothing to do with what people sometimes mistakenly call love in this world.

    bhajo shri kRshNa chaitanya prabhu nityAnado
    hare kRshNa hare rAm shri rAdhe govindo

    jayo rAdhe govindo ~ rAdhe govindo
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  4. #4

    Re: Is Radha brah***?

    Hare Krishna Smaranam-ji and HLK-ji,

    I was weary of (using) Vedantic parallels (but did in order to keep the discussion accessible). So let me try to stretch it a further still.

    Can we see Radha as the Ananda that is also filled with Sat(ya) and Chitta?

    Since if Radha is of Prema and that is not of this world (or even of those devas' worlds who are asking the question), then Radha is of Bliss or Ananda swarupa. Indeed as we know, Ananda includes within herself Sat and Chit.

    This is some stretch of Vedanta, perhaps, or may be I should just drop employing any intellectual parallels at this point.
    Things to remember:

    1. Life = yajña
    2. Depth of Āstika knowledge is directly proportional
    to the richness of Sanskrit it is written in
    3. Āstika = Bhārata ("east") / Ārya ("west")
    4. Varṇa = tripartite division of Vedic polity
    5. r = c. x²
    where,
    r = realisation
    constant c = intelligence
    variable x = bhakti

  5. #5
    Join Date
    March 2014
    Posts
    554
    Rep Power
    1405

    Re: Is Radha brah***?

    Namaste Ji,

    I wonder why you always censor the word Brah*** in your posts?

  6. #6

    Re: Is Radha brah***?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ram11 View Post
    Namaste Ji,

    I wonder why you always censor the word Brah*** in your posts?
    Much in the same way I write posts here but the mods won't let them publish. It makes me invisible, even though I am fully active on the forum. For example, before this post I wrote two earlier ones - one hilarious, and the other very sane (who says Brah*** cannot have shades?).

    Actually this (third one) post, as you might agree, is a truly insane one - considering the fact that I fully know this time that this one also goes down the drain; but I care about your posts here, so that forced me to write something, know that (but how'd you..).

    Very insane, but still I think I've replied it to my satisfaction.


    Hare Govinda,
    Things to remember:

    1. Life = yajña
    2. Depth of Āstika knowledge is directly proportional
    to the richness of Sanskrit it is written in
    3. Āstika = Bhārata ("east") / Ārya ("west")
    4. Varṇa = tripartite division of Vedic polity
    5. r = c. x²
    where,
    r = realisation
    constant c = intelligence
    variable x = bhakti

  7. #7

    Re: Is Radha brah***?

    Quote Originally Posted by Kalicharan Tuvij View Post
    Can we see Radha as the Ananda that is also filled with Sat(ya) and Chitta?

    Since if Radha is of Prema and that is not of this world (or even of those devas' worlds who are asking the question), then Radha is of Bliss or Ananda swarupa. Indeed as we know, Ananda includes within herself Sat and Chit.
    Hare KRshNa, KalicharaNji,

    You are right. You are quite close. Shri KRshNa is [the Source of & made of] that Anand, alhAd - happiness, and RAdhA is His alhAdini Shakti -- that aspect of His innermost potency of happiness, that potential that brings forth that Anand in full, of which living entities experience or possess in tinier amounts.

    Shri KRshNa is the ShaktimAn, in full possession of, owner of this Anand potency (power, energy, capacity...)
    RAdhA is the alhAdini Shakti of the ShaktimAn.

    Shri KRshNa is the Source and Owner of Sat, of Chit, and of Anand.
    His other shaktis are a transformation of the alhAdini shakti and they
    a) manifest this world -- as DurgA (Sat shakti)
    b) bring forth sentience and intelligence, hence knowledge -- chit and samvit -- Saraswati

    The AchArya tell us that while RAdhA is LakshmI [i.e. vaibhav i.e. Anand, internal potency of happiness], DurgA is the external potency of creating the variegated world, and therefore She (DurgA) is called the mAyA Shakti of BhagvAn (yA devi, sarva-bhUteshu vishNu-mAyeti shabditA -- O Goddess, You Who pervade all beings and are known/described as the mAyA of VishNu).

    In this way,
    1. umA (pArvati, durgA),
    2. ramA(lakshmI, shrI) and
    3. vANI (saraswati, shAradA)
    are shaktis of BhagavAn VishNu.
    While DurgA is His sister, JagannAth ashTaka (by Adi ShankarAchArya) describes KRshNa (JagannAth) as "ramA-vANI ramah:" (verse 3)

    ram�-v�n�-r�mah sphurad-amala-pankeruha-a-mukhah
    [KRshNa is] the storehouse of bliss for Lakshm� and Sarasvat�; His face a spotless fullblown lotus.


    govinda bolo hari gopAla bolo rAdhA-ramaNa hari govinda bolo
    govinda bolo hari gopAla bolo mAdhav mukunda hari govinda bolo...
    Last edited by smaranam; 02 December 2014 at 02:05 PM.
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  8. #8

    Re: Is Radha brah***?

    P.S. Your classification of Radha-KRshNa as NirguN-SaguN Bramhan is not quite right however.

    KRshNa is NirguN. KRshNa is Brahman. period. Brahman is always nirguN (devoid of material modes of nature) and guNAteeta (beyond material modes of nature). (SaguN Bramhan is an idea introduced by ShankarAchArya).

    Brahman is of the nature of sat-chit-Ananda, and these potencies of Brahman possessed in infinite amount are His ShaktI s.

    Thus RAdhA is the Anand-component-shakti, alhAdini shaktI of this Brahman which is nirguN. She is fountain-head of all shades of ramA (LakshmI).

    It was a great pleasure discussing this subject with you, KalaicharaNji. Thanks for bringing it up.
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  9. #9
    Join Date
    February 2012
    Posts
    1,525
    Rep Power
    2741

    Re: Is Radha brah***?

    Namaste

    Why is it when I think of Krishna, in a nanosecond I think of His Flute?

    Most every Krishna Murti I have seen, He holds the Flute... Why? Why is this all over the world, we think Krishna and Flute? All over world, we think this.

    And before that nanosecond is over, I think Whom does He play that Flute for? And by the next nanosecond I think Radha.

    Why is this so, all over the world? Radha Krishna, Krishna Radha? All over the world.

    And then in the next nanosecund, I think of Balaram.

    So Krishna + Flute + Radha + Balaram. Why?

    And next nanosecond there are the Gopis and Gopas. Why?

    Why is this our nature to think this? And why do I feel some sort of Love?

    Why? Amazing, actually. Perhaps the most simple things are the most natural.

  10. #10

    Re: Is Radha brah***?

    Dear ShivaFan ji

    Why? Because to the bhakta (like you) it is that simple and automatic. I love saying out loud -- BhagavAn Shri KRshNa is NirguN He is the most beautiful Person, Love, shaDaishwarya-sampanna too, and He plays flute.

    HAye muraliwAle ghanashyAm, mere ghar bAnsuri bajAyee jayiyo re
    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Here is a bhajan for you :

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgCFOiWlTb0

    O more bAnke bihAri lAl,
    tu itnA na kariyo sringAr
    nazar tohe laga jAyegI, pyAre!

    Please sing in the tune of
    pyAre! nazar tohe laga jAyegi,
    Hare KRshNa! Hare KRshNa KRshNa Hare Hare,
    Hare RAm! Hare RAm RAm RAm,
    Hare Hare! Hare Hare KRshNA
    KRshNa KRshNa! Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram
    RAm RAm! Hare Hare ...


    O my KRshNa, bent in three places, wandering amongst devotees, (bAnke bihAri), O child!
    Please do not dress up so much (shringAr)! Lest some evil eye is cast on You, O Dearest One!


    Jai GovindA Jai GopAlA ....

    Govinda bolo hari gopAla bolo rAdhA ramaN hari govinda bolo....


    --
    KRshNa is all dressed up -- Mother YashodA and the Gopa boys dress Him up, and the Gopis feast their eyes on the transcendental Dearest. This is why YashodA makes a kAjal mark on His cheek. Since He is black, the modern day devotees make a white mark.

    teri muraliyA pe man morA aTkA
    My mind is stuck on Your Flute!

    tere ghungharAle baal
    Your curly [blackish blue flowing] hair

    gale me vaijayanti maal
    Vaijayanti flower garland around Your neck

    Why do You dress up so sweetly? We have to protect You from 'nazar' now

    teri tedhi medhi chaal
    Your crooked swinging gait

    pyAre! najar tohe lag jAyegi...

    mere bAnke bihAri lAl, tu itanA na kariyo singAr,
    nazar tohe laga jAyegi, pyAre!...
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Sita is Sri Kamakshi Amman..
    By Viraja in forum Vaishnava
    Replies: 21
    Last Post: 01 February 2016, 07:02 AM
  2. Worshipping Radha - yes or no?
    By Cosinuskurve in forum Vaishnava
    Replies: 24
    Last Post: 03 June 2014, 02:27 AM
  3. Radha and Sita
    By Peshalah in forum Hare Krishna (ISKCON)
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 13 July 2011, 11:14 PM
  4. Replies: 23
    Last Post: 01 January 2011, 11:34 PM
  5. no form that is seen
    By SANT in forum Vaishnava
    Replies: 79
    Last Post: 19 December 2009, 04:22 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •