The epitome of eternal spirit getting submerged with a human body is the tale of Lord Krishna. Today, we all know and praise Krishna as a divine spirit of Vishnu, the supreme lord, who came on earth in a human form to create and narrate the teachings of life.
Krishna took birth around 5000 years back in the Mathura city of Uttar Pradesh, India. He was a high spirited being from the childhood, and everyone loved him. Yes, everyone. Such was the charm of Krishna that the people who even had a feeling of rage and hatred towards him after a conversation with him, would become his devotee.
We all have heard millions of stories about how naughty Krishna was in his childhood. His act of stealing butter has inspired many artists, story makers, writers, and poets to express this utter playfulness in enticing vocabulary. But, the most epic and miraculous of all the events from Krishna’s life was his love affair with Radha.
Krishna was adorable and had the capability to encapsulate the attention of others in an instant. Even though Radha was ten years older than him, she felt an instant connection between heart and soul right from their first encounter. The relationship between Radha and Krishna was of such sanctity and fidelity that even today the name of two divine beings are inseparable.
Millions of Radha-Krishna paintings are sold in India every year. Vrindavan, the place where Krishna spent his childhood and where the pious love between him and Radha was ignited, still witnesses millions of devotees every month. Such is the eminence of Radha and Krishna.
Radha and Krishna – The Connection
A lot of religious scriptures in Hinduism have mentioned Radha here and there multiple times. To add to this, religious experts believe that Krishna, himself was the supreme God, while Radha was his devout energy.
When Krishna was about to leave Vrindavan to fulfil his duties, Radha asked, “Why can’t you marry me?” Krishna looked at her and said, “For the union of marriage, you need two souls. Since you and I are one and the same, how could I marry myself?”
This phrase gives us a clear sight of the intensity of the relationship between Radha and Krishna. It is also believed that God Vishnu reincarnated in the form of both Radha and Krishna; i.e. one soul segmented in two forms to represent the union of ‘aatma’ (spirit) and ‘Parmatma’ (the creator).
Different artists have beautifully expressed the relationship or the connection that blossomed and sustained between Radha and Krishna across the centuries. You can get an exquisite Radha-Krishna painting from any reputed online or offline gallery and see the blessed meaning of love and eternity in front of your eyes.
Even though both Radha and Krishna never got married to each other and got separated at a very young age, their love and devotion for each other was never-ending. I mean how often do we hear about such a graceful and mesmerising tale of love? Today, Krishna’s name is never taken before Radha as the two are inseparable.
The Abstract Theory
The story and the events that occurred during Krishna’s life is an encoded form of God’s way of living life. It is the ultimate mantra of how we should act and react. For instance, Krishna was equally benevolent and exuberant to help his enemies as his friends; he took victory and defeat in the same manner and always kept a charming smile.
Radha, on the other hand, is more of an idea than a character. In the present time, Radha is praised as much as Krishna, even though she is not considered a goddess like Rukmani, who was believed to be an avatar of Devi Lakshmi. Radha-Krishna paintings also display the encircling Gopis, around the spiritual pair. This was termed as “Raas Leela”. Let’s first understand this term in depth. Leela and actions are two very different words.
Leela is said to be done when a being offers or does something without involving their ego. For instance, whatever Krishna did during each stage of his life was without ego and self-pride. His love for Radha, his friendship with the Pandavas, his playfulness as a son and his dutifulness as a king – all of these roles he played without any ego. That is why they are known as Leelas. On the other hand, everything and anything humans do is done with ego, and that’s why it is called the action.
The union of Radha and Krishna display a very emotional and spiritually high formation of two different parts of a single soul; it is the cosmic blend of consciousness, where everything becomes real to a singularity known as God or Krishna himself. The fame Radha earned was not because she was a critical character in Krishna’s story, but because she showed the path of pure devotion that could help a soul attain the ultimate bliss. She was pious, devoted, and a manifestation of Krishna himself.