Why Radharani is more Popular than Rukmini, Sathyabama?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Anna plz clearify me anna i have ques anna as all said shri krishna was married wid devi rukhmani, satyabhama n jmbavati thn y in temples shree krishna is worshiped wid devi radha y nt with devi rukhmani or other wives who r actully married wid shree krishna y devi radha consider as lord krishna’s wife as they r nt married ? Hare krishna.
i m in a great mess wid my frnd n an argue is arise my frnd said lord krishna is nt birth in human species as he never became old bt according to me as i hear from birth n read abt lord krishna he is incarnation of lord vishnu n take birth in human specie as a human to reestablish the dharma on this topic we have always settle an argument plz clear it wid ur counselling so that me n all over the world who have dilemma on that topic may clear wid ur counselling”
REPLY:
Yes, Radharani is more Popular than Rukmini, Sathyabama. Because, the relationship of Krishna with Radharani is very special for the following reasons:
(1) How Krishna married 16,108 wives? Out of 16,108, eight were chief and they were Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravrinda, Nagnajiti, Bhadra and Lakshana.
(Krishna’s marriage with 16108 queens – Reasons, Family life & Members! READ HERE!)
Others are married to restore the good status of 16,100 girls. Krishna married 16,100 maidens who were being held in captivity by demon Narakasura, to save their dignity. Krishna killed the demon and released them all.
According to strict social custom of the time, all of the captive women were degraded, and would be unable to marry, as they had been under the control of Narakasura, however Krishna married them to reinstate their status in the society.
(2) Radharani is not directly mentioned in Bhagavatham, but is mentioned in the tenth chapter of the text as one of the gopis who Krishna plays with during his upbringing as a young boy.
From Srila Prabhupada on Radhastami, Srimati Radharani’s Appearance Day. Montreal, August 30, 1968:
“……..this Radharani’s name is not in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. How this name came, Radharani?……. There is anayaradhyate. There are many gopis, but it is mentioned that by this particular gopi He (Krishna) is served more pleasingly. Krishna accepts this gopi’s service more gladly Anayaradhyate. Aradhyate. This aradhyate, this word, aradhyate means worshiping. From this word aradhyate, Radha has come. But Radha’s name are there in other Puranas. So this is the origin.
(Why Radharani is not mentioned in Bhagavatham & All the Bonafide Scriptures? READ HERE!)
…..Radha-Krishna philosophy has to be understood by the liberated person, not by the conditioned soul.
So we shall await for the fortunate moment when we are liberated, then we shall understand radha-krishna-pranaya-vikrtir. Because Krishna and Radha, They are not on the material field. Try to understand. This is Jiva Gosvami’s analysis, that Krishna is the Supreme Brahman. The Supreme Brahman cannot accept anything material. So Radha is not in the material field.
….we should not treat Radharani as ordinary girl, or Krishna as ordinary man. They are the Supreme Absolute Truth. But in the Absolute Truth, there is the pleasure potency, and that is exhibited in the dealings of Radha and Krishna. And Radha’s expansion all the gopis, and Krishna is the Supreme Lord.”
(Is worshiping Radharani without Krishna advisable or not? READ HERE!)
(3) SPECIAL RASA BETWEEN RADHARANI AND KRISHNA
Radharani is considered to be Krishna’s original shakti, the internal pleasure potency. They express love through separation.
Her connection to Krishna is of two types: svakiya-rasa (married relationship) and parakiya-rasa (a relationship signified with eternal love).
(1)
In the Nimbarka Sampradaya, Radha’s relationship with Krishna is characterised by the svakiya-rasa, based on texts in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana and the Garga Samhita describing the wedding of Radha and Krishna.
The Gaudiya tradition focuses upon parakiya-rasa as the highest form of love, wherein Radha and Krishna share loving exchanges through separation. The love the gopis feel for Krishna is also described in this esoteric manner as the highest platform of spontaneous love of God, and not of a mundane sexual nature. Proponents of the Gaudiya and Nimbarka schools of Vaishnavism give the highly esoteric nature of Radha’s relationship to Krishna as the reason why her story is not mentioned in detail in the earlier Puranic texts.
This is also a reason why Radharani is more popular and their worship is also more Popular than the worship of Rukmini, Sathyabama.
(Why Rama had Single wife, but Krishna had 16,108 wives? READ HERE!)
(2)
In the Brihad-Gautamiya Tantra, Radharani is described as follows: “The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord.”
(3)
The Padma Purana describes 18,000 cowherd-girls (gopis) among whom it says 108 are the most important. Among those 108, eight are considered more important still, and among the eight, two have a special position – Chandravali and Radharani. Of the two, Radha is considered the foremost. Others are: Lalita, Vishakha, Padma, Bhadra, Saibya and Syama.
(FIRST MEETING OF KRISHNA AND RADHARANI – A BLISSFUL LILA! READ HERE!)
4)
Radha has expertise describing her qualities and characteristics.
Gandharvi – expert singer
Govinda-nandini – She who gives pleasure to Govinda (Krishna)
Govinda-mohini – She who mystifies Govinda
Govinda-sarvasva – the all-in-all of Govinda
Sarva-kanta Shiromani – the crown jewel of all Krishna’s consorts
Krishnamayi – the one who sees Krishna both within and without
Radhika – Her worship of the Krishna consists of fulfilling His desires
Madan-Mohan-Mohini – Within Gaudiya tradition Krishna (as the Supreme Person) is believed to be the enchanter of all living beings, including even Kamadeva (Madan) – the god of attraction. Because Radha has the unique position of being able to enchant even Krishna she is therefore known as Madan-Mohan-Mohini: the enchanter of the enchanter of Cupid.
Aradhana – The root name of Radharani, meaning one who excels in worshiping Krishna
Sarva-lakshmi – The original source of all the goddesses of fortune
Vrshabhanu-nandini – daughter of Vrishabanu
Vrndavaneshvari – Queen of Vrindavana
Lalita-Sakhi – friend of the gopi Lalita
Gokula-Taruni – She whom all young girls of Gokul worship
Damodara Rati – She who dresses herself to please Damodara (Krishna)
Radharani – Radha the queen
RadhaKrishna – Worship of Krishna with Radha
(GLORIES OF RADHARANI! READ HERE!)
(5)
One of Radharani’s names, HARA (mentioned in Narada-pancaratra 5.5.59), in vocative Hare, forms a part of the Hare Krishna ‘Maha-Mantra’, one of the most popular Vedic mantras, especially amongst Gaudiya Vaishnavas. Radharani’s names hold a place of prime importance within Gaudiya Vaishnava religious practices.
“Hare” can be interpreted as either the vocative of Hari, another name of Vishnu meaning “he who removes illusion” (in ‘Hare Rama Hare Rama; Rama Rama Hare Hare’), or as the vocative of Hara, a name of Radha (in ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna; Krishna Krishna Hare Hare’).
Thus Radha’s name is always attached to Lord Krishna!
6)
It is also said that Radha – Krishna represents eternity love of atma and parmatma. She is the supreme most power in goloka. She is even powerful than krishna. She is one among the “Prakruthi devi”. She is the creator, destroyer and protector by herself. Nowhere the details of Rukmini or Sathyabama have been provided like this extent in puranas.
(THE GREATNESS OF GETTING KRISHNA THROUGH RADHARANI! READ HERE!)
No one can be equivalent to Radha’s devotion with krishna as well as her love on him.
(7)
There is another belief that Radha pined for Krishna when he left Vrindavan and her dreams of her love towards krishna is un-fulfilled. That is the reason why we conduct “radha-kalyan” every year to quench the thirst of Radha’s longing towards krishna. “Since Radha did not marry him we as the devotees of Sri Krishna are doing it.”
The hidden meaning in this is she garlanded him with her bhakti and made Krishna as herself.
(8)
Once Radha asked Sri Krishna to marry her, Krishna did not reply so she turned to shout.
But was surprised to see that Krishna turned to be Radha. Krishna asked: “Can you marry yourself?”
This incidence says that she is beyond bhakti and no relationship can bind them.
That is why Radharani is more Popular.
RADHA WON KRISHNA WITH HER BHAKTI. HER FORM OF BHAKTI IS LOVE.
Radharani is the Goddess of fortune. She is Sarva-Lakshmi, the original source of all the goddesses of fortune!
(Is it true that Radharani is Krishna’s maternal aunt? READ HERE!)
TAILPIECE:
You may be aware that even in material love, separation gives more PLEASANT and CLOSE FEELING compared with the union. The love between Ambikapati – Amaravati, Laila – Majnu, etc., are remembered even now because they didn’t unite. So, the love lives eternally!
Same in Radha-Krishna love. As they love even in separation, that love is considered as SPECIAL. Parakiya-rasa is the highest form of love, wherein Radharani and Krishna share loving exchanges through separation. So, the devotees feel a typical satisfaction when they see Radha-Krishna as lovers. That is why, Radharani is more Popular & Radha-Krishna worship is very special compared with worshiping with His consorts.
“Love” is a special feeling more than the feeling after marriage. Isn’t it? So, Radha-Krishna love is always special. This does not mean Krishna should not be worshipped with His consorts. The point is: Which one is more attractive for devotees? It is Radha-Krishna love. Because of this, Radharani is more Popular also! That’s all.
Hope you are clear about why Radharani is more Popular than Rukmini, Sathyabama!
QUESTION-2:
Only Krishna is the source and Vishnu is the Guna avatar of Krishna. He controls satva guna. Krishna is the AADHI PURUSHA, ie, He is the ultimate person who has no superior at all.
(Why do we worship unmarried Radha and Krishna like Sita-Rama? READ HERE!)