Radha and Krishna – A MYTHOLOGY BLOG

“Radharani is also Krishna, for there is no difference between the energy and the energetic. Without energy, there is no meaning to the energetic, and without the energetic, there is no energy. Similarly, without Radha there is no meaning to Krishna, and without Krishna, there is no meaning to Radha.”
-Srila Prabhupada’s Introduction to Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, p.12Painted in 1979.

Of all the different kinds of relationships we can have with the Supreme Person, Yasoda and Krishna eternally relate to one another as mother and son.Painted in 1979.

“Sometimes Krishna would enter the house of a neighbor, and if He found no one there, He would release the calves before the time for the cows to be milked. The calves are actually supposed to be released when their mothers are milked but Krishna would release them before that time, and naturally the calves would drink all the milk from their mothers. When the cowherd men saw this, they would chase Krishna and try to catch Him, saying, “Here is Krishna doing mischief,” but He would flee and enter another house, where He would again devise some means to steal butter and curd. Then, the cowherd men would again try to capture Him, saying, “Here is the butter thief. Better capture Him!” And they would be angry. But Krishna would simply smile, and they would forget everything. Sometimes, in their presence, He would begin eating the curd and butter.”
– Excerpt from Srila Prabhupada’s purport, Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.8.29Painted in 1981

Painted in 1983.

Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His elder brother, Balarama, sport in the forests of Vrindavana. The two brothers took care of the calves. Sometimes they would play on their flutes and they would play various games; enjoying sporting in the forest.
-Taken from Krishna Book, Chapter 11

“Glory to the all-merciful Radha and Madana-mohan! I am lame and ill-advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.” -Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila 1.3

Radharani worships Krishna with pure love and devotion.Painted in 1980.

Baby Krishna looks out his window to see the birds and trees. Krishna has a loving relationship with each and every living entity.Painted in 1983.

Radha and Krishna, the divine couple and ultimate object of worship, stand together in a Vrndavana garden.Painted in 1983.

Because Arjuna was Krishna’s very dear friend and devotee, Krishna reciprocated with him by accompanying him to battle and driving his chariot.

Krishna is sometimes called Gopala Krishna, which means Krishna who protects the cows.Painted in 1978.

Lord Krishna reveals that all of the cowherd boys are actually expansions of Him and cannot be harmed or taken away from Him.Painted in 1978.

Mother Yasoda dresses Krishna in jewels and silk clothes, and Krishna’s friend Jambu places anklebells on His lotus feet. Out of their love and affection for Krishna, everyone is eager to serve Him.Painted in 1978.

Radha and Krishna enjoy each others company on a swing; a pastime known as Julan Yatra.Painted in 1984.

Radha and the eight chief gopis: Lalita, Vishaka, Champakalata, Chitra-Lekha, Tunga-vidya, Indulekha, Ranga devi and Sudevi.
“The parama-preshtha-sakhis are eight in number, and in the ecstatic dealings of Krishna and Radha they side sometimes with Krishna and at other times with Radharani, just to create a situation in which it appears that they favor one against the other. That makes the exchange of mellows more palatable.”
-CC, Adi-lila, 4.217, purportPainted in 1985.

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept at playing on His flute, whose eyes are blooming like lotus petals, whose head is bedecked with peacock feathers, whose beauty is tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and whose unique loveliness charms millions of Cupids.”
-Brahma-samhita 5.30

Krishna plays His flute on the bank of Keshi-Ghata.

When Arjuna turned to Krishna in a submissive mood, expressing his distress over having to fight his family members and friends, Krishna took the role of the spiritual master, and began to instruct the Bhagavad-Gita.

“As far as Krishna’s ornaments are concerned, when they decorate His body it appears that they do not beautify Him, but the ornaments themselves become beautiful simply be being on His body. When He stands in a three-curved way, He attracts all living entities, including the demigods.” -Excerpt from Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Chapter 9

“The appearance of the moon increased Krishna’s desire to dance with the gopis. The forests were filled with fragrant flowers. The atmosphere was cooling and festive. When Lord Krishna began to blow His flute, the gopis all over Vrndavana became enchanted. Their attraction to the vibration of the flute increased a thousand times due to the rising full moon, the red horizon, the calm and cool atmosphere, and the blossoming flowers.”
-Excerpt from Krishna Book, Chapter 29

“Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.”
-Sri Brahma-Samhita, Text 1Painted in 1983.

“Among all persons, it is Sri Radha in whose company Lord Madhava (Krishna) is especially glorious, as She is especially glorious in His.”
-From the Rg-parisista

Radha and Krishna enjoy each others company on a swing; a pastime known as Julan Yatra.

“One day Krishna decided to take His breakfast as a picnic in the forest. Having risen early in the morning, He blew His bugle made of horn and woke all the cowherd boys and calves with its beautiful sound. Then Krishna and the boys, keeping their respective groups of calves before them, proceeded from Vrajabhumi to the forest.”
-Srimad Bhagavatam 10.12.1Painted in 1979.

Krishna and Balarama would sometimes steal butter from the gopis homes. While the gopis were engaged in their household duties, Krishna and Balarama would enter a dark room and light the room with the glittering jewels on their bodies. Then they would pile wooden planks to reach the butter pots hanging high from the ceiling.Painted in 1978.

After the rasa dance, Krishna and the gopis went to bathe in the Yamuna to relieve their fatigue. They began splashing and joking and greatly enjoyed each other’s company.
-Taken from Krishna book, Chapter 33Painted in 1985.

Mother Yasoda observed a bathing ceremony for Krishna just after he turned three months old. Professional musicians were present and the brahmanas chanted vedic mantras.Painted in 1977.

“One who is engaged in Krishna consciousness is already a perfect yogi. In fact, there is no difference between a Krishna conscious devotee always engaged in the transcendental loving service of Krishna and a perfect yogi engaged in meditation on the Supersoul. There is no difference between a yogi in samādhi (in a trance meditating on the Vishnu form) and a Krishna conscious person engaged in different activities. The devoteeeven though engaged in various activities while in material existenceremains always situated in Krishna.”
– Excerpt from The Path of Perfection, Chapter 6

In the spiritual realm everything is animate. Even the trees, the ground, the plants, flowers, birds and beasts are on the level of Krishna consciousness. Everyone and everything in Vrndavana is naturally attracted toward Krishna. All the residents of Vrndavana, Nanda and Yasoda, the cowherd boys, the gopis and even the birds, beasts, cows and calves are all attracted to Him. The flowers and fruits in the gardens, as well as the the land, sky, plants, and the waves of the Yamuna are all attracted to Krishna.
-Taken from Srimad Bhagavatam purports 3.15.18 & 7.5.14Painted in 1983.

“My dear friend, where is that beautiful helmet with a peacock feather upon it like a rainbow upon a new cloud? Where are those yellow garments, shining like lightning? And where is that necklace of pearls that resemble flocks of ducks flying in the sky? The blackish body of Krishna triumphs over the new blackish rain cloud.”
-Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila 19.39Painted in 1984.

After seeing the Lord’s Universal Form, Arjuna requested to see the Lord’s four-armed form of Narayana. Then Krishna again showed Arjuna His two-armed form; His original and most beautiful form.Painted in 1979.

Krishna is known as Parthasarathi, the chariot-driver of Arjuna, who is sometimes called Partha (son of Prtha). Because Arjuna was Krishna’s very dear friend and devotee, Krishna reciprocated with him by accompanying him to battle and driving his chariot.Painted in 1984.

Krishna dances with the gopis on a full moon night.Painted in 1981.

“Intending to make my promise true, Lord Krishna broke His own promise not to take up a weapon at Kurukshetra. With His outer garment falling off, Lord Sri Krishna jumped from His chariot, picked up a wheel and came running at me to kill me. Indeed, He rushed at me like a lion going to kill an elephant, and He caused the whole earth to tremble.”
-Bhismadeva
Quoted in Chaitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila, 16.145, purportPainted in 1983.

The inhabitants of Vrndavana are not disturbed by scorching heat when the summer season arrives, because only due to the presence of Krishna and Balarama, the summer appears like spring. Krishna, along with Balarama and the cowherd boys and cows, enters the beautiful Vrndavana forest, just to enjoy the atmosphere.
-Taken from Krishna Book, Chapter 18Painted in 1981.

Krishna and His cowherd boys and friends sit together on the bank of the Yamuna to have their lunch.

Arjuna was filled with wonder as he looked upon the Universal Form; and he began to pray to Krishna with folded hands.
-Taken from Srila Prabhupada’s Purport to Bhagavad-Gita 11.14Painted in 1981.

“O mother, in this forest all the birds have risen onto the beautiful branches of the trees to see Krishna. With closed eyes they are simply listening in silence to the sweet vibrations of His flute, and they are not attracted by any other sound. Surely these birds are on the same level as great sages. When the rivers hear the flute-song of Krishna, their minds begin to desire Him, and thus the flow of their currents is broken and their waters are agitated, moving around in whirlpools. Then with the arms of their waves the rivers embrace Murari’s lotus feet and, holding on to them, present offerings of lotus flowers.”
-Srimad Bhagavatam 10.21.14-15Painted in 1984.

When the fruit vendor came to Vrndavana, Krishna took some grains and immediately went as if to barter with her. On the way he dropped most of the grain. Still, the fruit vendor filled Krishna’s hands with fruits and immediately her basket became filled with jewels and gold.”From this incident one should learn that for anything offered to Krishna with love and affection, Krishna can reciprocate many millions of times over, both materially and spiritually.”
-Excerpt from Srila Prabhupada Purport, Srimad Bhagavatam 10.11.11Painted in 1977.

“Although Krishna plays like a human being, He always maintains His identity as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
-Srila Prabhupada’s preface to ‘Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead’Painted in 1982.

“Being a cowherd girl, Srimati Radharani regularly carries a container of milk and often goes to sell it on the other side of the Yamuna. To cross the river, She has to pay the boatman, and the spot where the boatman collects his fares is called the dana-ghati. Lord Sri Krishna stops Her from going, telling Her, ‘First You have to pay the fee; then You will be allowed to go.’ This pastime is called dana-keli-lila. Similarly, if Srimati Radharani wants to pick a flower, Sri Krishna claims to be the garden’s proprietor and prohibits Her. This pastime is called kila-kincita.” -Excerpt from Srila Prabhupada’s Purport, Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila 14.173

‘Usually God is seen as the almighty Father who supplies the demands of His sons. The great devotees, however, sometimes treat God as a son in their execution of devotional service. The son demands, and the father supplies, and in supplying Krishna, the devotee becomes like a father. Instead of taking from God, we give to God. It was in this relationship that Krishna’s mother, Yasoda, told the Lord, “Here, eat this or You’ll die. Eat nicely.” In this way Krishna, although the proprietor of everything, depends on the mercy of His devotee.’
-Excerpt from Chaitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, Introduction

“One day, when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went to visit the temple of Lord Jagannatha, the gatekeeper at Simha-dvara [the lion gate outside the Jagannatha temple in Puri] approached Him and offered respectful obeisances. The Lord asked him, ‘Where is Krishna, My life and soul? Please show Me Krishna.’ Saying this, He caught the doorkeeper’s hand. The doorkeeper replied, ‘The son of Maharaja Nanda is here; please come along with me, and I shall show You.’ Lord Chaitanya said to the doorman, ‘You are My friend. Please show Me where the Lord of My heart is.’ After the Lord said this, they both went to the place known as Jagamohana, where everyone views Lord Jagannatha. ‘Just see!’ the doorkeeper said. ‘Here is the best of the Personalities of Godhead. From here You may see the Lord to the full satisfaction of Your eyes.’ Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed behind the huge column called the Garuda-stambha and looked upon Lord Jagannatha, but as He looked He saw that Lord Jagannatha had become Lord Krishna, with His flute to His mouth.”
-Chaitanya-caritamrita, Antya-lila, 16.80-85

“One day while He was resting, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu dreamed He saw Krishna performing His rasa dance. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saw Lord Krishna standing with His beautiful body curved in three places, holding His flute to His lips. Wearing yellow garments and garlands of forest flowers, He was enchanting even to Cupid. The gopis were dancing in a circle, and in the middle of that circle, Krishna, the son of Maharaja Nanda, danced with Radharani. Seeing this, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was overwhelmed with the transcendental mellow of the rasa dance, and He thought, ‘Now I am with Krishna in Vrndavana.’ ” -Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila 14.17-20

In the last eighteen years of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s presence on this earth, described in the Antya-lila of Chaitanya-caritamrita, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu drifted deeper and deeper into trances of spiritual ecstasy. On one such occasion, Lord Chaitanya fell unconscious, His arms and legs entered His body exactly like a tortoise, His mouth was foaming and tears were flowing from His eyes. Within He was experiencing transcendental bliss. The devotees were concerned seeing His external state and tried to wake Him. Finally, when the Lord was awakened by their loud chanting of the maha-mantra, His whole body returned to normal and He asked, “Where have you brought Me? After hearing the vibration of a flute, I went to Vrndavana, and there I saw that Krishna, the son of Maharaja Nanda, was playing on His flute in the pasturing grounds. He brought Srimati Radharani to a bower by signaling with His flute. Then He entered within that bower to perform pastimes with Her. I entered that bower just behind Krishna, My ears captivated by the sound of His ornaments. I saw Krishna and the gopis enjoying all kinds of pastimes while laughing and joking together. Hearing their vocal expressions enhanced the joy of My ears. Just then, all of you made a tumultuous sound and brought Me back here by force. Because you brought Me back here, I could no longer hear the nectarean voices of Krishna and the gopis, nor could I hear the sounds of their ornaments or the flute.”
-Excerpt from Chaitanya-caritamrita, Antya-lila 17.22-27

In the last eighteen years of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s presence on this earth, described in the Antya-lila of Chaitanya-caritamrita, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu drifted deeper and deeper into trances of spiritual ecstasy. After awakening from another such trance, Lord Chaitanya, still in only half-external consciousness, spoke of the pastimes He had just seen. “Then they all bathed again, and after putting on dry clothing, they went to a small jeweled house, where the gopi Vrnda arranged to dress them in forest clothing by decorating them with fragrant flowers, green leaves and all kinds of other ornaments. In Vrndavana, the trees and creepers are wonderful because throughout the entire year they produce all kinds of fruits and flowers. The gopis and maidservants in the bowers of Vrndavana pick these fruits and flowers and bring them before Radha and Krishna. The gopis peeled all the fruits and placed them together on large plates on a platform in the jeweled cottage. They arranged the fruit in orderly rows for eating, and in front of it they made a place to sit.”
-Excerpt from Chaitanya-caritamrita, Antya-lila 18.101-103Painted in 1975.

“One full-moon night in the month of Vaishakha [April and May], Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went to a garden. The Lord, along with His devotees, entered one of the nicest gardens, called Jagannatha-vallabha. In the garden were fully blossomed trees and creepers exactly like those in Vrndavana. Bumblebees and birds like the shuka, sari and pika talked with one another. A mild breeze was blowing, carrying the fragrance of aromatic flowers. The breeze had become a guru (teacher) and was teaching all the trees and creepers how to dance. Brightly illuminated by the full moon, the trees and creepers glittered in the light. The six seasons, especially spring, seemed present there. Seeing the garden, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was very happy. In this atmosphere, the Lord and His associates sing a verse from the Gita-govinda beginning with the words “lalita-lavanga-lata,” as He danced and wandered about with them. As He thus wandered around every tree and creeper, He came beneath and ashoka tree and suddenly saw Lord Krishna. When He saw Krishna, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu began running very swiftly, but Krishna smiled and disappeared. Having first gotten Krishna and then having lost Him again, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu fell to the ground unconscious.”
-Chaitanya-caritamrita, Antya-lila 19.78-87

Radha and Lord Krishna are one, yet have taken two forms to enjoy the mellows of pastimes. To spread prema-bhakti (devotional service in love of Godhead), Krishna appeared as Sri Krishna Chaitanya with the mood and complexion of Sri Radha.
-Taken from Chaitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila 4.98-100Painted in 1974.

“Her [Radha’s] mind, senses and body are steeped in love for Krishna. She is Krishna’s own energy, and She helps Him in His pastimes.”
– Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila 4.71

“The gopis saw their beloved Krishna at Kurukshetra after a long separation. They secured and embraced Him in their hearts through their eyes, and they attained a joy so intense that not even perfect yogis can attain it. The gopis cursed the creator for creating eyelids that interfered with their vision.”
-Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila 4.153

DASHAVATAR – EVERY ERA HAS A HERO

Dashavatara (Sanskrit: दशावतार, daśāvatāra) refers to the ten main incarnations or avatars of Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God of Preservation. Lord Vishnu is said to descend in form of an avatar to restore cosmic order. It is believed that whenever injustice and negative forces prevail on Earth, Lord Vishnu comes in various forms to uproot them. God Vishnu incarnates on Earth from time to time to eradicate evil forces, to restore the dharma and to liberate the worthy ones or devotees from the cycle of births and deaths.

All the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu are recognized in many of the sacred scriptures. It has been described in the Bhagavata Purana, shloka 12.2.16-17 that, “At that time, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will appear on the earth. Acting with the power of pure spiritual goodness, He will rescue eternal religion. Lord Viṣhṇu — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master of all moving and non–moving living beings, and the Supreme Soul of all — takes birth to protect the principles of religion and to relieve His saintly devotees from the reactions of material work.” The stories of the ten incarnations or Dashavatar are told in the Vishnu Purana and depict the theory of evolution represented through a story.

Lord Vishnu in his full avatar as Lord Krishna announces the general principle governing His entry into the world in the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Shloka 7-8: “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend. To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to re-establish the principles of righteousness, I myself appear millennium after millennium.”

Above all, Lord Vishnu, the Supreme God, the Preserver of the Universe and the Maintainer of the World, Himself has said that “Your future is in your hands only. The well-being of the people walking on the path of goodness and the end of the miscreants and sinners is certain by me. At the end of Kali Yuga, when the pot of sins will get filled, I will take incarnation on the earth. By using the means of truth and justice, I will be throw the evils of falsehood and injustice. The earth will become sinless once again. Humanity will enter into such an age, where the strings of truth, justice, and character will move ahead the chariot of the world.”

All the ten divine incarnations of Lord Vishnu are a symbol of His heroic lives in different ages in the world. Moreover, He is also known as ‘Yugandhar’ meaning “the one who starts a new age”. Accordingly, Lord Vishnu will incarnate in the form of God Kalki, His tenth and final main incarnation and will end the presently prevailing Kali Yuga, the Age of Darkness and bring back Satya Yuga, the Golden Age in the world. Most of all, He has been acknowledged as ‘God’ in all of His ten main incarnations in the world. Now, it is up to you to decide as to whom you want to support. You think and decide whether you want to be with and support a Hero, Star and God of the Universe or a poisonous snake, prince of evil and demon king Kali, villains of the world and evil people. Think wise and decide right.

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