Radhastami Special – Who is Shri Radha?

By Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj

Who is Radha?  It is a question that calls for deep understanding. 

Across the entire world, very few truly know the mystery of both Radha and Krishna. Here in India, more people have some understanding of Shri Krishna, but when it comes to Radha, knowledge is scarce. People say, “Radhe Shyam, Radhe Shyam,” but little in-depth research has been done on the principle of Shri Radha. It is worth reflecting deeply: Who is Shri Krishna, and who is Shri Radha?

Just as there is a state called Madhya Pradesh, in the same way our nation, Bharat Varsh, is made up of many states. Our mortal world (mrityu lok) today consists of around 200 countries. Many such worlds together form what we call one universe (brahmand). This universe is vast – fifty crore yojanas across and shaped like an egg, under the full control of Maya.

In reality, there are three eternal entities (tatva): God (Bhagwan), the individual soul (jeev), and Maya (material energy). All three exist within this universe. The humans (jeev) are all of us. Bhagwan is both seated within our hearts and all-pervading throughout existence. Maya is this material creation – the earth, water, fire, air, and all inert matter. The mixture of these three – Bhagwan, jeev, and Maya is what we call the world.

But ours is not the only universe – there are countless universes, some far greater than ours. In fact, the universe we inhabit is among the smallest. Its creator is Brahma, who has four faces. There are also Brahmas with ten faces, twenty faces, a thousand faces, a lakh faces, even a crore faces. The more faces a Brahma has, the greater the size of his universe. By this measure, our brahmand is indeed small.

In each universe, three rulers preside: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shankar. This means that in the infinite universes there are infinite Brahmas, infinite Vishnus, and infinite Shankars. Over them all stands the Supreme Governor, Maha Vishnu. From Maha Vishnu emerges Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, then Kshirodakashayi Vishnu, through whom all universes are manifested. 

Within Maha Vishnu reside countless Brahmas, Vishnus, and Shankars. Yet even Maha Vishnu is but a portion (ansh) of Shri Krishna – a das (servant)  – just as a lump of clay is but a portion of the Earth itself. The Brahma Samhita proclaims: “Vishnu, the great one, is but a part of Krishna.”

The Supreme Power who is the source of all, with no source above Him; the cause of all, with no cause before Him; the eternal father of all, with no father Himself – that personality is Shri Krishna. He is avatari (the source of all incarnations), never an avatar Himself. It is only his portions (ansh) who incarnate. Shri Krishna descends only once in a kalp.

One kalp is immense in length – 4 billion,  29 crore 40 lakh 80 thousand years. This is called a single day of Brahma. And in that vast span, Shri Krishna comes only once. It is of this Krishna whose devotion we practise.  Just 5,000 years ago, that very Shri Krishna descended into our world, in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.

Shri Krishna possesses infinite powers, but three are supreme: Sat, Chit, and Anand.
 

By Sat – He exists eternally and grants eternal existence to all life.
By Chit – He is omniscient and gives divine knowledge to the souls who surrender to Him.
By Anand – He is forever blissful and shares this bliss with His surrendered devotees.

Of these three, Anand is the highest – greater than Chit, which in turn is greater than Sat. This is why we call Him Sachchidanand. When one is absorbed in Sat and Chit, He is called Chidanand. As the scripture says: “Chidanand maiye deh tumari.” Even “Anand” alone is one of His names – “Anando brahmeti gajanath.”

The combined essence of these three powers manifests as Sandini Shakti, Sambit Shakti, and Hladini Shakti.

Through Sandini Shakti, the entire eternal realm of Golok is manifested—all divine arrangements, His parents, and His pastimes.

Through Sambit Shakti, He remains all-knowing, aware of every detail in the countless universes in every planet, in every nation, in every province, in every village, in every pond, even knowing the full history of the tiniest creatures over countless births. This is the one God, Shri Krishna who takes infinite forms, resides in every heart, gives us the results of our past actions, records new deeds, is all-pervading, and yet eternally resides in Golok.

In the infinite play of the Divine, there are countless names and forms. And among all His three powers, Hladini Shakti is the most prominent . Think of it this way: in your worldly life, you may have a family of eight or ten consisting of a father, a mother, a husband and wife, and maybe a few children. This small circle becomes the centre of your affection. 

And yet, here lies the great illusion: We say to ourselves,  “This is mine… that is not mine. This is my son… that is the neighbour’s son.” In this way, souls keep wandering in the endless cycle of 8.4 million births. In one life you say, “This is my son”  but he dies, and you too must die. In the next birth, you take another father, another mother, another son and he too dies. In the third birth, a new father appears. Perhaps you are born as a dog – then the dog becomes your father. Or as a cat – then the cat becomes your father. 

Still, the same stories play out again and again. Though the faces change, the attachments remain. We persist in accepting only these temporary parents, while turning away from God – our one eternal Father.” Then God gently says, ‘If you choose to accept them as your only parents, then continue revolving in this endless cycle.’ This is the fundamental truth.”

Look at God – the eternal Father of all souls, infinite in number. Each one of us carries our own flaws, our own “loose screws,” wandering away from Him in forgetfulness. And yet, He watches over us with infinite patience. Seated ever so near, He remains untouched, ever-blissful through His Hlādinī Shakti, beyond all worry or tension. Silently, He observes our every thought and action, and notes it all down.

Meanwhile, we are drowning in petty worries, “My son says this, my father says that, my mother says something else… I’m losing my mind!” One says, “I’ll eat only brinjal,” another insists, “I’ll eat only potatoes.” Even in a family of just eight people, someone is left exasperated, wondering, “Whom should I please – this one or that one?” Everyone’s mind runs in a different direction. 

The wife asks, “Where are you going?” The husband replies, “Jagadguru has come…” She snaps back, “What Jagadguru? Stay at home! These saints will only mislead you!” She speaks this way because her self-interest feels threatened. And so, the poor soul remains torn and troubled—caught between devotion and domestic resistance.

But in God’s eternal family, there is no such turmoil. God remains ever blissful – beyond all conflict, beyond all confusion.

The very essence of Hladini Shakti is Prem – Divine Love. Not the “love” we commonly speak of – “I love my mother, my father, my wife.” That is not Prem. True Prem is that in which God Himself resides, the innermost, most private, most sacred essence of Hladini Shakti. It cannot be manufactured. Mental attachment is not Prem.

True Prem is so rare that even great paramhansas, absorbed in Brahmananda, may not taste it. Only by the Lord’s Grace can it be attained. Prem unfolds in many levels – beginning with sneh, then maan, pranay, raag, anuraag, then mahabhav. Above bhav is mahabhav, the highest state of love – where the gopis had reached, whose foot dust even Brahma longs for. 

That is Mahabhav – and Mahabhav too is of two kinds – one is Madan and one is Modan. Both Modan and Madan are rasas of union (sanjog). Then, in separation (viyog), Modan becomes Mohan. Then even Mohan takes two forms – udghūrṇā and another form, in which there are ten divisions: sañjalpa, vijalpa, avajalpa, ujjalpa, parijalpa, etc.

And the highest status of Divine Love (Prem) is called Madan. That very Madan is none other than Radharani Herself.

Shri Krishna Himself has not experienced the Madan rasa – He has experienced only the stage just below it. Madan belongs to Radha Rani alone. Radha Rani is not separate from Madan rasa. Radha Rani’s very body is Madan rasa, and Madan rasa is Radha Rani. 

Understand this carefully: We have two components – one is the body (śarīr) and the other is the self (ātmā).

Even after attaining God, we will receive a divine body, but the soul and the divine body will remain two distinct entities, even after God-realisation.

But what about the bodies of Shri Radha and Shri Krishna? Their bodies are not separate from their souls. Their very ātma is their śarīr, and their śarīr is their ātma — there is no duality between the two.

In our case, the body is made of the five gross elements (pañcha mahābhūta), and the soul is divine. The body perishes, but the soul does not.

When we attain God, we will enter His divine abode and receive a divine body suited for that realm. However, even then, our soul and our divine body will remain two separate realities.

But Radha and Krishna are not like that.  In Them, body and soul are one. Radha Rani is the aradhya (worshipped) of Shri Krishna. 

The soul is the master; the body is the servant. Your body and its senses, mind, and intellect are all servants of the soul, working 24 hours to give you pleasure – “What should I see, hear, smell, taste, touch, obtain, so that I may be happy?”  That means all the senses, mind, and intellect are serving the soul. The soul is our mistress, and the body is the servant.

In the same way, the soul is the servant and the Supreme Soul,  Shri Krishna  is the master.

And the soul of Shri Krishna is Radha. That is why even Shri Krishna worships Radha Rani.

There was once a Muslim devotee named Ras Khan. He heard that Shri Krishna presses Radha Rani’s feet. In Hindu households, a wife presses her husband’s feet, but here it was the opposite! Curious, he wondered why. 

Then the Lord gave darshan to Ras Khan and said, “Look over there in the grove cottage – see, I am indeed pressing Radhika’s feet.” In that very vision, the Lord made him understand: “Radha Rani is not my wife. She is my Swamini (Mistress). 

My ardhangini (consort) is Lakshmi, whom people call Rama, or Kamala. You all worship Lakshmi during Diwali.  Lakshmi is My consort, My servant. But I am the servant of Radha Rani.”

We must thus understand the significance of what we utter when we chant Radhe’s name.

Imagine you come across a ring lying on the road. Someone asks, “Where did you find that?” You casually reply, “Just on the roadside. Why?” The person then reveals, “This ring is worth a million dollars!” Shocked, you say, “I thought it was only worth ten or twenty!” In that moment, your perception changes. What seemed ordinary now feels like a priceless treasure – something to be held with awe, love, and great care. 

In the same way, when we begin to realise even a glimpse of the divine glory of Shri Radha, the name “Radhe” no longer feels ordinary. Chanting it with awareness fills the heart with sweetness, reverence, and deepening love.

Let us always remember: Who is Shri Radha? Who is Shri Krishna? Who are we? And what is this world? Only when these eternal truths begin to awaken within us can the divine name “Radhe” stir true love in our hearts.

Shri Radha is not merely dear to Shri Krishna – She is His very soul, His life-breath. Whether He is awake or asleep, every pore of His divine form resounds with one name alone: “Radhe, Radhe.”

Boliye Radha Rani ki Jai

A brief introduction of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj*

(Known by His devotees as Shri Maharaj Ji)

The original title of Jagadguruttam (Greatest Spiritual Teacher of the World) was bestowed upon Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj on January 14, 1957, by Kashi Vidvat Parishad (a council of 500 greatest scholars saints of India). He composed divine texts like Prem Ras Madira, Prem Ras Siddhant, and Radha Govind Geet to lead us on the right path of devotion. He also gave priceless monuments as gifts to the world which include Bhakti Mandir located in Bhakti Dham, Mangarh, Prem Mandir located in Vrindavan Dham, and Kirti Mandir located in Barsana Dham. Shri Maharaj Ji also built hospitals for the impoverished, the Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya in Vrindavan, Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya in Barsana, and another one in Pratapgarh. All three help millions of underprivileged to gain free access to medical care. His Kindergarten, School, and College for impoverished girls Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Education is located in Kunda and provides completely free education.