Five Ways To Understand Shrimati Radharani

“Here someone sat down, decorated with flowers by Him. She must have worshiped Vishnu, who is the soul of all, in a previous birth.” (Vishnu Purana, 5.13.34)

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अत्रोपविश्य सा तेन कापि पुष्पैर् अलंकृता
अन्यजन्मनि सर्वात्मा विष्णुर् अभ्यर्चितो यया

atropaviśya sā tena kāpi puṣpair alaṃkṛtā
anyajanmani sarvātmā viṣṇur abhyarcito yayā

1. The goddess of fortune

She is not afraid. She is not being punished. No one is compelling her to follow this line of work. It is not even dharma, in the sense of a specific kind of action, meant to align with the definition of piety. It is simply her preference. This is what she enjoys doing. She will follow this way of life for eternity, without expecting anything in return.

With the glimpse of the spiritual world offered by the common depiction of Vaikuntha, we see that the Supreme Lord is not alone. He is also not in distress. This standing matches the meaning of that realm. Vaikuntha is a place lacking anxieties. This is in stark contrast to the place we are now. We are stuck in a perpetual cycle of misery, leading to hopelessness and despair. Goswami Tulsidas accurately refers to this place as shokadhama.

तब लगि कुसल न जीव कहुँ सपनेहुँ मन बिश्राम
जब लगि भजत न राम कहुँ सोकधाम तजि काम

taba lagi kusala na jīva kahum̐ sapanehum̐ mana biśrāma
jaba lagi bhajata na rāma kahum̐ sokadhāma taji kāma

“For as long as there is not devotion to Shri Rama and the release of material desires, which are like an abode of grief, the living being should not expect to find welfare and peace of mind, even in a dream.” (Dohavali, 131)

If this realm is the resting place of shoka, or grief, then Vaikuntha is just the opposite. The Supreme Lord as Vishnu, who is also known as Narayana, lays down in rest. He has close associates nearby. The goddess of fortune, who is known as Lakshmi, massages His feet. Vishnu rests on a bed that is actually a serpent with unlimited hoods. That serpent is thus known as Ananta Shesha Naga, who uses those hoods to attempt to recite and narrate the glories of Vishnu.

Shrimati Radharani is nondifferent from Lakshmi. In this sense, we could say that Radharani is the goddess of fortune. As Lakshmi is also known as Shri, another name for Vishnu is Shridhara. God controls fortune. Fortune might be a separate and distinct entity, but the connection is always there. Radha is always with God, in His form of Krishna.

2. The hladini shakti

The image of the goddess of fortune in Vaikuntha shows service being offered. Through that image, we get an idea of the inclination of Lakshmi. But what exactly is accomplished in that role? What is the feeling on the other side? What is the opinion of the person receiving the service?

If studying God in terms of a complete set of diverse energies, we could say that the goddess of fortune is the hladini-shakti. This is the potency that provides pleasure. She is like the energy. The person benefiting from that energy is the energetic. We worship Radha and Krishna together on the altar, because the two separate entities when together create a kind of oneness. They are like one being, but manifesting in different ways.

3. The daughter of Vrishabhanu and Kirtida

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada often quotes the words from the Upanishads that describe the eternal beings and their relation to the complete eternal. The Sanskrit is “nityo nityanam chetanash chetananam”. This says that of all the eternal beings, there is one chief eternal. That chief eternal happens to be maintaining all of the other eternals.

“The Upanishadic verse runs as follows: nityo nityanam chetanash chetananam. The purport is that amongst all the living entities, both conditioned and liberated, there is one supreme living personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who maintains them and gives them all the facility of enjoyment according to different work.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 15.17 Purport)

In this respect, Radha and Krishna are like the chief eternals. Despite not having a date of birth, they sometimes choose to appear in this world. As no one can be the actual father and mother of Krishna, the same applies for Shrimati Radharani. She happens to be discovered one day. She gets taken in as the beloved daughter of Vrishabhanu and his wife Kirtida. Radharani is in the manifest world to correspond with the prakata-lila of Krishna.

4. The savior of the devotees

Amazingly, despite her most exalted position, Shrimati Radharani is not selfish. She is not prone to hoarding Krishna. She does not insist on keeping Him for herself. As much as she enjoys His association, which is through either close physical proximity or thoughts within the mind, she also wishes well for others. If someone is sincere in their devotional efforts, Radha will put in a good word for them. She recommends their association to Krishna. It is for this reason that devotees celebrate her as much, if not more than Krishna. She is the “Hare” addressed in the foundational prayer of the Vaishnavas that is the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

5. The one for whom Krishna picks flowers

As we are currently in shokadhama, it is not easy to find our way to transcendence. Even if we make the decision, if we try our best, there are so many obstacles. A quick bout of doomscrolling is enough to dampen the spirits for the day. We think that all hope is lost. There is no more culture. The society around us is crumbling. These kids today are the worst, as they have no respect for the elders. Just what meaning does our life have anymore?

To this end, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is kind enough to meet us where we are. In this dreaded age of quarrel and hypocrisy that is Kali Yuga, we can simply hang on to the holy name. We can chant it. We can hear it. We can remember it. We can have it represented as an individual bead, to then be collected on a thread. The result is the japa mala, a tool which helps us to always remember Krishna.

मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्
किञ्चिद् अस्ति धनञ्जय
मयि सर्वम् इदं प्रोतं
सूत्रे मणि-गणा इव

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat
kiñcid asti dhanañjaya
mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ
sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

“O conquerer of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.7)

Another tool is direct worship. Sure, the local temple might have succumbed to the degradation of the age. Too many nefarious characters around, lazy and disinterested. We are lucky if they hold any public programs at all. Whenever they do, they start late and end late. There is little consideration for the attendees, in how they might have to meet deadlines for work and school the next day. The lectures all sound the same, in scolding the people in attendance for their association with maya. You see, since they are not out in the streets distributing books, they might as well be doing nothing.

Despite facing so many headwinds, the access is still there. Any person can worship. Any person can turn a corner of a room in their home or apartment into a sacred place. They can gather together items to be offered, which have the potential to become sacred. The presentation can be elaborate, but that is not a strict requirement. Krishna is satisfied with something as simple as a flower.

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं
यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति
तद् अहं भक्त्य्-उपहृतम्
अश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.26)

This means that devotees are known to always offer flowers to Krishna. Imagine, then, how special Shrimati Radharani must be. Krishna is known to pick flowers for offering to her. This was confirmed one time by the gopis of Vrindavana. These simple village girls detected the movements of Krishna based on footprints. They correctly surmised that Krishna must have reached for some flowers in one area. Krishna then continued, to use those flowers as a kind gift for His most beloved Radharani, who happens to be the queen of Vrindavana.

In Closing:

Based on footprints at scene,
Gathered flowers for the queen.

So beloved is she,
That on tiptoes was He.

For the perfect ones to reach,
Into garland gathered each.

Radharani most wonderful of all,
Savior of devotees to call.