Radha
Embodiment of Divine Love
Krishna's eternal beloved. Their prema represents the atma's longing for Paramatma - the deepest form of bhakti.
- Sanskrit/Telugu name: రాధ
- Also known as: Radhika, Radharani, Hladini Shakti
- Symbols: Murali, Padmam, Blue-yellow pairing with Krishna
Story
Radha does not appear in the original Mahabharatam or earliest Puranas - she emerges in later bhakti poetry, especially Jayadeva's Gita Govinda (12th century). But she became the most important figure in Krishna bhakti. Her love for Krishna represents the purest prema - love without conditions, without expecting anything in return. In many sampradayas, she is considered even greater than Krishna because the bhakta (devotee) is placed above even Bhagavan. Radha-Krishna together represent the union of the individual atma with the Paramatma.
Fun fact
In the ISKCON tradition, it's always "Radha-Krishna" - never "Krishna-Radha." Bhakti is placed above Bhagavan himself. This is the essence of prema bhakti.