The Eternal Love Story

From my childhood days, the tales of Radha Krishna has kept me captivated. Though there are doubts as to whether they were married or not, if Radha was of the same age as that of Krishna or was she very much elder to Him..........whatever it is, their love is eternal and she was one of the greatest devotee of Krishna.

The moment we hear Lord Krishna’s name, we tend to associate one name and that is Radha’s name. Radha, daughter of Vrishabhanu, was the leader (sometimes regarded as king) of cowherds, and her mother was called Kamalavati, or Kirtida. Radha was Krishna's lover during that period of his life when he lived among the cowherds of Vrindavan.

One of the versions of how Radha met Krishna:

Radha's father, Vrishbhanu, lived in Barsana, a village in the land known as Braj. Her mother was from Gokul, another village in the same area. When she was born, her mother had taken an oath that Radha would pay obeisance at the Shiva temple in Gokul. However her mother passed away when Radha was six years old and the oath remained unfulfilled. Her father, along with his other wives and his sons, left Barsana to establish a new settlement at Vrindavan. Radha lived on in Barsana with her grandmother. When Radha was twelve years old her grandmother died. She now was to go to Vrindavan. On the way she stopped at Gokul so that her mother's vow could be fulfilled. It was there that she first met Krishna, who was seven years old then.

Was Radha married to Krishna??

There are different versions of stories as to whether Radha was married to Krishna or were they in eternal love with each other which did not culminate in marriage. Her connection to Krishna is of two types: svakiya-rasa (married relationship) and parakiya-rasa (a relationship signified with eternal love).

Radha was the wife of a cowherd( his name was Aiyyan ), however she was Krishna’s eternal consort in Vrindavana and the most dedicated and beloved of His devotees. Since childhood they were close to each other - they played, they danced, they fought, they grew up together and wanted to be together forever, but the world pulled them apart. He departed to safeguard the virtues of truth, and she waited for him. He vanquished his enemies, became the king, and came to be worshipped as a lord of the universe. She waited for him. He married Rukmini and Satyabhama, raised a family, fought the great war of Ayodhya, and she still waited. So great was Radha's love for Krishna that even today her name is uttered whenever Krishna is refered to, and Krishna worship is though to be incomplete without the deification of Radha. The Gaudiya tradition focuses upon this parakiya-rasa as the highest form of love, wherein Radha and Krishna share loving exchanges through separation. Radha's love for Krishna is held within Gaudiya Vaishnavism as the most perfect primarily because of its endless and unconditional nature.


This is one interesting story showing the eternal relation of Radha and Krishna. Radha was not married to Lord Krishna. The immeasurable love of Krishna for Radha made Krishna's wives jealous of Radha. Once, they all planned a mischief to make Radha suffer. They set out a bowl of burning hot milk. They gave the bowl to Radha, saying that Krishna had sent it for her. Radha readily drank the hot milk.

When the wives returned to Krishna, they found him full of painful ulcers. This shows that Krishna resides in every pore of Radha i.e. why the hot milk didn't touch Radha, but it affected Krishna. He took all her pain and miseries upon himself. Radha and Krishna were celestial beings and their love was eternal. Whether they were married or not, their love made them united for ever.

The love story of Radha-Krishna has become a legend in the Hindu mythology. The story is believed to have taken place in the Dwapar Yuga, when both of them took birth in this world. Radha was a cowherdess, who through her beauty and charm captivated the heart of Lord Krishna and became his beloved goddess. She is considered to be his original shakthi.