Srimati Radharani Mentioned in Vedic sastra references

 Radha

- meaning of the name: aradhyati krsnah anaya iti radha - one who devoutly worships is Radha

- sruti references: Radha is mentioned in Sama Veda and Atharva Veda. Sama Veda contains the etymological derivation of the word 'Radha': radha sabdasya vyutpattih samaveda. Nirupitais the word for Radha in Sama Veda. The word Raadhaa is a combination of four root letters: Ra, aa, Dha, aa, each having its own significance.

Ra: rephohi koti janmagham karma bhogam subhasubham(dispels the sins of a million births and liberates one from the consequences of evil deeds)

AA: akara garbha basanca, mrtyunca rogam ucchrudet(emancipates one from the cycle of birth and death and terminates diseases and death)

Dha: dhakara ayusahan ucchrudet (prevents loss of longevity)

AA: akaro bhava bhandhanah ucchrudet (frees one from the earthly bondage)

Chandogya Upanisad (of Sama Veda) 8.13.1 states: 'syamac chavalam prapadye, savalac chyamam prapadye, syamac.' 'By the help of black (syama), we shall be introduced to the service of white (savala); by the help of white (savala), we shall be introduced to the service of black (syama).' Here black indicates Krsna and white indicates the fair-complected Radha.

- smriti and tantra references: SB 10.30.28 - anayaradhitah, "by her the Lord is worshiped"; Brahma-vaivarta, Garuda, Bhavisya, Brahmanda, Brahma-vaivarta, Narada (1.88.2: She is the origin of all Devis - sarvAdyAyA jaganmAtuH zrIrAdhAyAH samarcanam avatArakalAnAM hi papraccha vinayAnvitaH, their list beginning with Laksmi: yathA lakSmI mukhAnAM tu avatArAH prakIrtitAH tathA rAdhAvatArANAM zrotum icchAmi vaibhavam 1.88.4, Candravali and Lalita - 1.88.8), Padma (Adi/Svarga khanda, ch. 7, Patala khanda 2.69-99), Varaha, Vayu (ch. 104), Harivamsa, Narada Pancaratra, Gita Govinda, Caitanya Caitamrta 1.4.90 - ‘sarva-lakSmI’-zabda pUrve kariyAchi vyAkhyAna sarva-lakSmI-gaNera tiGho hana adhiSThAna etc.)

devi krishna-mayi prokta
radhika para-devata
sarva-lakshmi-mayi sarva
kantih sammohini para

"The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord." (Gautamiya Tantra)

"Central figure for all the goddesses of fortune" hints at the superiority of Krsna over Visnu.

'Radha' has not been mentioned in Mahabharata or even Harivamsa Purana but there is a mention of her name in Uttara and Patala Khanda of Padma Purana and in Narada Pancaratra. A detailed analysis is in Brahmavaivarta Purana, Part 4 - Sri Krsnajanma Khanda ('the Krsna birth episode'):

yatha radha priya visnos tasyah kundam priyam tatha
sarva-gopisu saivaika visnor atyanta-vallabha

"Just as Srimati Radharani is most dear to Sri Krsna, Her bathing place known as Radha-kunda is also dear to Him. Among all the gopis, Srimati Radharani is supermost and very dear to Lord Krsna." (Padma Purana)

trailokye prthivi dhanya yatra vrndavanam puri
tatrapi gopikah partha tatra radhabhidha mama

"O son of Prtha, in the three worlds the earth planet, where the town of Vrndavana is situated, is most fortunate. There the gopis stay. There My (beloved), who is named Radha, stays." (Adi Purana)

krsnasyardhanga sambhuta nathasya sadrsi sati
goloka vasina sreyam atra krsnajna adhuna
ayoni sambhava devi mula prakrti isvari

"The best of Goloka's residents appeared here by Krsna's command. She (Radha) is born of no mother and She (Radha) who is the fundamental Prakrti (the female energy) is a goddess and emerged from the better half of Krsna's being and molded after His image."

sri krsnasya tejasardhena sa ca murtimati sati
eka murtihi dvidha bhuva bhedo vedanirupita

"Radha embodies half the divine effulgence of Sri Krsna. They are both one body divided into two beings - such is the irrefutable decree of the Veda."

iyam stri sa puman kimva sa va kanta puman ayam
dvirupe tejas tulye rupenanca gunena ca
parakramenaca budhya va, jnanen sampadapi ca
purate gamane naiva kintu sa vayasadhika...

"In Their looks, in Their radiance, in Their attributes, in Their prowess, in Their wisdom, in Their intelligence and in Their riches, They are so identical to each other that it is difficult to tell Radha from Krsna or Krsna from Radha and that She precedes Krsna and is the older of the two."

eka IzaH prathamato dvidhA-rUpo babhUva saH
ekA strI viSNu-mAyA yA pumAn ekaH svayaM vibhuH

That one God first divided Himself into two parts. One part became female called Visnu Maya and the other part remained Himself as a male. (Narada Pancaratra 2.3.24)

strI-jAty-adhiSThAtR-devIM mUla-prakRtim IzvarIm
tat-prANAdhiSThAtR-devIM tad-vAmAGga-samudbhavAm

That lady was the presiding Deity of the female sex, Mula Prakrti, Isvari and His prana. She is born from His left side. (Narada Pancaratra 2.3.27)

rAse saMbhUya taruNIm AdadhAra hareH puraH
tena rAdhA samAkhyAtA purA-vidbhiz ca nArada

O Narada! The sages name her Radha as She appeared before Hari in Rasa mandalam, quite young and full of youth. (Narada Pancaratra 2.3.36)

rA-zabdoc cAraNAd bhakto bhaktiM muktiM ca rAtiM saH
dhA-zabdoz cAraNenaiva dhAvaty eva hareH padam

On pronouncing merely the word "Ra" the devotees get bhakti and mukti. And on pronouncing the word "dha" one gets the region and place of Hari. (Narada Pancaratra 2.3.38)

Skanda Purana corroborates the fact that Radhika is a part of the Supreme Soul:

atmatu radhika tasya taiva ramanat asau

"Radhika is part of thy Supreme Soul (atma) and You dally with her (atma saha ramati iti atmarama). He, therefore, is called Atmarama."

Radha, a part and parcel of the same Supreme Soul, is the 'principle of ecstasy'. She is not anybody else's wife, dallying with Krsna in an extramarital situation. She is His Atma.

Ekanath Das: The Urdhvamnaya-tantra, also known as Urdhvamnaya-maha-tantra, differs from the Urdhvamnaya-samhita. Reference to the Urdhvamnaya-tantra is supposedly made in the Sadhana-dipika, a book by Narayana-bhatta. I could not find these references. The Urdhvamnaya-tantra is said to deal with various mantras unto Srimati Radharani, astaksara-vidhi (esoteric explanations of the Gopala-mantra) and Gopesvari-vidhana (procedure of initiation into Radha-mantra). It is said that parts of the work are scattered here and there. There doesn't seem to be a complete manuscript.

- age: Srimati Radharani is fifteen years old and full of the luster of youth. (Radha-Krsna-ganoddesa-dipika 2.167); kanyAbhir dvy-aSTa-varSAbhiR - "Lord Krsna is surrounded by sixteen-year-old gopis." (Gautamiya Tantra, quoted in Priti sandarbha 285-286)

- appearance: Puranas give different versions about Her birth, according to different kalpas.
1. She was born in Gokula as a daughter of Vrsabhanu and Kalavati. (Brahmavaivarta Purana 2.49.35-42, Narada Purana 2.81, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami's Vraja-vilasa-stava)
2. When King Vrsabhanu was preparing the ground to conduct a yajna, he found Her in the earth, as Bhumi-kanya ("earth-girl," similarly to Sitadevi who was found in the wooden box buried in the earth, and to black Madonnas). (Padma Purana, Brahma Purana 7)
3. She was born from the left side of Krsna. (Brahmavaivarta Purana)
4. At Krsna's birth Visnu asked His attendants to be born on earth. Radha took Her birth in Gokula under the star Jyestha in the morning of Suklastami day in Bhadrapada month. (Mahabharata Adi Parva 11)
In another kalpa she is found in Yamuna river on a golden lotus by Maharaja Vrsabhanu.

- eternally with the Lord: (Garga samhita 1.16.23-27)
You are the playful king of Goloka and She is Your playful companion. When You are the king of Vaikuntha, She, the daughter of Vrsabhanu, is Goddess Laksmi.
When in this world You are Ramacandra, She is Janaka's daughter Sita. When You are Lord Hari, She is Kamala. When You are Yajna-avatara, She is Sri Daksina, the best of wives.
When You are Nrsimha, She is Rama. When You are Nara's friend Narayana Rsi, She becomes Goddess Santi and follows You like a shadow.
When You are Brahman, She is Prakrti. When You are Time, the wise know She is Pradhana. When You are the Mahat-tattva, from which the universes have sprouted, Radha is the potency Maya, filled with the three modes.
When You become the four things in the heart [heart, mind, intelligence, and false ego], She becomes the power of understanding something from a hint. When You become the universal form, which includes everything, She becomes the earth.

See also SB 10.60.9 and Visnu Purana verse in purport.

- separated from Krsna for 100 years (during His Dvaraka stay) due to Sridama's curse (Brahma-vaivarta Purana):

6.243 O beautiful one, I will go to Mathura and because of Sridama's curse, We will be separated.

6.252 Beloved, during the hundred years We are separated We will meet in Our dreams again and again.

6.253 In My Narayana form I will go to Dvaraka for those hundred years. In that way I will enjoy My pastimes there.

These statements are reconciled in Sanatkumara samhita 302-303:

sri-narada uvaca
gate madhu-purim krsne
vipralambha-rasah katham
vasudeve radhikayah
samsayam cindhi me prabho

Shri Narada said: If when Lord Krishna goes to Mathura He manifests His more-perfect form of Vasudeva's son (which is different from the most-perfect form of Nanda's son), then how is it possible for Shri Radha to feel the pangs of separation from this form (a form different from the Vrindavana-Krishna)? O master, please cut apart this doubt.

sri-sadasiva uvaca
saktih samyogini kama
vama saktir viyogini
hladini kirtida-putri
caivam radha trayam vraje

Lord Sadashiva said: The Samyogini potency arranges the amorous pastimes of the divine couple, and the Viyogini potency arranges that the divine couple be separated. The Hladini potency is the Lord's pleasure potency. In Vraja Shri Radha is the manifestation of these three potencies.

Samyogini is the expansion of Sri Radha outside Vrndavan, when She meets Krsna at Kuruksetra. Viyogini is the expansion of Sri Radha in Gokula (Bhauma) Vrindavan after Krsna moves to Mathura. Hladini (Kirtida-putri, Vrsabhanu-nandini) is Her original form always present with Sri Krsna in Goloka (Divya) Vrndavan in asta-kaliya-lila.

- marriage (CC Adi 10.85p. - Jiva G., Brahmanda Purana, Canto 15 - Sri Krsnajanma khanda)

- the mother of Maha-Visnu (Brahma vaivarta Purana 4.92.66, Narada Pancaratra 1.12.61, 2.6.25, mahAviSNos prasU (Radha Pranama, Narada Pancaratra 2.4.49) etc. This lila seems to be recounted by Irenaeus in his Against Heresies I.29.4 as one of Gnostic teachings.

- eyes (irises) of blue (nIla) color: Sri Sri Radha-kripa-kataksa-stotra 7, Gita-govinda 10.13.2, Gopala-campu 2.34.8, Govinda-lilamrta 11.49,95, Mukta-carita, Krsna-bhavanamrta 5, 11 (sakhis), Nikunja-keli-virudavali

- tilaka: ...Sri Radha's tilaka is perfect, unbroken, graceful, and glorious with various colors. ...(Jiva Gosvami - Gopala campu 2.34.8)

In Vrndavana Radha's friends draw tilaka on Her face and say, "This is Sri Radha's face." I think this face is actually a beautiful moon risen from the churning of the great nectar ocean of the splendour of love for Lord Madana Gopala. (Prabodhananda Sarasvati - Sri Vrndavana mahimamrta 11.82)

Lalita: Then, taking musk from Krsna's chest, Ekanamsa placed a tilaka marking on Radha. (Rupa Gosvami - Dana keli kaumudi)

Srimati Radharani's tilaka marking is named Smarayantra. ... (Rupa Gosvami - Sri Sri Radha Krsna ganoddesa dipika 2.200)

- as "HarA": (Narada-pancaratra 5.5.59) "zrI-harA" listed as one of the names of Srimati Radharani. This is actually a verse from the famous Radha-sahasra-nama-stotra (verse 59): 

sri-rupa sri-hara sri-da
sri-kama sri-svarupini
sridamananda-datri ca
sridamesvara-vallabha

See more references: Sri Radha sastric references

Radha-Krsna Deities worship - origin:

CC Madhya 9.289 p.: "Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks that up to the advent of His Holiness Sripada Laksmipati Tirtha, it was the system in the disciplic succession of Madhvacarya to worship Lord Krsna alone. After Srila Madhavendra Puri, worship of both Radha and Krsna was established. For this reason Sri Madhavendra Puri is accepted as the root of worship in ecstatic love."

Astaratha Das: Started by Caitanya Mahaprabhu; philosophical basis is Gosvami-grantha, before that Radha was worshiped only as yantra; to prove genuineness of it was the reason of writing Govinda-bhasya (Baladeva Vidyabhusana).

Goloka - references:

Goloka is the supreme spiritual abode, where Sri Krsna lives with Sri Radha and Their innumerable devotees. It's beyond Vaikuntha and Sivaloka (vaikuNThaH zivalokaz ca golokaz ca tayoH paraH, Brahmavaivarta Purana 1.7.20). It's elaborately described in Srimad Bhagavatam 10, Brahma-samhita, Narada Pancaratra (tat sarvopari goloke; goloko nitya-vaikuNTho yathAkAzo yathA dizaH - "The eternal spiritual world of Goloka is situated in the spiritual sky." Lord Sadasiva speaks), Gopala-tapani Upanisad, Brahmavaivarta Purana 4.1.14, 4.9.14,15, 4.67.60, Skanda Purana, Sri Vaisnava khanda, Sri Vasudeva Mahatmya 14.10, Padma Purana, Bhagavata Mahatmya 5.72-77, Garga-samhita 1.23, 2.14, 8.13.141 (...parAt param mahA-rAja golokam dhAma yAti hi - Goloka is called "the highest of the high" abode), etc., Mahabharata/Narayaniya 12.330.68 quoted in Krsna sandarbha 106.104, Harivamsa (Visnu Parva 19 - gavam eva tu goloko) or Rig Veda samhita 1.154.6 (devanagari, transcription, and inexact translation):

ta vam vastUny usmasi gamadhyai
yatra gAvo bhUri-zrGgAyAsaH
atrAha tad urugAyasya varNaH
paramam padam avabhAti bhUri

"We wish to go to Your [Radha's and Krsna's] beautiful houses, about which cows with large, excellent horns are wandering. Yet distinctly shining on this earth is that supreme abode of Yours that showers joy on all, O Urugaya [Krsna who is much praised]."

Goloka vs. Gokula:

yathA prakaTa-lIlAyAH
purANeSu prakIrtitAH
tathA te nitya-lIlAyAM
santi vRndAvane bhuvi

Lord Krsna’s eternal pastimes in the spiritual world of Vrndavana are exactly like His manifested pastimes in earthly Vrndavana, as described in the Puranas.

gamanAgamane nityam
tathaiva vana-goSThayoH
go-caraNaM vayasyaz ca
vinAsura-vighAtanam

In the spiritual world of Vrndavana there is the same coming and going to the forest and village of Vraja, the same herding of the cows, and the same friends. Only the killing of the demons is absent. (Sanatkumara samhita 181-182)

Navadvipa as a section of Goloka

The Supreme Absolute truth Sri Krishna, desiring to fulfill these three inner longings, assumes the form of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Deeply absorbed in the mood of munificence (audarya), He eternally performs unlimited pastimes in Sri Navadvipa Dhama, which is situated in a special section of Vaikuntha named Goloka. There in the seat of His eternal transcendental pastimes (nitya lila pitha) He tastes these three sentiments. (Bhaktivinod Thakur - Sanmodana bhasya to Siksastaka 8)

Sri Radha's name in the SB

Madhavananda Dasa GGS, Gopal Jiu Publications, www.gopaljiu.org

Although Radharani's name does not appear directly in the Bhagavatam Sukadeva Gosvami has given it in many places in an indirect way. I have heard from my Guru Maharaja that Sukadeva Gosvami did not mention Radharani's name directly because he was the parrot of Radha and if he had mentioned Her name directly he would have gone into ecstatic trance for six months. As Maharaja Pariksit had only seven days to hear Srimad Bhagavatam he gave Radha's name in an indirect, hidden way. He cited the writings of Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Jiva Gosvami who have described the Bhagavatam phrase "sri suka uvaca" to mean "suka" - the parrot, of "Sri" - Radha.

As this is a very big topic I will present only a few items here. Perhaps some other Vaishnavas may want to append to this.

Srila Prabhupada has addressed the subject of Radha's name in the Bhagavatam in several places. In CC Madhya 8.100 Ramananda Raya cites SB 10.30.28:

anayarAdhito nUnam
bhagavAn harir IzvaraH
yan no vihAya govindaH
prIto yam anayAd rahaH

"[When the gopis began to talk among themselves, they said:] 'Dear friends, the gopi who has been taken away by Krsna to a secluded place must have worshiped the Lord more than anyone else.'"

In his purport Srila Prabhupada writes:

"The name Radha is derived from this verse (SB 10.30.28), from the words anayaradhitah, meaning "by Her the Lord is worshiped." Sometimes the critics of Srimad-Bhagavatam find it difficult to find Radharani's holy name in that book, but the secret is disclosed here in the word aradhita, from which the name Radha has come. Of course, the name of Radharani is directly mentioned in other Puranas. This gopi's worship of Krsna is topmost, and therefore Her name is Radha, or 'the topmost worshiper.'"

Although Radharani's name is only given in an indirect way in the Bhagavatam, rasika Vaishnavas see Her presence in each and every verse. Sanatana Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami and Vishvanatha Chakravarti have given many purports showing how Sukadeva Gosvami has given Radharani's name in an indirect way. In his commentary on the first verse of the Bhagavatam Jiva gives a long explanation of how the verse is referring to Radha. A few other examples of Sukadeva's indirect references to Radha follow:

In SB 10.32.4 Sukadeva has said, "kacit karambujam saurer jagrhe 'njalina - one of them seized Krsna's hand in her folded palms." Kacit refers to "*one* of them." That one is Radharani.

SB 10.30.38 describes:

evam uktah priyam Aha
skandha Aruhyatam iti
tatas cAntardadhe kRSNaH
sa vadhUr anvatapyata

"After being addressed by a particular gopi, Krsna told Her, "Climb up on My shoulder." Saying this He suddenly disappeared. Sa vadhur anvatapyata - His beloved consort (Radharani) then immediately felt great remorse."

SB 10.30.26 describes how after Krsna left the rasa dance with one special gopi the other gopis went searching for "vadhvah"- that special gopi (Radharani).

In the Bhramara-gita (SB 10.47.11) Sri Sukadeva describes:

kacin madhukaram dRStvA
dhyAyanti kRSNa-sangamam
priya-prasthApitam dUtam
kalpayitvedam abravIt

"*One* of the gopis, while meditating on Her previous association with Krsna, saw a honeybee before Her and imagined it to be a messenger sent by Her beloved. Thus She spoke as follows."

The word "kacin" in this verse, meaning "one of the gopis" refers to Radha.

Aside from the Bhagavatam, Radharani is described elaborately in Brahma-vaivarta, Padma, and Narada Puranas as well as Garga Samhita. In the 4th chapter of Ujjvala-nilamani, "Sri Radha-prakaranam" texts 3 and 4, Rupapada cites the Gopala-tapani Upanisad (of Atharva Veda), Uttara-khanda, where Radha is called Gandharvi and the Rg Veda-parisista where Her name Radha is mentioned. There She is described as the consort of Madhava.

A note of interest: Although this verse was quoted by Rupa, the original texts for this part of the Gopal-tapani Upanisad were unknown to scholars for many, many years. In 1966 one Vaishnava scholar here in Orissa named Fakir Mohan Das discovered original palm leaf copies of this rare literature in the Balasore district of northern Orissa. After finding it he quickly reprinted it to preserve it.

The following is an excerpt from an article written by Dr Fakir Mohan entitled "The History of Sri Sri Radha Krsna Worship in Orissan Culture":

"In Ujjvala Nilamani Srila Rupa Goswami cites the Gopala Tapani Upanisad and the Rg Parisista to show the authenticity of the worship of Srimati Radharani: gopalottaratapinyam yad gandharveti visrutah radhet rk parisiste ca, etc.

'From the Vedic literature we come to know that Sri Radharani is referred to as 'Gandharvi' in the second part of the Gopal Tapani, and as 'Radha' in the Rg Parishistha.'

"Srila Vishvanath Cakravarti Thakur and Baladev Vidyabhushan have stated in their commentaries on Gopala Tapani Upanisad that this tapani of the Atharva Veda, Paippalada branch, was previously being recited by the brahmanas of Gujarat and Orissa. Although presently there are no brahmanas of the Atharva Veda Paippalada branch found in Gujarat, thousands of this lineage are still living in the vicinity of the village Remuna, the birth place of Srila Baladev Vidyabhushan, and in other places of Orissa. In the absence of any help from ancient manuscripts, the original text of the Paippalada Samhita can be reconstructed even today from the tradition, which the village reciters still carry with them unimpaired. In this area some rare Paippalada Samhita manuscripts have been found along with a number of hitherto unknown manuals of special Paippalada rites which give an insight into the social, religious and cultural traditions of Paippaladiyans found in the tapani literature.

"In the 18th century, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushan has quoted the Purusa-bodhini Sruti, Purusottama Tapini, in his Prameya Ratnavali in connection with the worship of Sri Sri Radha Krsna in the Vedic period. Vaishnava poets like Anandi of Nilachala Dhama and Narahari Cakravarti of Sri Khanda, Bengal, have quoted from the Purusa-bodhini Sruti to establish the authentic nature of the worship of Sri Sri Radha Krsna and Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

"Later in the 18th century, Srila Radha Krsna Goswami, the disciple of Haridas Pandit (who was the grand-disciple of Gadadhar Pandit Goswami of Puri), published four prapathakas (chapters) of the Purusa-bodhini sruti in his Sadhana-dipika. Thakur Bhaktivinode of village Chotimangalpur in Kendrapara District, Orissa, also collected the Sri Caitanya Upanisad of the Paippalada branch from Pandit Madhusudan Das of Sambalpur, Orissa, publishing it in 1887. In 1901 Mahamahopadhyaya Sadashiva Kavyakantha of Puri published some additional chapters of this Sruti. In 1966 we collected all twelve prapathakas of this Purusa-bodhini Sruti from different parts of Orissa and published them from our Sri Bhaktivinode Library in Baripada."

For other references on this subject from Srila Prabhupada's books, one may refer to the second to the last paragraph of Prabhupada's purport to SB 10.3.31. Also CC Madhya 18.8 which cites Padma Purana on the glories of Radha-kunda. And CC Adi 4.83 which addresses the glories of Radharani from the Brhad-gautamiya-tantra.