SRIMATI RADHARANI

Gaura lila - Gadadhara Pandit / Lord Chaitanya

Birthpace: Rawal (Raval), Vraj
Age: 14 years 2 months 15 days
Father: Maharaja Vrsabhanu;
Mother: Kirtida devi;
Brother: (elder) Sridama
Sister: (younger) Ananga manjari
Husband: Abhimanyu;
Mother-in-law: Jatila;
Sister-in-law: Kutila
Brother-in-law: Durmukha;
Grandmother: (maternal) Mukhara - Yasoda and Radha's
nursemaid
Her palace is in: Varsana, Vraj

"Rädhikä never was initiated, nor did She study or hear

from a sikña guru, but still She became the teacher of
the arts to all the Vraja Gopés, who astonish all the
ladies of the three worlds with their skills and who
give the highest satisfaction to Sauri, the ocean of
all the arts!" (Govinda Lilamrita, Krsnadasa Kaviraja
Goswami 11.124)

Pets:

 female monkey named Kakkhati;

 female parrot named Manjubhasini;
 goose named Tundakeri;
 fawn named Rangini.

Srimati Radharani,

 wears dress made of Her youthful bluish modesty

woven with syama colored threads, and also uttaria,
which is red due to extreme attachment for the
company of Krsna;
 is outwardly very clever and contradictory while at
heart is submissive;
 has a complection like a yellow campaka flower and
lightening;
  Her lips are reddish due to Her deep attraction for
Krsna.

Her personal beauty is compared to kumkuma and Her

friendship with Her associates is compared to
sandalwood pulp. The sweetness of Her calm sobriety is
compared to camphor. These three ingredients decorate
the body of Srimati Radharani - kumkuma, sandalwood
pulp, and camphor.

Srimati Radharani is the eternal consort of Lord Çré

Kåñëa and the embodiment of His hlädiné potency. She is
known as mahäbhäva-svarüpiné, the personification of
the highest ecstacy of divine love. She is the internal
pleasure potency of the Lord; the incarnation of love;
the queen of Vrindavan; and the crest jewel of the
gopis.

The name Radha comes from the word aradhania: One who
can serve, who can worship, who can give respect, who
really loves Krsna, who can render loving service.

Like Çré Kåñëa, Çrématé Rädhä also has innumerable

qualities, among which twenty-five are prominent:

1. She is sweet (madhura), that is, She is

incomparably beautiful in appearance
2. She is an ever-fresh youth
3. Her eyes are restless and inclined to give sidelong
glances
4. She has a radiant, gentle and sweet smile
5. She has beautiful lines, indicating auspiciousness
6. She maddens Kåñëa with the fragrance of Her bodily
limbs
7. She is expert in the musical arts
8. She speaks sweetly
9. She is expert in making jokes
10. She is very polite and modest
11. She is merciful
12. She is cunning
13. She is expert in all duties
14. She is shy
15. She is always steadfast on the path of
righteous conduct
16. She is patient
17. She is grave, so that it is very difficult to
understand the import of Her mind
18. She is fond of enjoying pastimes
19. She is acutely eager to manifest the supermost
excellence of mahäbhäva
20. When the residents of Gokula see Her, their
hearts immediately overflow with prema
21. Her fame pervades the entire universe
22. She is the object of affection for Her
superiors (guru-jana)
23. She is controlled by the intense love
(praëaya) of Her sakhés
 24. She is prominent among all Kåñëa's sakhés
25. Keçava always remains submissive to Her
orders.

No one is more dear to Krsna than Srimati Radharani.

Srimati Radharani is not inferior to Sri Krsna in any
way. It is Krsna Himself who enjoys Himself in two
separate forms, as the enjoyer and the enjoyed. Krsna's
beauty is so stunning that He Himself becomes enchanted
by His own beauty. But if the beauty of Srimati
Radharani were not greater than that of Sri Krsna, She
could not enchant He who can enchant the whole
universe. That is why She is called Bhuvan-mohan-
mohini. She is the effulgence of Krsna, who is like the
full moon (Krsnachandra). Sri Krsna is the sum total of
all ecstasy, all beauty. He is the original reservoir
of all wealth, prowess, and knowledge. So the greatness
of Radharani, is beyond the limit of human knowledge,
even beyond the limit of understanding of many
liberated souls.
 Lalitä-Sakhé

Gaura lila -

 Gadadhara Pandit
 Ramananda Raya
 Dhruvananda Brahmacari

Father: Viçoka
Mother: Säradé-devi
Husband: Bhairava gopa (close friend of Govardhana
gopa)
Home: Yavat
Age: 14 years 8 months 27 days old? / or twenty-seven
days older than Çrématé Rädhikä

Lalita devi,

 is contrary and hot-tempered by nature (vama-

prakhara);
 has a complexion like the yellow pigment gorocana;
 wears garments like peacock feathers;
 has long beautiful, plaited hair;
 personifies khandita bhava.

Of the eight Varistha (the most exalted) gopis, Lalita

devi is the best. She is a dear friend of the Divine
Couple and she is the eldest of Krsna's gopi friends.

She is the leader of the parama-preñöha-sakhés; she

instructs and directs all the sakhés; she understands
all the different moods of loving affairs; and she is
expert in the tactics of union and separation in the
matter of prema If by chance Kåñëa ever commits any
offense toward Çré Rädhä Lalitä is quick to rebuke Him,
raising her head in anger.

Lalita is famous as Srimati Radharani's constant

companion and follower.

The 8 principal sakhis in Lalitäs group are:

Ratnarekha -Ratikalä - Subhadrä - Bhadra rekhikä -

Sumukhé - Dhaniñöhä - Kala haàsé and Kaläpiné

VISAKHA

Gaura lila - Svarupa Damodara Gosvami

Father: Pavana
Mother: Daksina-devi (- daughter of Jatila's sister)
Husband: Bahuka-gopa
Age: 14 years 2 months 15 days

Visakha

 was born at the exact same moment as her dear

friend Srimati Radharani appeared in this world;
 is contrary and hot-tempered by nature;
 has a complexion like lightning;
 wears garments decorated with stars;
 is a skilful artist.

She is the second most important of the eight varistha-

gopis. Her attributes, activities and resolve are all
much like those of her friend Lalita.

CHAMPAKALATA

Gaura lila - Raghava Gosvami

Father: Candaksa;
Mother: Vatika-devi;
Husband: Arama.

Campakalata,

 is one day younger than Srimati Radharani;

 is contrary and hot-tempered by nature;
 has a complexion the color of yellow campaka
flowers;
 wears garments the color of a blue-jay;

Campakalata is the third of the varistha gopis.

CITRA

Gaura lila - Sri Vanamali

Father: Catura (- paternal uncle of Suryamitra);
Mother: Carccika devi;
Husband: Pithara
Age: 14 years 7 months 14 days

Citra,

 has a complexion resembling the color of

kunkuma/saffron;
 wears garments the resembling crystal.

Citra is the fourth of the varistha-gopis. When Lord

Madhava is full of bliss, she becomes satisfied.

Tuìgavidyä

Gaura lila - Prabhodhananda Sarasvati

Father: Puskara
Mother: Medha devi
Husband: Balisa

Tungavidya,

 is fifteen days younger than Srimati Radharani;

 is hot-tempered and expert at dissimulation;
 wears white garments;
 has a complexion the color of kunkuma;
 has the fragrance of sandalwood mixed with camphor.

Tungavidya is the fifth of the varistha-gopis.

 INDULEKHA

Gaura lila - Krsnadasa Brahmacari

Father: Sagara;
Mother: Vela-devi;
Husband: Durbala

Indulekha,

 is three days younger than Srimati Radharani;

 is contrary and hot-tempered by nature;
 wears garments the color of a pomegranate flower;
 has a tan complexion.

Indulekha is the sixth of the varistha-gopis.

RANGADEVI

Gaura lila - Gadadhara Bhatta

Father: Rangasara;
Mother: Karuna devi;
Sister: Sudevi

Rangadevi,

 is seven days younger than Srimati Radharani;

 is contrary and hot-tempered by nature;
 Has a complexion the color of a lotus filament;
 wears garments the color of a red rose.

Rangadevi is the seventh of the varistha gopis.

SUDEVI

Gaura lila - Ananta Acarya Gosvami

Father: Rangasara;
Mother: Karuna devi;
Sister: Rangadevi;
Husband: Vakreksana (- the younger brother of
Bhairava);

Sudevi,

 is sweet and charming by nature;

  her form and other qualities are so similar to
those of her sister Rangadevi that they are often
mistaken for one another.

Sudevi is the eighth of the varistha-gopis

PAURNAMASI

Gaura lila - Govinda Acarya / Sita devi

Initiated by: Narada muni
Father: Suratadeva
Mother: Candrakala
Husband: Prabala
Brother: Devaprastha
Son: Sandipani muni
Grandson: Madhumangala
Granddaughter: Nandimukhi

Paurnamasi,

 wears red or white garments and many jeweled

ornaments;
 is slightly tall in stature;
 has a fair complexion like molten gold;
 has hair the color of kasa flowers (white);
 is discribed by Jiva Gosvami as an austere old
lady.

The incarnation of the Lord's internal Yogamaya potency,

she makes the arrangements for Radha and Krsna's
pastimes to be properly performed. She is greatly
respected by Nanda Maharaja and all the other residents
of Vrajabhumi. She was the dear student of Devarsi
Narada and on his advice she left her favorite son,
Sandipani Muni, in Avantipura and came to Gokula,
impelled by great love for her worshipable Lord Krsna.