Radha and KrishnaLord Krishna is the eighth
and the most popular incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He was born in approximately
3200 BCE in Vrindavan, where he was brought up by the cowherd family of
Yashoda and Nanda. His childhood playmates were gopas (cowherd boys) and
gopis (cowherd girls), who were greatly devoted to him. Of all gopis, Radha
loved Krishna the most.
In the forests of Vrindavan, Krishna often played
his flute and gopis danced with him in ecstasy. The Gopis represent the
individual souls trapped in physical bodies. Radha symbolizes the individual
soul that is awakened to the love of God and is absorbed in such love.
The sound of Krishna's flute represents the call of the divine for the
individual souls.
The gopis' love for Krishna signifies the eternal
bond between the individual soul and God. The dance of the gopis and Krishna
(Rasa Lila) signifies the union of the human and Divine, the dance
of the souls. In the forest, the gopis dance with Krishna and are absorbed
in their love for him. This illustrates that when an individual soul responds
to the call of the Divine, the soul enjoys union with the Lord and becomes
absorbed in the divine ecstasy.
Of all the incarnations, Lord Krishna is revered
as a full and complete incarnation (purna avatara) of Lord Vishnu. He commands
love, respect, and adoration from all Hindus of all walks of life.
- Bansi Pandit
Pictures
Bhagwan Krishen
Bhagwan Krishen with Balram
Radha-Krishna
| 
