shaktipeeth: shaktipeeth: The Evolution of Sri Radha. Sri Radha is the divine counterpart of Sri Krishna, their pastimes in Vrindavan are the subject of countless poems, plays, books and art pieces. The romantic poetry of Kalidasa in early medieval India gave influence to a wave of devotional expression, the famous Gita Govinda of the poet Jayadeva gives intimate detail on the interactions of Radha and Krishna, further elaborated on by writers like Vidyapati and Chandidasa spreading a wave of devotional fever particularly across eastern India. The cult of Sri Radha was taken up with great enthusiasm by Sri Chaitanya, a sixteenth century mystic from Bengal along with others like Vallabhacharya and Meerabai. Sri Radha has very little mention in the scriptures, briefly in the Padma Purana and Brahma-vaivarta Purana leading some Sanskrit scholars to conclude her a latter addition, she has no mention in the works of Shankaracharya or in the literature of the Vaishnava schools of the south headed by Ramanujacharya and Madhavacharya. Sri Ramakrishna said of the situation, “Even if it is agreed that Radha was not a historical personality and that the episode is imagined by some lover of God, why not fix your mind on the intense yearning of Radha and the Gopis for the supreme? Why dwell on the expression? This may appear human to you, but the yearning and vision you must take divine”, Sri Ramakrishna himself immersed his meditative ecstasies in the pastimes of Radha Krishna. I had the good fortune to live in Vrindavan for some time between 1995-96, there you will find the holy name of Sri Radha on practically every wall and tree, the locals say ‘Radhe Radhe’ at any given opportunity, there is a pilgrimage available to almost every place attested to her pastimes, you can feel her most definitely in that sacred place. These days the cult of Radhadasyam (servitude to Radha) has taken massive proportions, even sparking new religious movements across the globe, the internet is awash with imaginative artwork of the divine couple, distinctly European looking, Krishna a watery pale blue, safely androgynous and adult, Asian only for flouncy turbans and flowing dress, more akin to an illustrated version of Arabian Nights (Krishna in reality finished his Vrindavan pastimes as a ten year old boy, he was known as Shyamasundar that is black and beautiful), Sri Radha looking more like Taylor Swift in a sari rather than a young Indian girl from a farming community. The town of Vrindvan once a haven for Sadhus performing Bhajan is now gentrified with fancy hotel complexes and gaudy mega-temples, perhaps more a testament to their founders than anything else. If we are fortunate the Sri Radha who possessed the heart of Sri Chaitanya, Meerabai and Sri Ramakrishna will inspire within us the true meaning of delight in devotion. Jai Sri Radhe, Radhe Shyam. A little something I wrote last year, reposting for Radha-ashtami, the upcoming birth celebration of Sri Radha. Jai Sri Radhe!