Female Hindus, how do you approach Radha?

[Sirona]

Namaste,

Female Hindus, how do you approach Radha? It is always possible to see Her as a mother, but I've never heard She had children. And She is in a romantic relationship with Krishna. If Krishna already has a lover, there is no room for another, right? What's your view on this? I know I cannot verify this over the internet, but I am only interested in opinions of heterosexual women / or those who are sexually oriented towards men. Thanks for your replies.

 

[Terese]

If Lord Krishna loves her very much she must be worthy of immense respect and veneration. The Supreme has many lovers. Just because he dedicates to Radha does not mean he does not love anyone else romantically. There are many women who have a bhakti oriented romantic relationship with Lord Krishna, he would not deny a devotee. During the rasa lila, Lord Krishna expanded into many forms of himself, giving undivided attention to each gopi. I believe this is what he does to all his devotees, never makes them feel left out and unloved, for that is impossible for him My relationship with Lord Krishna is very much like of the gopas, of an intimate friend and playmate. And yes, i am heterosexual

 

[Shrew]

If Krishna already has a lover, there is no room for another, right? What's your view on this?

Ever heard of the rasa-lila?

As you can see, every gopi has her own Krishna.
In my opinion there are 2 ways to explain this, the dualistic and the non-dualistc.

Dualistic: Krishna uses His powers to multiply, so indeed, He has more than one lover.
Non-dualistic: Krishna is all that is, there is noting outside of Him.
So in the picture above, Krishna is Krishna, Radha is Krishna, every of the gopis is Krishna, the peacocks are Krishna, the trees are Krishna, the grass is Krishna, the river is Krishna......

As for Radha, beeing Krishna's Hladini-Shakti (power of joy), She is non-different from Krishna.

Personally I do not think of Radha so often, because I'm more on the Saiva side of the Hindu tradition, but when I think of Radha I turn to Her as a friend.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

I consider myself a shakta and I'm a hetero female. The truth is I don't give Radha much thought though, as her particular form of the goddess is not one I venerate specifically. I have an intellectual understanding of her symbolism and purpose within Krishna Bhakti circles and I don't read too far into it on a literal level anymore.

I can see where one can have a romantic relationship with one's Ishtadevata because it's whatever dynamic inspires devotion. That "romance" comes with an understanding that those feelings are entirely based on a dualistic framework where Lord Krishna is the "other" and somehow separate from the devotee.

Because I relate to the goddess more as a mother or friend, the romantic dynamic between Krishna and Radha doesn't feel as relevant which is probably why I don't have a strong opinion about them.

 

[Aupmanyav]

If I an add something, Radha is the 'lila' of the Lord. Or the Lord is the 'lila' of Srimati Radharani. They are inseparables.

 

[Shantanu]

Sri Krishna is the Supreme God. So is Durga. But they are nor consorts of each other. They are incarnations of each other. Neither has consorts. So Radha is not a divine goddess. She is just a mythological woman in Krishna's life on Earth.

 

[DeviChaaya]

While I'm probably excluded from this in that I am gay, I am also asexual meaning I don't experience sexual attraction (to get even more confusing I don't experience romantic attraction either). Much like @Fireside_Hindu I don;t think much of Radha. I'm very much a devout shakta but Devi does not often come to me in the form of Radha. Mostly She comes to me as Durga, Kali, Parvati. Perhaps it would be best to ask some Gaudiya Vaishnavas this question as they will have better answers.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Terese has spoken.

 

[George P. Dinkleburg]

While I consider myself a Krishna devotee, I find my relationship with him to be more of that of a dear friend and trusted guide, rather than that of a romantic relationship. I look to Radha with extreme respect, and I find inspiration and encouragement from their relationship. I keep a picture of the two of them next to my 'spot' to remind myself of my own goals of union with him.
(Yes, I'm female, despite the name.)

 

[Shantanu]

While I consider myself a Krishna devotee, I find my relationship with him to be more of that of a dear friend and trusted guide, rather than that of a romantic relationship. I look to Radha with extreme respect, and I find inspiration and encouragement from their relationship. I keep a picture of the two of them next to my 'spot' to remind myself of my own goals of union with him.
(Yes, I'm female, despite the name.)

Dear friend and trusted guide Sri Krishna certainly is.