These shrutis (revealed scriptures) went on to explain to those rishis (sages) that that Supreme God, Shree Krishna, when He gets a chance to get some of Radha’s foot dust, when She’s stepped somewhere in Braj, and He sees Her footprint, He takes that dust and puts it on His head. Supreme God does that. That gives you an idea who is Radha.
When Shree Krishna,
यस्य अंके विलुण्ठन…।
Yasya aṅke viluṇṭhan…
When Krishna lies down and keeps His head in Her lap…
…कृष्णदेवो गोलोकाख्यं नैव सस्मार धामपदम् ।
…Kṛiṣhṇo devo golokākhyaṁ naivasasmara dhāmapadam.
- Śhree Rādhikā Tāpanīya Upaniṣhad (verse 9) (partial)
…He completely forgets about the bliss of His Divine abode. He forgets He’s God. He forgets everything except Radha.
सांशा कमला शैलपुत्री…
Saśhāṅka-Kamalā-Shailaputrī…
Kamala, Lakshmi, and Shailaputri, Durga are but ‘aṁśh’ (portion) of Radha.
- Śhree Rādhikā Tāpanīya Upaniṣhad (verse 9) (partial)
Just like Vishnu is ‘aṁśh’ of Shree Krishna, all the female forms of God are ‘aṁśh’ of Radha.
…शक्तिधात्रीं नमामः ॥
…shaktidhātrīṁ namāmaha.
- Śhree Rādhikā Tāpanīya Upaniṣhad (verse 9) (partial)
“She is the giver of all the Divine powers, and we bow to Her. We surrender to Her!”
So said those Shrutis.
So just as Shree Krishna is Supreme God, absolute Supreme God, remember I used the words avatari (the source of all descensions), that also applies to Radha.
Radha and Krishna are avatari. All the forms of God emerge from Them. They are absolute Supreme God. So Radha is Brahm (God) just like Shree Krishna.
Here in Shree Raseshwari Radharani Mandir, you see Radha and Krishna together on the left side of the shrine in Ras pose, and in the middle we have Radharani sitting on the throne. Why is that? Because although I said Radha is Shakti (Divine power) and Shree Krishna is Shaktiman (the possessor of Divine power), which beautifully explains their relationship, Shakti cannot be separate from Shaktiman. A Shakti cannot live or exist outside of Her Shaktiman, and the Shaktiman is nothing without His Shakti. So Radha lives in Krishna and Krishna depends on Radha.
But in this case, the Shakti and Shaktiman…
See, in the world there are two types of examples. There is the example a rose and the fragrance of the rose. So the fragrance comes from the rose, but when the fragrance of the rose dissipates, the rose is still there. Then there’s another example of kapoor - camphor. The fragrance itself has taken a physical form as the kapoor, and when that fragrance evaporates, the kapoor is gone.
So in that case, the Shakti and Shaktiman are completely one. This is like Radha and Krishna. Shakti and Shaktiman are completely one in the case of Radha-Krishna. So Shree Raseshwari Radharani is Supreme Brahm who has taken the form of Shakti as Radha and Shaktiman as Shree Krishna.
So that is why we have Shree Raseshwari Radharani in the center on the throne, and She has become Radha and Krishna, who always do the leelas (Divine pastimes) in Vrindavan and who eternally reveal the Divine bliss in Their Divine abode.
Nonetheless, although we understand intellectually to some extent Radharani’s Divine status, we should never think that Radha is someone else and Krishna is someone else, or that we’re comparing Radha and Krishna in this way that one is more important or greater than the other. No, that would be a grave transgression.
