 It is ignorance to talk anything wrong about relationship of Radha-Krishna. In fact, Sri Krishna left Gokul-Virndavan at the age of 12 years. It is stupid to talk their relationship as of mundane love. The love felt by the Gopis is not lust (Kama). Sexual lust cares only for sensual gratification for oneself. The Gopis on the other hand seek Krishna’s enjoyment, not theirs. The unalloyed love of Radha-Krishna is without the slightest touch of self-centeredness. The play of Radha and Krishna is extremely deep and Radha’s spiritual love for Krishna was without the least taint of selfishness. In the Skanda Purana, Vaishnava Khanda, Bhagavata Mahatmya talks about Radharani. The 1st chapter (Volume 6) contains the famous statement, “Atma Tu Radhika Tasya” – Radharani is Krishna's soul. Radharani features prominently in Rudra Sampradaya of Sri Vallabhacharya and Gaudiya Sampradaya of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Radha is also the principal god of worship in the Nimbarka Sampradaya, as Nimbarka, the founder of the tradition, declared that Radha and Krishna together constitute the absolute truth. Gopis: Gopi is a Sanskrit word, refers to milkmaids. The Skanda Purana states that out of many thousands of gopis who had divine love with Sri Krishna, sixteen thousand were predominant; and out of 108 gopis, eight were still more prominent. The prominent eight gopis were Lalita, Vishakha, Champakalata, Chitra, Tungavidya, Indulekha, Rangadevi and Sudevi. But the two gopies, Radharani and Chandravalli were most prominent; and out of these two gopis, Radharani is the most prominent. Radha, is also called Radhika, Radharani and Radhikarani. Why Gopis had love for Sri Krishna: Goverdhan episode developed trust in the minds of Gopis that Balkrishna is almighty. This sowed the seeds of love and devotion among their minds. Intensity of devotion increased gradually in the minds of Gopis leading to restlessness. This restlessness was due to separation from almighty and not worldly desire or passion. Balkrishna was eleven years old at the time of Raaslila. Some ignorant persons paint Raslila as ordinary sexual appetite. Any sensible person can understand that eleven years old child can’t have sexual appetite. Gopis were of all ages including married women. They had pure devotion and spiritual love for Sri Krishna and not attachment with body. Further, Raas was done in open and not closed door. Neither Gopis in Gokul were ordinary ladies nor was Balkrishna ordinary human being. In case, the episode would have been for sexual appetite, Shri Shukdev ji who was an enlightened person since birth will not mention this. Dongra ji Maharaj has explained about the Gopis. Raaslila was not an ordinary meeting of man and woman but meeting of Jivatmas with Parmatama. When the covering of desires and ignorance is abolished, it is pure Jivatma. Sexual appetite is caused in the physical bodies. No sooner feelings of physical body eliminate, sexual appetite is erased from the mind. Everybody has to shed ego to meet almighty. What is Spiritual Love: Initially, love starts between two persons. As love intensity grows, feeling of oneness develops. The power of love is revealed in 8 forms i.e. 1. Prem, (प्रेम) - Indissoluble attachment binding devotee to God, 2. Sneh (स्नेह) - The end product of Prema is when the heart melts in love, 3. Maan (मान) – It is marked by sensitiveness due to excessive love, 4. Pranaya (प्रणय), 5. Raag (राग) – It is eager longing for the object of love touched with the enjoyable pain associated with it, 6. Anuraag (अनुराग) – It is the experience of unceasing novelty in the object of love, 7. Bhavavesh (भावावेश) – It is the experience of excellent spirit, admiration, cheerfulness and velour etc. During the experience, there may be continuous flow of tears, and 8.Maha-bhav(महाभाव) - is the most ecstatic expression of love, and is called Divine madness. Each of them epitomizes a higher degree of love than the previous one. Thus Maha-bhav is highest and in Mahabhav as well there is most intimate level of love which is called Madan Maha-bhav. Shri Radha is the embodiment of Madan Mahabhav. Gopis are spiritual preceptress of Bhakti. While performing their duties, their mind was constantly engrossed in Balkrishna. This is height of Bhakti. Sri Shankaracharya said, immerse in any form of deity with full devotion. Perform all worldly duties keeping in manas of almighty and for the almighty. If devotion is done all through our actions, speech and thought, shri Krishna enters in life. Believe all other forms part of that form. It will not develop pleasure or pain. All attachments are of manas (मन). Meditating the sensual pleasures makes the manas impure. Abandoning such thoughts of sensual pleasure, purify the manas. When manas becomes steady in almighty, it is peaceful. After liberation of manas, jivatma enjoys freedom. What is the original form of Radha: Radha is regarded as the Goddess or Shakti. She is the eternal consort of Sri Krishna. She is the internal potency or Hladini Shakti (Blissful energy) of Sri Krishna. She is the personification of para bhakti (complete devotion) unto Sri Krishna (Bhakti Devi) and is revered as the epitome of selfless love and service towards Krishna. She is also considered by some as the feminine form of Lord Krishna himself. Radha once asked krishna in Golok whom does he love the most, and krishna told her that he is free from all the emotions and loves everyone. To this she asked about herself, to which Krishna said that you and I are same so how can I love myself. When she asked him why didn’t he marry her? He said how he could marry her because love and marriage needs two people but they are one. According to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:
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