Radha Krishna are worshiped in the following
Hindu denominations:
Bhagavata In Vedic and
Puranic literature, Radha and other forms of the root word
Radh have meaning of ‘perfection’, ‘success’ and even ‘wealth’. Lord of Success, Indra was referred to as
Radhaspati. In references to
Mahavishnu as the Lord of Fortune and freely used by
Jayadeva as
Jaya Jayadeva Hare – the victorious
Hari, and ‘
Radhaspati’ all found in many places. The word Radha occurs in the Atharva Veda, Taittiriya Brahmana and Taittiriya Samhita.
Charlotte Vaudeville, in the article
Evolution of Love Symbolism in Bhagavatism draws some parallel to Nappinnai, appearing in Godha's magnum opus Thiruppavai and in
Nammalwar's references to Nappinnani, the daughter-in-law of Nandagopa. Nappinnai is believed to be the source of Radha's conception in
Prakrit and
Sanskrit literature although their characteristic relations with Krishna are different. In the ritual dance called Kuravai, Krishna dances with his wife Nappinnai. "It is a complex relationship, for the devotee is the ‘same as and yet different from’ the Lord, and so even in the joy of union there is the pain of separation. Indeed, the highest form of devotion, according to Yamunacarya, comes not in union but after the union, in the ‘fear of new separation’".
Yasastilaka Champukavya (959 CE) and
Gaha Sattasai make references to Radha and Krishna well before Jayadeva's period. There are elaborate references of Radha and Krishna in
Brahma Vaivarta Purana,
Garga Samhita and
Padma Purana.
Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya Gaudiya Vaishnava, as the name suggests, usually refers to the region of Bengal. Early
Bengali literature gives a vivid description of the depiction and evolution of understanding of Radha and Krishna. One of the self manifested Deities established by
Gopala Bhatta Goswami is called
Radha Ramana. Since Chaityana Mahaprabhu is seen as combined form of Radha-Krishna, Radha Ramana is viewed not only as Krishna, but as a unified form of Radha-Krishna. And worship in his temple, located in the centre of
Vrindavana is a perpetual daily affair, involving several prescribed events throughout the day, with the goal of being theoretical and remote, but with aspiration of the possibility to attend and associate directly with Radha and Krishna.
Manipuri Vaishnavism The
Manipuri Vaishnavism is a regional variant of Gaudiya Vaishnavism with a culture-forming role among the
Meitei people in the north-eastern Indian state of
Manipur. There, after a short period of
Ramaism penetration, Gaudiya Vaishnavism spread in the early 18th century, especially from beginning its second quarter. Raja
Gharib Nawaz (Pamheiba) under the influence of
Natottama Thakura's disciples was initiated into the Chaitanya tradition with worship of Radha-Krishna as the supreme deity. Every village there has a Thakur-ghat and a temple.
Manipuri Raas Leela and other dances are a feature of the regional folk and religious tradition and often, for example, a female dancer will portray both Krishna and his consort, Radha, in the same piece.
Haridasi Sampradaya The Haridasi tradition was founded by
Vrindavan saint and musician,
Swami Haridas, in the 16th century in Vrindavan. The theology of Haridasi tradition revolves around the divine couple Radha Krishna and the
cowherd maidens who serve them. In Haridasi tradition, Radha is considered as the supreme deity, even above Krishna.
Nimbarka Sampradaya The
Nimbarka Sampradaya worship the youthful form of Krishna, alone or with his consort Radha, is one of the earliest dating at least to the 12th century CE, just as
Rudra Sampradaya does. According to
Nimbarkacharya, a founder of the sampradaya, Radha is the eternal consort and wedded wife of Krishna, who lives forever with him in Goloka. Nimbarka's philosophical position is dualistic monism and he centered all his devotion to Krishna and his consort Radha. who is also one of the first commentators on
Brahma Sutras under the name
Vedanta-Parijata-Saurabha. The later
acharyas of the Nimbarka Sampradaya in the 13th and 14th centuries in
Vrindavana composed much literature on the Divine Couple. Swami Sri Sribhatta, the elder god-brother of Jayadeva composed the Yugala Shataka for the Dhrupada style of musical presentation like Jayadeva, however unlike Jayadeva who composed his work in
Sanskrit, Swami Shribhatta's compositions are in Vraja language, a
Hindi vernacular which was understood by all inhabitants of
Vraja. Indeed, the rest of the acharyas of this tradition wrote in Vraja language and due to the lack of prevalence of this language in modern times, very little research has been done, even though these Acharyas predate the
Six Goswamis of Vrindavan by centuries. Rare exception was Vijay Ramnarace's PhD thesis in 2014. In any case, the sole object of worship in the Nimbarka Sampradaya is the unified Divine Couple of Shri Radha Krishna. According to the 16th century Mahavani written by
Jagadguru Swami Sri Harivyasa Devacharya -
"radhaamkrsnasvaroopaam vai, krishnam raadhaasvarupinam; kalaatmaanam nikunjastham gururoopam sadaa bhaje" which means "I ceaselessly praise Radha who is none other than Krishna, and Sri Krishna who is none other than Radha, whose unity is represented by the Kaamabeeja and who are forever resident in Nikunja
Goloka Vrindavana." The contribution from the
Nimbarka Sampradaya to the philosophy of Radha Krishna is undeniable, as the philosophy and theology originate in it.
Pranami Sampradaya The
Pranami Sampradaya (Pranami Panth) emerged in the 17th century in
Gujarat, based on the Radha-Krishna-focussed syncretic Hindu-
Islamic teachings of Devchandra Maharaj and his famous successor, Mahamati Prannath.
Pushtimarg Sampradaya Vallabhacharya, founder of
Pushtimarg tradition even before Chaitanya, worshipped Radha, where according to some sects, the devotees identify mainly with the female companion (
sakhis) of Radha who are privileged to arrange intimate pastimes for RadhaKrishna. One of the prominent poets of this tradition, which also called Radhavallabhi, named Dhruvadasa was notable for being principally concerned with the private relationships of Radha and Krishna. In his poetry
Caurasi Pad and in the commentaries of his followers, the concentration is in meditation on the unique benefits of constant reflection on the
eternal lila. Radhavallabhis share with their Vaishnava co-religionists a great regard for
Bhagavata Purana, but some of the pastimes that are outside the scope of relationships with Radha and
gopis do not feature in the concept of this school. Emphasis is placed on the sweetness of the relationship, or
rasa.
Radha Vallabh Sampradaya The Radha-centered
Radha Vallabh Sampradaya founded by
Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu in the 16th century occupies a special position among other traditions. In its theology, Radha is worshiped as the supreme deity, and Krishna is in a subordinate position.
Swaminarayan Sampradaya Radha-Krishna Dev has a special place in the
Swaminarayan Sampradaya as
Swaminarayan himself referred to Radha Krishna in the
Shikshapatri he wrote. Further, he himself ordered the construction of temples in which Radha Krishna have been installed as deities. Swaminarayan "explained that Krishna appears in many forms. When he is together with Radha, he is regarded as supreme lord under the name of Radha-Krishna; with Rukmini he is known as
Lakshmi-Narayana." The first temple constructed in the sect, built in
Ahmedabad in 1822, houses the images of
Nara Narayana, forms of
Arjuna and Krishna, in the central shrine. The shrine on the left of the hall has
murtis of Radha Krishna. According to the philosophy of the tradition there were many female companions of Krishna,
gopis, but out of all of them Radha was considered to be the perfect devotee. Those who wish to come close to Krishna must cultivate the devotional qualities of Radha. According to theory the sect has set aside
Goloka as the supreme heaven or abode (in fact, in some of their temples, such as the
Mumbai Temple, the murtis installed are those of Shri Gaulokvihari and Radhikaji), because there Krishna is supposed to be enjoying himself with his Gopis, who according to the Swaminarayana sampradaya the milkmaids with whom Krishna danced; his relations with them symbolize the relation of God with the devotee in reciprocation.
Vaishnava-Sahajiya Since the 15th century CE, the
Tantric Vaishnava-Sahajiya tradition flourished in Bengal and
Assam, inspired by Bengali spiritual poet
Chandidas, where Krishna is the inner divine aspect of man and Radha is the aspect of woman. The date of Chandidas poem
Srikrsnakirtana is still under question however the text remains one of the most important evidences of early portrayal of the popular story of "Lord Krishna's love for the cowherd girl
Radha" in
Bengali literature and religion. The 412 songs of
Srikrsnakirtana are divided into thirteen sections that represent the core of the Radha-Krishna legendary cycle, with many variants providing excellent comparative material. The manuscript clearly suggests that the songs were meant to be song, and implies particular
ragas for the recitation. There is considerable debate as to the authenticity of the text that has significant religious meaning.
Warkari Tradition In
Warkari tradition which is majorly based in the region of
Maharashtra, Radha and Krishna are often venerated in their regional forms of
Rahi and
Vithoba, also called Vithala. According to the local legends, Rahi (Radha) is the wife of Vithala (Krishna). ==Outside Hinduism==