Gopi
Gopis | |
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Kartik Purnima, Holi, Lathmar Holi | |
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Consort | Krishna |
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Vaishnavism |
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Gopi (
According to Indian philosopher, Jiva Goswami, gopis are considered as the eternal beloved and manifestations of the internal spiritual potency of Krishna. Among the gopis, Radha is the chief gopi and is the personification of the bliss potency (hladini shakti) of Krishna.[6] She alone manifests the stage of mahabhava, or supreme love for Krishna, and holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in a number of religious traditions.[7]
Etymology
Gopi (गोपी) is a Sanskrit word originating from the word Gopa. In Hinduism, the name Gopika or Gopi is especially used to refer the milkmaids of Braj region.[8] The word Gopis in the plural refers to the group of cowherd women who possess devotion toward Krishna. When it is used in the singular ("Gopi"), it generally refers to Radha, who was the Krishna's favourite gopi.[9]
Prominent gopis
The prominent gopis of
- Radha (Chief gopi, Krishna's favourite)
- Lalita
- Vishakha
- Champakalata
- Chitra
- Tungavidya
- Indulekha
- Rangadevi
- Sudevi
All the eight primary gopis are together called as the Ashtasakhis (eight friends) of Radha and Krishna.
Unconditional love
According to Hindu Vaishnava theology, the stories concerning the gopis are said to exemplify
For Vaishnava traditions, the most important representation of the gopis' love and devotion for Krishna is a story in the Bhagavata Purana (10.29-33) by the name of Rasa Lila Panchadhyaya, which translates as "the five chapters on the story of the rasa dance". The bhakti or devotion that the gopis express in this story is believed by the Chaitanya tradition to exemplify the highest form of bhakti. In the story, Krishna's flute music attracts the gopis' attention, making them leave behind their families and homes so that they can enjoy devotion of Krishna[9]:
Upon hearing that sweet music,
their passion for him swelling,
The young women of Braj whose
minds were captured by Krishna,
Unaware of one another,
ran off toward the place
Where their beloved was waiting,
with their earrings swinging wildly (Bhagavata Purana 10.29.4)
Gallery
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Krishna and Gopis, 18th century watercolour in the Bodleian Library
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19th century Rajasthan painting depicting Krishna and Gopis
-
1610 painting of Krishna stealing clothes of Gopis
-
Gopi Talab dedicated to gopis in Dwarka
See also
References
- ISBN 1576073556.
- S2CID 192161968.
- ISBN 978-1-57607-355-1.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link - ISBN 978-81-208-0945-1.
Radha expresses herself in the multiple forms of gopis
- ISBN 978-1-4828-1690-7.
- JSTOR 23341400.
- ISBN 978-019-514891-6.
- S2CID 192161968.
- ^ OCLC 181731713.
- ^ "Gopis".
- ^ ISBN 978-1-61069-211-3.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link