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Lalita (gopi)
Lalita is one of the nine principal gopis within traditional Gaudiya Vaishnava worship of Radha and Krishna within the Hindu religion. Of the eight Varistha Gopis, Astasakhis, Lalita is the foremost. She is a friend of the Divine Couple, Sri Sri Radha Krishna. Her age is 14 years, 8 months and 27 days. She is the oldest of Krishna's gopi friends. Lalita resides in Yavat and is famous as Radha's constant companion. She is the personification of Khandita Bhava and the leader of the parama-prema sakis. Her kunja, the color of lightning, is the largest and is situated on the North side of Vrindavan. The personified seasons take eternally personal care of the kunja. Shaped like an 8 petal lotus, it expands and contracts when needed. Lalitadevi instructs and directs all the sakis and is an expert in the tactics of union and separation in the matter of prema.Madhurya Dhama- A guide to Govardhana by Padmalocana das Lalitadevi is known for her contradictory and hot tempered nature (vama- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gopi
Gopi ( sa, गोपी, ) or Gopika in Hinduism are worshipped as the consorts and devotees of Krishna within the Vaishnavism and Krishnaism traditions for their unconditional love and devotion ('' Bhakti'') to god Krishna as described in the Sanskrit scriptures like Bhagavata Purana and other Puranic literature. Gopis are often considered as the expansion of goddess Radha, the chief consort of Krishna. The Raslila of gopis with Krishna has inspired various traditional performance art forms and literatures. According to Indian philosopher, Jiva Goswami, gopis are considered as the eternal beloved and manifestation of the internal spiritual potency of Krishna. Among the gopis, Radha is the chief gopi and is the personification of bliss potency (''hladini shakti'') of Krishna. She alone manifest the stage of "''Mahabhav"'' or supreme love for Krishna and holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in a number of religious traditions. Etymology Gopi (गो ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaudiya Vaishnava
Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal, with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu". Specifically, it is part of Krishnaism—Krishna-centric Vaishnavite traditions. Its theological basis is primarily that of the ''Bhagavad Gita'' and ''Bhagavata Purana'' (known within the tradition as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam''), as interpreted by early followers of Chaitanya, such as Sanatana Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Jiva Goswami, Gopala Bhatta Goswami and others. The focus of Gaudiya Vaishnavism is the devotional worship (known as bhakti yoga) of Radha and Krishna, and their many divine incarnations as the supreme forms of God, '' Svayam Bhagavan''. Most popularly, this worship takes the form of singing Radha and Krishna's holy names, such as "Hare", "Krishna" and "Rama", most commonly in the form of the Hare ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Radha
Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also described as the chief of the ''Gopis'' (milkmaids). During Krishna's youth, she appears as his lover and companion. Many traditions and scriptures accord Radha the status of the eternal consort and wife of Krishna. Radha, as a supreme goddess, is considered as the female counterpart and the internal potency (''hladini shakti'') of Krishna, who resides in Goloka, the celestial abode of Radha Krishna. Radha is said to accompany Krishna in all his incarnations. In Radha Vallabh Sampradaya and Haridasi Sampradaya, only Radha is worshiped as the supreme deity. Elsewhere, she is venerated with Krishna as his principal consort in Nimbarka Sampradaya, Pushtimarg, Mahanam Sampraday, Swaminarayan Sampradaya, Vaishnava-Sahajiya and Gaudiya Vaishnavis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one of the most popular and widely revered among Indian divinities. Krishna's birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on Krishna Janmashtami according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar, which falls in late August or early September of the Gregorian calendar. The anecdotes and narratives of Krishna's life are generally titled as ''Krishna Leela''. He is a central character in the ''Mahabharata'', the '' Bhagavata Purana'', the ''Brahma Vaivarta Purana,'' and the '' Bhagavad Gita'', and is mentioned in many Hindu philosophical, theological, and mythological texts. They portray him in various perspectives: as a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, and the universal supreme being. Quote: "Krsna's various appearances as a di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vrindavan
Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance in Hinduism as Krishna spent most of his childhood days in this city. Vrindavan has about 5,500 temples dedicated to the worship of Krishna and his divine consort Radha. It is one of the most sacred places for Vaishnavism tradition. Vrindavan is a significant part of the "Krishna pilgrimage circuit" which also includes Mathura, Barsana, Gokul, Govardhan, Kurukshetra, Dwarka and Puri. Etymology The ancient Sanskrit name of the city, (), comes from its groves of ''vṛndā'' (Holy basil) and ''vana'' (a grove or forest). Geography Vrindavan is located at . It has an average elevation of 170 metres (557 feet). Yamuna river flows through the city. It is located 125 km away from Delhi and 15 km away from Mathura City. Climate Demographics As of 2011 In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gorochana
Gorochana or gorocana (transliterated from sa, गोरोचन "cattle-light"; also bo, (?) ''gi-wang'') refers to a stone or 'bezoar' found in cattle ( sa, गो ''go''), such as the bull, cow, ox, and yak. Its presence in the animal is reputedly indicated by the snoring or other nocturnal sounds made by the animal in its sleep.The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols, Serindia Publications, Inc., 2003, Page 20 Its equivalent in Sinitic culture is calculus bovis. The vernacular Hindi and Bengali names are the same as the Sanskrit. Vedic legend Legend has it that Indra once cast the five precious minerals: gold, silver, coral, pearl, and either sapphire or turquoise, into the great ocean. These were eventually consumed by various animals, which then formed bezoars within their bodies. They have different colors and potencies based on the animal they originate from. Medicinal properties Reputedly, Gorochana acts as an antidote to poisons, promotes clear thoughts, and all ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vaishnava Theology
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, i.e. ''Mahavishnu''. Its followers are called Vaishnavites or ''Vaishnava''s (), and it includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as the supreme beings respectively. According to a 2010 estimate by Johnson and Grim, Vaishnavism is the largest Hindu sect, constituting about 641 million or 67.6% of Hindus. The ancient emergence of Vaishnavism is unclear, and broadly hypothesized as a fusion of various regional non-Vedic religions with Vishnu. A merger of several popular non-Vedic theistic traditions, particularly the Bhagavata cults of Vāsudeva-krishna and ''Gopala-Krishna'', and Narayana, developed in the 7th to 4th century BCE. It was integrated wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gopi
Gopi ( sa, गोपी, ) or Gopika in Hinduism are worshipped as the consorts and devotees of Krishna within the Vaishnavism and Krishnaism traditions for their unconditional love and devotion ('' Bhakti'') to god Krishna as described in the Sanskrit scriptures like Bhagavata Purana and other Puranic literature. Gopis are often considered as the expansion of goddess Radha, the chief consort of Krishna. The Raslila of gopis with Krishna has inspired various traditional performance art forms and literatures. According to Indian philosopher, Jiva Goswami, gopis are considered as the eternal beloved and manifestation of the internal spiritual potency of Krishna. Among the gopis, Radha is the chief gopi and is the personification of bliss potency (''hladini shakti'') of Krishna. She alone manifest the stage of "''Mahabhav"'' or supreme love for Krishna and holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in a number of religious traditions. Etymology Gopi (गो ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meera
Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore Rajput royal family in Kudki (modern-day Pali district of Rajasthan) and spent her childhood in Merta. She is mentioned in ''Bhaktamal'', confirming that she was widely known and a cherished figure in the Bhakti movement culture by about 1600 CE.Catherine Asher and Cynthia Talbot (2006), India before Europe, Cambridge University Press, , page 109 Most legends about Mirabai mention her fearless disregard for social and family conventions, her devotion to Krishna, her treating Krishna as her husband and being persecuted by her in-laws for her religious devotion. She has been the subject of numerous folk tales and hagiographic legends, which are inconsistent or widely different in details.Nancy Martin-Kershaw (2014), Faces of the Feminine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bhakti
''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to devotion and love for a personal god or a representational god by a devotee.Bhakti ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2009) In ancient texts such as the '' Shvetashvatara Upanishad'', the term simply means participation, devotion and love for any endeavor, while in the '' Bhagavad Gita'', it connotes one of the possible paths of spirituality and towards |
Rasa Lila
The rasalila (), also rendered the raslila or the ras dance, is part of the traditional story of Krishna described in Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavata Purana and literature such as the Gita Govinda, where he dances with Radha and the gopis of Vraja. Rasalila has also been a popular theme for other India classical dances including Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, and Kathak. The Indian classical dance of Kathak evolved from the rasalila of Vraja and ''Manipuri Raas Leela Classical Dance'' (Vrindavana) also known as ''Natwari Nritya'', which was revived in 1960s by the Kathak dancer, Uma Sharma. Etymology The term, '' rasa'' meaning "aesthetics" and ''lila'' meaning "act," "play" or "dance" is a concept from Hinduism, which roughly translates to "play (lila) of aesthetics (rasa)," or more broadly as "Dance of Divine Love". Apart from the definition above, the term also comes from the Sanskrit words '' rasa'' and ''lila'', with ''rasa'' meaning "juice", "nectar", ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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