Gopi

Gopi (Sanskrit: गोपी, IAST: Gopī), also called Gopika, is a term in Hinduism commonly used to refer to the group of milkmaids of the Braj region in India. They are regarded by Hindus as the consorts and devotees of Krishna and are venerated for their unconditional love and devotion (Bhakti) to him as described in Bhagavata Purana and other Puranic literature. Gopis are often considered as the manifestations or expansions of Radha, the chief consort of Krishna. The Raslila of the gopis with Krishna has inspired various traditional performance art forms and literatures.

As a masculine given name of Indian origin, it is used as a short form of the name Gopala Krishna, meaning "Krishna, the protector of cows" or "Krishna the cowherd". While traditionally used for both genders, it's more commonly used as a male name, especially within the Indian diaspora and communities.

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. 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.