WINNERS !! Chhote Philosopher Contest-2014

Bal-Mukund is proud to announce WINNERS of the 2014 "CHHOTE PHILOSOPHER CONTEST" Bal-Mukund's Chhote Philosopher 2014 Contest Results are out! We had budding philosophers from various states send in entries and we would like to thank each and everyone of them for submitting their writings! The choices were many, and the decision tough, but the following children's submissions earned them well deserved wins! Congratulations to them all! Click on the topics and enjoy the children's creative writing and diction skills, and impressive knowledge base. GROUP 1 [AGE GROUP: 8 THRU 11] 1ST PRIZE WINNER 2ND PRIZE WINNER 3RD PRIZE WINNER SANVI KARHADE AGE: 10 MIHIKA DEOPURA AGE: 9 SHASHANK KALKUR AGE: 8 TOPIC: PITRI DEVO BHAVA MATRI DEVO BHAVA TOPIC: MY INDIA TOPIC: MY INDIA GROUP 2 [AGE GROUP: 12 THRU 15] 1ST PRIZE WINNER 2ND PRIZE WINNER 3RD PRIZE WINNER SHEEL PATEL AGE: 12 DHANANJAY RAGHU AGE: 12 VEDIKA BIRLA AGE: 12 TOPIC: A PERSON'S STRENGTH LIES IN HIS/HER INTEGRITY TOPIC: INDIA A SPIRITUAL JEWEL TOPIC: A PERSON'S STRENGTH LIES IN HIS/HER INTEGRITY

CPC 2014- Winning essay "A Person's Strength Lies in his Integrity" by Sheel Patel

1st prize winning essay on age group 12 thru 15 by
Sheel Patel

A person can be big, strong, and muscular, but he is nothing without integrity. A person without integrity is like a person without feelings or voluntary actions. Integrity is a powerful and valuable trait to have. Humans are lucky to have it! We take it for granted, but without integrity we wouldn't have the modern things we use to live, indoor plumbing and shelter are a few examples! Think about it, if the people who first discovered agriculture didn't have moral principles, they wouldn't have shared it with anyone else and no one after him would know how to farm.

Everyone has this amazing trait inside of them, some people just don't like to show it, I'm talking about bullies. Integrity means controlling your actions in times of unsureness. It is also not going with somebody else, you choosing your own path, your own way. If you choose somebody else's way, it could be the wrong way. Choose your own path and if you think it's right, go for it, everyone has their own definition of the right path, but just go with yours.

Strength is also part of integrity, if you bullied someone, even if it was on purpose,you would probably feel bad and that affects your emotional strength and health. That can make you fell depressed. You always need to fill your life with positive things and people that make you happy, always show integrity. Control your actions and don't end of doing something you will regret later, even if it is 20 years away, what you do now affects your future. You cannot change the past, but you can change the future.

Integrity involves your social actions and thoughts. Don't say bad things to your friends if they're just trying to help. Control your actions, it's a lot simpler than you think. Just think about what you're going to say when you get all mad. Get involved in social activities, people won't just ask you to join, you have to jump in and do it with them! You have to take action, because odds are people won't! It doesn't mean they don't like you, it just means they aren't sure what YOU want. Those who don't are often not good at socializing who don't have a lot of friends, show courage and ask to join. If they are your friends, you know you can trust them. If they betray you, they are not true friends. Always be loyal to your friends, then they will know that you are a true friends, and chances are that they will show it back.
Integrity is the base of all other character traits, it is how you are a human being living in a house and have food on you plate. You are lucky to be going to school everyday and having water in your house and for all those other necessities you just take for granted. Those who show integrity will be successful in life by only thinking good thoughts, those who always think bad will be on the road to not succeeding just because you think you can't. Integrity is kind of like a mixture of all traits, responsibility, respect, and courteous, if you know all of those things and you will know how to get along with other people and you will have real friends that will respect you.

Imagine the world without integrity, just think, imagine humans and animals with no control over anything, no moral thoughts and actions, and no moral principles. We wouldn't be alive! Without individual actions or thoughts no inventions or things could be discovered, including new land like North America and Australia! No uniqueness makes beings boring and unexciting. No control over anything means you don't have control over what to do and how to survive in a world like ours. All plants and animals would die and the world would erode and turn into a global ghost town. It would be like an unknown planet!

Strength is the backbone of integrity, and I'm not talking about muscular strength, I'm talking about mental strength. You need to have mental strength and courage to have integrity. Nobody is perfect so no one will completely know integrity, but it is possible to have it and be a nice and smart person. That is the key to all character traits.

CPC 2014- Winning essay on "A Person's Strength Lies In His/Her Integrity" by Vedika Birla

3rd prize winning essay on age group 12 thru 15 by
Vedika Birla

Radhey Radhey!

This topic really captures my attention, “A person’s strength lies in his/her integrity”. In my mind, integrity means staying true to values. It means being honest and trustworthy always. An example can be doing the exact same if someone is watching or when nobody is watching. Such integrity determines how much of a fair and true person you are. Integrity is necessary between family, friends, and us.

Integrity within family means standing up for actions; this is important in all relationships but most important within families. For example, if I dropped food on my couch that created a stain and I blamed it on my brother. At first my parents would be mad at my brother but, then they found out that I did it, they would be extremely disappointed with me for a couple reasons, firstly that I had dropped food on the couch, and secondly that I had been untruthful and blamed it on my brother. From there on, my parents would not trust me as much as they did before. Trust in your family is like glass bangles once you break them you can’t repair it or get it back to its original form.

Integrity within friends means telling the truth always and keeping promises. If someone follows this it will only make your friendship grow. Telling the truth even when hurts, will actually benefit one’s friendship in the long run. When one let friends take blame for something you did, the friend will not like that person as much as he/she did before because the friend knows that, that person isn’t responsible for your own actions. Showing integrity between friends is also keeping promises and going incredible lengths to keeping the promise. The friendships will build once integrity is shown.

Integrity also builds character of a person. With the quality of integrity, others will feel better about a certain person because they will trust that person more.  It means that one will have a better relationship. God and guru will give more blessings. Without integrity, people will start ignoring one and they will think of one as an awful person and God and guru won’t give many blessings because there are no qualities within their heart.

To conclude, integrity means doing the right thing in a reliable way. Altogether integrity builds strong character within the heart. Integrity includes standing up for your own actions, not blaming others, telling the truth, and keeping promises all this will lead to more blessings. Most values revolve around integrity such as honesty, responsibility, patience, accountability, and care and above all devotion and love for God. 

Radhey Radhey! Hope this essay made you feel how important integrity is on a day-to-day basis!   

CPC 2014- Winning essay "My India" by Shashank Kalkur

3rd prize winning essay on age group 8 thru 11 by
Shashank Kalkur - 8 years old

I have been to India several times and it is really a fun place to be! Life in India is very different compared to life in the USA. The houses for example are made of brick and cement and not wood. Roads are full of all kinds of different vehicles - trucks, buses, cars, motor cycles, scooters, autos and bicycles. Only in India will you find cows moving freely on the road perfectly comfortable with the chaos surrounding them!Early in the morning I am awakened by the vegetable vendor yelling out that he has arrived. He has a cart full of vegetables attached to his bicycle. How nice that the grocery store comes to your home and you don’t have to drive to the grocery store!When I think of India I think of all the yummy food. We usually get invited to family gatherings where there is a grand feast served on a banana leaf. There are more than 20 dishes - savory and sweet. I found it quite overwhelming at first not knowing what to eat first but soon started to enjoy the feast.Riding an auto rickshaw is one of my favorite things to do in India. An auto can take you to any part of the city and they are everywhere! You never have to wait for more than 5 minutes to get an auto in a city like Bangalore. I noticed that some autos are decorated with pictures of Gods and Goddesses and some have flashy tassels. The auto drivers are so skillful in maneuvering through the traffic. Sometimes they come so close to a big bus that it scares me.India has more than 1 billion people and so you see people everywhere. Buses are overflowing with people literally hanging for dear life. I like to travel by train when I visit my grandparents in Kerala. I like watching the never ending line of coconut trees through the train window.I walk a lot when I am in India because everything is close by. My grandfather at the age of 77 still walks every morning to the market to get fresh vegetables. I think that is the secret to his health. In the evening he visits the temple and prays for all of us. He also does "pooja" every morning.The shopping experience in India is so different. There are bazaars lined with stores selling all kinds of merchandise. I noticed that the stores have no doors. At night they secure the store with shutters. The small stores have just a couple of employees who are attending to all the customers. They are good at multi-tasking!When I am in India there is never a dull moment. In spite of the many challenges they face, Indians take things in their stride and move forward. I am proud to be Indian and looking forward to exploring more of the country in the years to come.

CPC 2014- Winning essay ru 11 "Pitri Devo Bhava Matri Devo Bhava" by Sanvi Karhade

By: Sanvi Karhade - 10

Parents are gods messenger .Parents are the best teachers at the beginning of our lives. Starting from crawling, first steps, talking, to graduating. They wish us success and never teach us bad things. My mom and dad said,” You can be anything that makes you happy.”

Mom’s nature

My mom is very sweet. I remember when I was late to school she used to ask me whether I got everything I needed for school .She listens to me even if its bad news also through my school troubles. I sometimes get mad at her because she is always behind me .She might be mad at me but scold’s me and it is stuck in her head all night. I know this is good for me. My Mom helps me calm down by counting to 10. I don’t know why but I can’t hide anything from my mom even if it’s a surprise.

She puts up with some of my requests and still manages my house and sibling. Her heart and determination are something that I can only hope to have myself one day. My test is like her test .She is like a shadow in the sun, Umbrella in rain and a cozy blanket in the winter.  I like when she sings for me in the night “mere ghar aayi ek nanhi pari” one of my favorite song. Every day she tries to tell me small things which I appreciate before coming school bus pray morning and evening namskar in front of god. Tidy up my room. Don’t pile up work and finishing your pending work. From this I learned try to stay up-to-date day by day and don`t wait until last minute and finish your task one day before the deadline. she says if you want go somewhere try to start 5 min early time you think it will require to reach so in this way will be on time not miss any class or bus. Which I experienced and trying to be on time.

Teaching Daddy

Everybody says that I look a lot like my dad .I got the smiling face from my dad. My dad is special and everything he does and says is special too. He usually does not speak while eating, however when he speaks it is one more story to tell. He is happy and thankful for every piece of meal he gets, and he doesn’t like plate with unfinished food, he always says take food in plate only which you can finish. He had a hard childhood without his father. He came from farmer family so he knows how much effort it will take to produce grain. I am proud of dad whatever he is today because of his hard work he lost his father when he was 2 year old. He says whoever I am because of my mom. My dad is sometimes strict but I know in my heart that he wants me to succeed. He gives me opinions from the bottom of his heart. I am confident that his opinion is an objective. If I will ask about my homework he will stop his office work and try to find my answer. After I will sleep he will do his office work.

Everything I have been able to accomplish with regards to school, I have him to thank for. My father has been caring, and strict in his guidelines. My father is like a coconut, outside he will not show feeling but inside he is soft.

He will never give up on me when I will try any new sport, I was so scared when I started learning skating last summer I will see his face and try to go ahead, because I was new in this sport I used to make excuses to not do practice he will listen calmly and wait there for me to start again. I must say he has lot of patience than anybody I’ve ever seen. I like his nature because he always looks positive side of the thing on any difficulty. He always says “whatever happened, happened” don’t stay in past stay in today. My dad is smart, has lots of patience and positive attitude that is the reason I think I will never get afraid of any test.

My parents are the best thanks to god. They listen to me they understand me. They are my emotional healer, my entertainer, pillar of support, anchor in life, and teacher.  My personality roots, Good discipliner, travel guide and most important they love me. I am proud of being their daughter. One day I want to become them.

CPC 2014- Winning essay "My India" by Mihika Deopura

2nd prize winning essay on age group 8 thru 11 by
Mihika Deopura - 9 

Introduction

India is a wonderful country full of cultural and geographical diversity. Situated in South Asia, it is 7th largest country by area and 2nd most populated country. It is surrounded by China, Nepal and Bhutan in North, Pakistan in West, Bangladesh and Myanmar in East, and Sri Lanka in South. The Indian Peninsula is surrounded by 3 oceans and seas, Arabian Sea on the west, Indian Ocean on the south and Bay of Bengal on the east. The northern India has the tallest mountain range of the world, the mighty Himalayas. West has the Thar dessert, while the east has the lush green Meghalaya known for highest rainfall in the world. India is the largest democracy in the world with 29 states and 7 union territories. It has 22 recognized languages and numerous other dialects including the ancient and the oldest language of the world – Sanskrit.

History & Culture

In Ancient times, India was the center of learning, art and architecture. Around 3000 BC IndIa was flourishing with Indus Valley Civilization. It mysteriously disappeared possibly due to flooding or change of climate. It was followed by Vedic period. This was the time when Vedas and other scriptures were written in Sanskrit. Two major religion teaching non-violence Budhism and Jainism were born during this time. The period between 1st BC and 9th century is known as the golden period of India. India was the richest country during this time. It was the center of learning, sciences, astronomy and mathematics. Decimal number system and zero was invented during this time. Indian astronomer Aryabhata was first to discover the motion of earth and other planets around sun. During early middle ages, India was invaded by Muslim armies of Babar resulting in 800 years of Mughal rule. Around middle of 18th century India became a British Colony for 200 years finally getting Independence on Aug 15, 1947. During the British rule India became a poor country from one of the richest countries. Since Independence India has become a modern multi-cultural and multi-religious country and is steadily improving its economy. Recently India sent a spaceship to Mars becoming only the 3rd country to do so. 

Famous Landmarks

Taj Mahal is the most famous monument in India. It was built by Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan in 1648. The Emperor loved his Queen dearly. He ordered Taj Mahal to be built when the Queen died for her body to rest in. It is considered one of the wonders of the world. Other famous landmarks include the Qutub Minar, Ashoka stambh, iron pillar next to Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Stupa at Sanchi, Kahujorao temples, Konark Sun Temple etc.

Spirituality

It is home to all the major religion of the world, but Hinduism is the most widely practiced religion.India is a country of Gods, Goddesses, and many festivals. There are rich set of stories around each Gods and Goddess that teach us how to live our life. The story of Lord Ram and his fight against Ravana teach us to fight evil. Diwali, festival of light, is celebrated to mark return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. Holi, festival of color, is celebrated to mark victory of good over evil. It is believed that Prahlada, son of the evil King Hirnakashayap was able to survive from burning fire set by his evil aunt Holika through devotion to God Vishnu. India is also birth place of Yoga. It was developed during Vedic ages by Sages to keep them healthy and help them meditate India is also country that gave birth of great philosophers, poets and Saints. Mahatma Gandhi is known for teaching the world about non-violence and tolerance. He led the Indian Independence struggle against Britishers. India is a very ancient country with rich traditions and culture. I am so proud of my India.

CPC 2014- Winning essay "India as a spiritual jewel" by Dhananjay Raghu

2nd Prize winning essay on age group 12 thru 15 by 

Dhananjay Raghu - 12 

There are many countries around the world that have given birth to many beliefs and religions. In my social studies class, as a 7th grader I am learning about many countries and India. When I learn about other cultures and traditions, I realize how Hinduism is more spiritual in nature. It is apparent to me and my friends from India that Hinduism is the origin of many other religions as well. Although all religions are one as my mother always says, yet I have come to realize that India is where Krishna was born and the actual miracles took place in Vrindavan and Mathura. The many incarnations of Lord Vishnu took place in India. Ayodhya, where Lord Rama ruled is in India. Buddhism which is practiced in 10 different countries, originated in India. Here, I am talking about religion because my mother has taught me that religion and religious practices are like staircases to reach spirituality. So I feel that one has to know one's own religion and its reason for such practices to understand spirituality. That is why I go to Bal-Mukund classes to learn more about myself and my origin. In my case I was always curious about my spiritual nature and going to Bal-Mukund classes has answered and strengthened my affinity to spirituality. I say my mantras at home and do Yoga and Pranayam before going to school. I cannot say I am regular but I try to do it every so often. India's religion is mainly Hinduism, but on the other hand it is not really a religion but rather a way of life, as I am learning at Bal-Mukund. This is mentioned in the "The essence of Hinduism", a book by Swami Mukundananda Ji. So when something is a way of life then it is only natural that spirituality too is naturally acquired. India, as my grandfather used to say is a karma bhoomi. Which means the action takes place or took place and people have to do penance, meditations and lead a spiritual life. India is a place where it is said that heavenly bodies descend to bless and this makes India a truly holy land. It is a birth place and a refuge for many religions of the world. In India there are many people from different religious background who live amicably. To name a few there are Zoroastrians, Christians, Muslims, Jains, Taoism, Confucius, Buddhists living in India. Because India is a spiritual land there is so much tolerance towards all religions. Many of the world renowned spiritual saints have come from this land. India is a spiritual jewel because spirituality is so ingrained in its entire people that wherever we live our spirituality makes us stand apart and we reach greater goals in the community. India the land of our origin teaches us to be spiritual. Through her, many holy saints and gurus come and guide us and who not only teach us Indians but teach the whole world about being spiritual. Some of my friends have turned to vegetarianism and practice yoga and pranayama, and this was due to some saint or a guru who has taught them spirituality. This makes me proud, to say that I am of an Indian origin, and I too am guided by Swami Mukundananda Ji through his classes at Bal-Mukund. 

Ref.: The essence of Hinduism (by Swami Mukundananda)

My mother who teaches me a lot about India and on spirituality

Focus Only On Your Target!

Dronacharya was one of the greatest warriors of his time. He had learned the secret of powerful weapons from the great Parashuram himself. 

Parashuram (Left) and Dhronacharya (Right)

 When he arrived at Hastinapur, Bheeshma entrusted the Pandavas and the Kauravas to his care and asked him to teach the art of weaponry to them. The Pandavas and the Kauravas were quick to learn and soon picked up various skills.

The Pandavas and the Kauravas were cousins but they grew with intense rivalry since childhood. Especially the Kauravas were very jealous of the Pandavas.

Dronacharya was an impartial teacher and treated all the students equally but could not help admiring Arjun the most. Arjun was not only the finest archer, he was also the most focused, enthusiastic and resolute amongst all students. However, the Kauravas misinterpreted this admiration as favoritism and they continually complained about it.

Dronacharya decided that it was time to prove Arjun's uniqueness to the rest of the students and remove their misunderstanding. He organized a 'concentration test' for his students. He ordered them to gather on the ground near the ashram. There on the tree he had placed a wooden bird with a prominently painted eye. He then addressed all the students, “Young princes, today I want you to show me your skill in archery. On that tree is a wooden bird with a painted eye. All you need to do is to strike the eye of that wooden bird.

All the Pandav and Kaurav princes held their bows and aimed their arrows at the target before them. Dronacharya first called Duryodhan and asked him, “What do you see?” Duryodhan started to list off everything that met his eyes, “I see the bird, its eye, the tree, branches of the tree, its moving leaves, fruits on the tree, the sky, the river...”

Dronacharya told him “You cannot strike the eye of the bird, go back.” Then he called Bheem and asked him, “What do you see?” Bheem replied, “Gurudev, I see the bird, its eye, the tree, its fruits etc..” Dronacharya told him to go back. Then he called Yudhisthir, “What do You see, Yudhisthir?” He said, “Gurudev, I see the bird and its eye!” Dronacharya sent him back.

The same pattern was followed for every students but Dronacharya was not satisfied with the any of their answers.

Finally, he turned to Arjun and asked, “What do you see?” “I can see only the eye of the bird,” replied Arjun without breaking his eye contact with his target.

“Can't you see the trees and the sky or even the branches?” Dronacharya asked.

“No Gurudev, all I can see is the eye of the bird and nothing else,” he said, holding his bow steady and maintaining his unwavering gaze.

Dronacharya said, “Now hit the target!” Arjun shot the arrow and hit the mark.

Dronacharya turned to the other princes and said, “Did you understand the point of this test? When you aim at a target, you must concentrate all your attention on it. Intense absorption of your physical and mental faculties on the task you perform is the key to success. When I asked you all to aim at the eye of the bird, the rest of you were seeing other things as well, like tree, its fruits and leaves, and people around, because you were not concentrating singularly on your target. Only Arjun was totally focused. Now you know why I am so fond of Arjun.” Dronacharya's test silenced the Kauravas and all understood that Arjun was indeed the best student.

Moral:

1. Concentration is an important quality for us to inculcate. Whether it is study, sports or art.

2. To achieve the goal which is given by our Guru to attain God and His divine love, we unfailingly have to single-mindedly concentrate on God. There are many other distractions in the world which will try to tempt us or disturb our focus from God, but just like Arjun, we need to concentrate on God only and nothing else!!

Brahmarshi Valmiki- author of the Ramayan.

Maharishi Valmiki is considered as the father of Indian poetry. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, or the poet of the Sanskrit language. He composed the shloka that set the base and defined the form of Sanskrit language.He is famous as the author of the Ramayan, consisting of 24,000 verses.

EARLY YEARS:

Valmiki was born to sage Prachetasa and was called Ratnakar in his childhood.One day, while in the forest, young Ratnakar got lost and was adopted by a hunter. Under the love and care of his foster parents, Ratnakar forgot his own parents. With his foster father’s guidance, Ratnakar trained to be an excellent hunter himself. He was married to a beautiful girl from a hunter’s family.As his family got large, he found it impossible to feed the,m. As a result, he took to robbery and began looting people passing from one village to another.By the time he became a fearless decoit. Everyone was afraid of Ratnakar! When he walked in the forest, even the birds would fly to their nests, and the animals would look for a place to hide.

TURNING POINT:

One day, Ratnakar was hiding by the side of a forest pathway, waiting for a victim. He happened to attack the great sage Narad who was passing through the jungle. Narad was playing on his Veena and singing praises of the Lord.

Ratnakar jumped out in front of him and demanded, "Hand over all the things you have or I will kill you!"Sage Narad replied, “ O dear! All that I have are these clothes and Veena. But I have one more priceless treasure! If you are interested, I would happily share it with you and that"s the chanting of the Name of God. Ratnakar gazed in the eyes of Narad, his cruelty started melting.

This began a transformation in Ratnakar. Sage Narad questioned him why he was committiing so many sins. He replied that it was for the maintenance of his family. Narad then asked him whether his family would share the fruits of his sins. Ratnakar replied that he had no doubt they would. Narad told him to go and get this confirmed from his family. When Ratnakar asked his family the same question, he was dismayed to discover that none of them was willing to share the fruits of his sins. This incident taught him about the selfish nature of everyone in the world.

Ratnakar went back to sage Narad and asked how he could attain God. Sage Narad asked him to chant the name “ RAM”. Ratnakar was unable to bring the Divine Name of the Lord to his lips, because of the heavy burden of his sins. Narad then asked him to utter “Ma Ra” repeatedly, until he returned. Ratnakar obeyed the instructions of his Guru completely and sat in one spot, continuously chanting “Ma Ra, Ma Ra ” for years. 

He was so deeply absorbed in his chanting that in course of time his body was covered by Anthill. The sage Narad finally returned, removed the anthill and bestowed his grace on him. Ratnakar began to call Valmiki, or the one who was covered by an anthill.Narad also gave him the title of Brahmarshi, or God-realized Saint. Valmiki then established his ashram on the bank of the Ganga.

 AUTHOR OF THE RAMAYAN:

Valmiki wrote the entire Ramayan, in the poetic meter. The most amazing thing was that he wrote Ramayan before the actual descension of Lord Ram. By virtue of his Divine vision, he was able to foresee the leelas that Shree Ram would do during His descension on the earth. 

LATER YEARS:

Valmiki made his ashram in the forest and continued to reside there, awaiting the descension of Shree Ram to take place.

During His descension period, Lord ram, Lakshaman and Seeta came to Valmiki’s ashram. Valmiki received them with utmost devotion.

 Later, Lord Ram’s children, Luv and Kush became Valmiki’s first disciples to whom he imparted the wisdom of the Ramayan.

As Kripaluji Maharaj says, the Name of God has unlimited power.Only by chanting His name one can attain Him!! 

Personification of Devotion, Grace, Selfless Service and Unconditional Love For Krishna, RADHA !

Radhaji, Personification of Devotion, Grace, Selfless Service and Unconditional Love for Krishna.

Radhashtami is a very special and important festival.  On this day Shree Radharani appeared  in Barsana (U. P. India) . Radharani is the eternal consort of Shree Krishna. She appeared on the earth fifiteen days after Shree Krishna’s appearance in Mathura. She is the original and most loving form of Shakti, or the Divine Mother of the Universe. The festival falls on the eighth day of bright fortnight of  the Hindu month Bhaadra ( August-September).

Meaning Of  Radha:

Ved says,  कृष्णेन आराध्यते इति राधा I Radha is the one who is adored and worshiped by Shree Krishna Himself!!

Radharani is often reffered to as Shree Radharani, Radhika or Radhikarani. According to Upnishad, the one Supreme entity manifests in two forms to increase its bliss- Radha and Krishna. Shree Krishna is the source of all energies and Radharani is His Supreme Divine Energy, or Yogmaya.

In the Shreemad Bhagavatam there is only indirect mention of Radharani, as the Gopi who was most dear to Shree Krishna. It is explained that the speaker of Bhagavata, Shukdev Paramhans is an eternal associate of Radharani. He is so devoted to Her, that if he ever takes Her name he faints for six months. He had to relate the entire Bhagavatam to Parikshit in seven days. Therefore, he refferd to Her as the one Gopi who loved Shree Krishna the most.

Appearance of Radhaji:

Radharani’s appearance is very much similar to that of Mother Seeta. She was not actually born to Her parents. King Vrishbhanu, was a king of the cowherds in the land of Braj. One day, when he was bathing in a lake, he saw that a golden lotus with tremendous effulgence was floating and coming closer to him. When it came more closer he found a beautiful little girl with Divine effulgence on that lotus flower.

Vrishbhanu was filled with fatherly affection and brought the baby back home. When the king returned to the palace with the baby, Queen Kirtida was delighted. At that time Radharani’s eyes were closed, and She refused to open them. Vrishbhanu and Kirtikumari were very upset by knowing that their daughter, RADHAJI did not open her eyes even after one year of her appearance.She grew up in Her father Vrishbhanu’s home in Barsana. Afew years went by, and Vrishbhanu had a grand function, in which he invited the neighboring villages. Shree Krishna came along with His parents to the function. When He reached by the side of little Radha, She opened Her eyes for the first time, and saw Her Beloved Lord, for whose pleasure She had descended on the planet earth!!

Radhaji’s  bodily complexion defeats the beauty of gold. Her large and big eyes full of compassion, filled with grace and love, are just like the wide petal of pink lotus. Her Beloved Krishna has a blue hue and to keep Him always closer, She prefers to wear blue saree. She adorns herself with beautiful flowers and flower strings in Her braid to please Krishna.

Devotees pray to Her to Bless them with Divine Love for Shree Krishna. In Vrindavan, they sing kirtan:

                                                 Radhey Radhey! Shyam se mila de!

                                    “ O Radharani! Kindly help us meet Shree Krishna!”

Devotees pray to Radharani to grant them seva of Her Beloved Lord, knowing that if they can please Her, Lord Krishna will be pleased automatically. It is not only confusing to understand the glory of Goddess RADHAJI but also difficult to describe RADHAJI in one form or beauty.

Many temples follow the tradition of keeping Radharani’s feet covered all through the year. On Radhashtami, devotees especially have the auspicious darshan of Radharani’s Lotus-feet.

Radharani is the Goddess of Devotion, or Bhakti, and Her Love for Shree Krishna is the highest ideal of selfless devotion. The love and relationship between Lord Krishna and Radha is above all relations existing in the world. Their relationship describes love, sacrifice, togetherness, separation, innocence, playfulness, friendship and devotion. Radharani cannot be simply called as the Lover of Shree Krishna because Lord Krishna used to worship Radharani along with all his love and care. The love story of Radharani and Krishna is not only famous in the entire world but also read and heard as the holy story across the globe.

The love of  Radha for Krishna is beyond the human imaginations and heights, none in this world can even treasure their love in words or feelings because it is always less in comparison to her actual love and simplicity.

Nanda Gher Anand Bhayo, Jay Kanaiya Laal Ki!

Once, mother Earth, was unable to bear the burden of sins committed by evil kings and rulers, prayed  to God to free her,save her and protect her from the cruel tortures of demons. God assured her  that He would soon be born on earth to annihilate tyrannical forces.

One such evil force was Kansa, the ruler of Mathura  and his people were utterly terrified of him. On the day Kansa's sister Devaki was married off to Vasudeva, an akashvani or voice from the sky was heard prophesying that Devaki's eightth son would be the destroyer of Kansa.

The frightened Kansa immediately unsheathed his sword to kill his sister but Vasudeva, husband of Devaki, intervened and requested  Kansa to spare his bride, and promised to hand over every new born child to him. Kansa relented but imprisoned both Devaki and her husband Vasudeva.

When Devaki gave birth to her first child, Kansa came to the prison and cruely killed the newborn. Devaki and Vasudev cried a lot. But heartless Kansa could not understand their pains. On the birth of each child Kansa came to the prison and killed them. In this way, he killed the six newborns of Devaki. Even before their eighth child was born, Devaki and Vasudeva started lamenting its fate and theirs. 

On the Shravan vad ashtami right at midnight, the prison was filled  with a divine light! A small blue compexioned baby with so much curly hair and contagious smile on face, appeared and started crawling in front of Devaki and Vasudev. Both of them embraced Him and started pampering Him in many ways. But simultaneously they thought of Kansa and started shivering with fear.

Then suddenly Lord Vishnu appeared before them and said, God Himself has come to rescue them and the people of Mathura. He asked Vasudeva to carry the Divine child to the home of his friend, the cowherd chief Nanda in Gokula, where Nanda's wife Yashoda had given birth to a daughter. He was to exchange his boy and bring Yashoda's baby daughter back to the prison. Lord Vishnu assured them that "nothing shall bar your path".

Now Vasudev and Devaki had to act according to this divine order.They could not spend enough time with their own divine child! Keeping  the divine instructions, in a small basket they spread a cloth and put the Baby gently into it. Vasudeva clasped the child to his bosom and started for Gokula, but found that his legs were in chains. He jerked his legs and was unfettered! The massive iron-barred doors got unlocked and opened up. The soldiers who were keeping a watch outside the prison went off into a  deep sleep!

 Outside the prison the scene was not that simple. That was a dark night with torrential rain. Lightings were sparking with deep thunders! Vasudev reached to the shore of river Yamuna. He prayed to Yamuna Devi. Yamuna came to know that His Lord has appeared and she gave a way in between the water, so that Vasudev could move ahead easily. But Yamunaji could not resist to touch the Lotus-feet of her Lord and the level of water  started coming up. It reached to the neck of Vasudev. Now Baby Krishna took out His one foot out of the basket. Yamuna touched the foot and got overwhelmed. Baby Krishna told Yamuna that with so much of water His father is facing problems . So decrease the water level. Yamuna started flowing on very low level. 

While crossing river Yamuna, Vasudeva held his Baby high over his head. The rain fell in torrents. Vasudev thought that “I am covered with basket and the basket is working as an umbrella, but what about my child? He is right under the sky and facing the straight strokes of rain. He saw that for his satisfaction a malty-mouthed snake was following him from behind and providing shelter over the Baby!

 When Vasudeva reached Gokula, he found the door of Nanda's home opened! He exchanged the Babies and hurried back to the prison of Kansa with the Baby girl. Vasudeva came back to Mathura and as he entered, the soldiers awoke themselves,the doors of the prison closed themselves, the iron chains locked his legs again!!

When Kansa came to know about the birth, he rushed inside the prison and tried to kill the Baby but this time it skipped from his hand and flew skywards. She was transformed into the Goddess Yogamaya, who told Kansa: "O foolish! What will you get by killing me? Your nemesis is already born somewhere else."

Early in the morning, all the people at Gokula rejoiced the birth of Nanda and Yashoda’s beautiful male child!

Nanda Gher Anand Bhayo, Jay Kanaiya Laal Ki!!

Haathi Ghoda Paalakhi, Jay Kanaiya Laal Ki !!