Let’s accept it, we have all been brought up listening to the tales explaining the eternal love between Radha and Krishna and how both of them are incomplete without each other. But did you ever get to wonder, if both of them were so in love, then why didn’t they decide to get married? Why did Krishna choose to marry Rukmini and not Radha?
Well if you did ponder upon these thoughts but couldn’t find any answer to satisfy your curiosity, then this blog is here to help. Herein, we’ll discuss everything about Radha and Krishna and why they decided to not marry each other.
Who is Lord Krishna?
Lord Krishna was the 8th incarnation (avatar) of Lord Vishnu who appeared on earth to put an end to the evil demon-king Kansa and his reign of immortality. He was born to Devaki and Vasudeva but was brought up by Yashoda and Nanda
Krishna is one of the most adored deities in Hinduism and is famous for many of the mischievous deeds that he committed during his childhood and early teens. However, apart from his playful side, Krishna also undertook many responsibilities when it came to protecting his devotees from evil or mishappenings.
Who is Radha?
Radha is the symbol of love, compassion, and devotion but she’s famously known as the consort of Krishna. Although Krishna was always surrounded by gopis and is believed to have had many wives, Radha was the most dear to him. She was the one who accompanied Krishan in all his incarnations on earth. Every year, just around the birth of Lord Krishna (Janmashtami), the birthday of Radha is also celebrated as Radhashtami.
Why Radha and Krishna didn’t Marry Each Other?
The answer to this most-asked question is simple. Radha Krishna didn’t marry because they didn’t feel the need to. Surprised? Well, you should not be.
However, there’s more supporting this aspect which you can learn here:
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1. Radha Krishna Never Felt Tying Themselves in a Bond
Many believe that both Radha and Krishna never felt the need to marry each other in order to show or prove their love to the world. Well, this might look against the norms of Hindu mythology but if we thoughtfully ponder upon this, then two people actually don’t need to tie themselves in a bond and label themselves as husband-wife to stay together.
Krishna never cared if someone was his wife, friend, or other family member, he treated everyone with the same love and kindness.
On the other side, Radha was never meant to be his wife because what they both shared was above the materialistic expectations that are tied to the concept of marriage. They shared a sacred bond that was built purely out of love. And hence, there was no need to put a tag on their togetherness.
2. Both Radha and Rukmini Were Similar and Equal
This might come as a surprise to you, but honestly, it is a fact, and many priests in India believe it.
Goddess Lakshmi (the wife of Lord Vishnu) and Rukmini were born in the same Yuga. it is said that Rukmini is the manifestation of Shakti who was born in the home of King Bhishmaka of Vidharba.
When Kansa ordered Putna to kill the child of Vasudeva and Devaki i.e., Lord Krishna, she randomly started kidnapping kids and putting them at harm. During this time, she also kidnapped Rukamani unaware of the fact that the little girl was an avatar of Goddess Lakshmi.
However, while carrying Rukmini along, Putna could not bear her weight and hence abandoned her in Barsana and left away. Hereafter, Vrishabhanu, a common childless village man found Rukmini and decided to carry her along with him.
Later on, when King Vidharbha came searching for Rukmini, he encountered Radha carrying a lotus with conch shell marks on his palms. Radha was sent to Vidharabha and her original name, Rukmini was given back. She was brought up like a royal woman and later fell in love with Krishna and even ended up marrying him.
3. Radha Had to Marry Ayan
This is yet another reason why Krishna didn’t marry Radha.
Now if you’re wondering Who was Ayan, then here’s the story.
Ayan was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu who pondered and prayed for several years. Pleased by the devotion and faithfulness of Ayan, Lord Vishnu granted him a boon that he would get married to Lakshmi in his future incarnation.
Goddess Lakshmi was incarnated as Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavanti, and finally Radha.
Radha and Krishna were madly in love with each other, however, they were also well aware of the fact that Lakshmi’s incarnation as Radha was just to fulfill the previous wish of Ayan. Hence, regardless of her feelings for Krishna, she had to marry Ayan.
But here’s the twist!
Ayan, in his future incarnation, was born as a transgender. Although Radha married him, her heart was still tied to her forever love, Krishna.
But Ayan’s impotency always made him question Radha’s love for him following which he suspected her of having an extra-marital affair with someone. And hence, one day when he saw Radha heading toward the jungle to meet Krishna, he decided to follow her.
Krishna came to know about this incident and therefore to save Radha from the image of being a disloyal wife, he took the appearance of Goddess Kali. But while Ayan saw Radha worshipping Goddess Kali, Radha only saw Krishna.
Even today, in many regions of the country, the Krishnakali roop is still adored and worshipped by many. What’s important to know here is that Radha was the only incarnation of Lakshmi who was not married to Krishna. Rest all three incarnations i.e., Rukmini, Satyabhama, and Jambavanti were married off to Krishna.
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4. Krishna Never Returned After 10 Years of Age
There’s a small tale that goes behind this reason for Krishna not marrying Radha.
Once Krishna went to Yashoda Maiyya and told her about his wish of marrying Radha. However, Yashodha upfront rejected him, professing that Radha was five years older than him and was already engaged to some other guy.
But Krishna was stubborn and was not ready to listen to his mother. Seeing this situation, Nand took him to Guru Gargacharya and Sandipani. Both the Gurus also tried to convince him conveying that he had bigger purposes to serve in this life.
However, Krishna was very adamant and said that he never wished to be a defender of Dharma or become the savior of the earth.
Seeing Krishna’s behavior Guru Gargacharya revealed Krishna’s true version that was given by Devarishi Narada.
Krishna was shaken after learning his truth and headed towards the Govardhan mountain all sad and disappointed. Upon reaching here, he experienced inner peace and an inward transformation within him.
And hereafter he realized that this was all his time in Vrindavan and now he should leave. However, before leaving, he decided to plan a raas-leela for everyone.
While performing the Raas Leela, he saw Radha dancing all overjoyed and unaffected by anything and everything that was happening around her. Krishna knew what Radha was experiencing was beyond the typical bond of emotions. He pulled out his flute and gave it to Radha expressing how he only used to play the flute for her.
After this incident, Krishna left Vrindavan and never played the flute ever again in his life. Hence, Krishna leaving Vrindavan and never returning back is also considered one of the reasons why Krishna didn’t marry Radha.
5. Radha is Merely Considered an Imagination of Medieval Writers
Many people also believed that Radha did not exist. The reason is that there is no mention of Radha in any of the ancient scriptures be it in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, or Harivansham that were all written around the same period and comprehensively describe incidents from Krishna’s life.
It was only when Acharaya Nimbark and poet Jayadeva wrote about Radha that she appeared in the medieval scriptures. Other than this, there’s no reference to Radha in any of the historical or original scripture.
This makes the reason for Krishna not marrying Radha quite evident. They didn’t marry because Radha never existed in the first place.
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Takeaway
There are many different beliefs surrounding the reason why Krishna never married Radha. Some do present logical explanations while others sound quite illogical without any solid reasons backing them up. However, none of these reasons should be used to question or evaluate the bond of Radha and Krishna. If you truly believe in Krishna and his divine power, there’s no point in questioning his love. In the end, know that Krishna created everything and he’s the supreme power.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Q. Did Krishna love Radha or Rukmini?
A. Krishna loved both of them, but as we see it, Radha was dearer to Krishna than anyone. Many devotees also believe that Rukmini represented the human love of Krishna while Radha was his divine love.
Q. Was Radha happy with Ayan?
A. No, Radha was not quite happy with Ayan as she was completely in love with Krishna. He only married Ayan to fulfill his wish that was granted by Lord Vishnu.
Q. Why did Krishna marry Rukmini if he loved Radha?
A. Lord Krisha was the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu while Rukmini was the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu. Hence, ideally, Rukmini and Krishna were meant to get married and stay together. Although Krishna grew up spending most of his time with Radha, it was Rukmini to whom Krishna truly belonged to.
Q. Who is Krishna’s favorite wife?
A. Rukmini is ideally considered the favorite and primary wife of Lord Krishna. Next to him is Satyabhama, who is believed to be Krishna’s Satyabhama.
Q. Is it good to gift Krishna an idol?
A. Yes, gifting the Krishna idol is considered auspicious and is said to bring good fortune, prosperity, and happiness.
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