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Finding Radha: The Quest for Love
Who was Radha, and why has she captured the imagination of so many writers across centuries? No other goddess combines the elements of bhakti and shringara quite as exquisitely as the divine milkmaid. She spans a vivid rainbow of imagery-from the playfulness of the Ras Lila to the soulfulness of her undying love, from the mystic allure of her depictions in poetry, art and sculpture to her enduring legacy in Vrindavan. In a way that sets her apart from other female consorts, Radha is idealized and dreamed of in a way that is almost more elemental than mythical.Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal, who brought us In Search of Revisiting Mythology, now present an anthology on the mysterious Radha, the epitome of love, who defies all conventional codes yet transcends social prohibitions through the power of the spiritual and the sensual, the sacred and the erotic. Finding Radha is the first of its a collection of poetry, prose and translation that enter the historical as well as the artistic dimensions of the eternal romance of Radha and Krishna.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 15, 2020
This book is a beautiful concept brought to fruition. Focusing on Radha, it compiles a series of articles, stories and songs, tracing the historicity, relevancy and the legacy of Radha in present day India.
Never mentioned in the Mahabharat, the Bhagavat Purana and the leading puranic texts of its time. The authenticity of Radha has been constantly questioned. What was the necessity to come up with a consort as enigmatic as Radha? What does she add to the legend of Krishna? Were the adulterous intonations socially acceptable, and what does it signify?
The book comes up with several point of views, authored by people hailing from varied fields, it's an intriguing read. Be it a leading indologist, a Vaishnava philosopher, an art scholar or even a filmmaker, everyone has their personal take on the lovelorn milkmaid from Vrindavan.
A separate section dedicated entirely to songs of Radha was a very thoughtful addition. A section that includes translations from Vidyapati, Jayadeva's Geeta Govinda, Chandidas, Andal and even Rabindranath Tagore and his Bhanusingher Padabali.
My favourite inclusions from the book are :
a) The two introductions by the editors of the book, Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal.
b) Radha : Beloved of the Blue God by Bulbul Sharma
c) Enjoying God : The Divine Paramour by Makarand Paranjap (My favourite/strongest article of the book)
d) The Heart-throb of Chaitanya by Harsha V.Dehejia
e) Radhe Radhe by Madhureeta Anand (A powerful yet feel good article)
f) The Blue Necked God by Indira Goswami
g) A Flute Called Radha by Debotri Dhar (An incredible and poignant short story)
h) Raikamal (An abridged translation of the Tarashankar Bandopadhyay novel of the same name)
With that, the book did slow down at times with articles either bordering on boredom (Gita Govinda : Illustrated Manuscripts from Rajasthan by Kapila Vatsayan) or completely failing to achieve its desired points (Radha in Bollywood Cinema by Alka Kurian; Sita and Radha : From Human to Divine, etc.)
The book would have been much much smoother without them. However all in all, it's an enriching experience, enough to nudge you towards the cult of Radha. Either that or it can just provide an informative past time to a causal reader.
Will recommend.
3 Stars 💫
Never mentioned in the Mahabharat, the Bhagavat Purana and the leading puranic texts of its time. The authenticity of Radha has been constantly questioned. What was the necessity to come up with a consort as enigmatic as Radha? What does she add to the legend of Krishna? Were the adulterous intonations socially acceptable, and what does it signify?
The book comes up with several point of views, authored by people hailing from varied fields, it's an intriguing read. Be it a leading indologist, a Vaishnava philosopher, an art scholar or even a filmmaker, everyone has their personal take on the lovelorn milkmaid from Vrindavan.
A separate section dedicated entirely to songs of Radha was a very thoughtful addition. A section that includes translations from Vidyapati, Jayadeva's Geeta Govinda, Chandidas, Andal and even Rabindranath Tagore and his Bhanusingher Padabali.
My favourite inclusions from the book are :
a) The two introductions by the editors of the book, Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal.
b) Radha : Beloved of the Blue God by Bulbul Sharma
c) Enjoying God : The Divine Paramour by Makarand Paranjap (My favourite/strongest article of the book)
d) The Heart-throb of Chaitanya by Harsha V.Dehejia
e) Radhe Radhe by Madhureeta Anand (A powerful yet feel good article)
f) The Blue Necked God by Indira Goswami
g) A Flute Called Radha by Debotri Dhar (An incredible and poignant short story)
h) Raikamal (An abridged translation of the Tarashankar Bandopadhyay novel of the same name)
With that, the book did slow down at times with articles either bordering on boredom (Gita Govinda : Illustrated Manuscripts from Rajasthan by Kapila Vatsayan) or completely failing to achieve its desired points (Radha in Bollywood Cinema by Alka Kurian; Sita and Radha : From Human to Divine, etc.)
The book would have been much much smoother without them. However all in all, it's an enriching experience, enough to nudge you towards the cult of Radha. Either that or it can just provide an informative past time to a causal reader.
Will recommend.
3 Stars 💫
September 15, 2020
This book is a beautiful concept brought to fruition. Focusing on Radha, it compiles a series of articles, stories and songs, tracing the historicity, relevancy and the legacy of Radha in present day India.
Never mentioned in the Mahabharat, the Bhagavat Purana and the leading puranic texts of its time. The authenticity of Radha has been constantly questioned. What was the necessity to come up with a consort as enigmatic as Radha? What does she add to the legend of Krishna? Were the adulterous intonations socially acceptable, and what does it signify?
The book comes up with several point of views, authored by people hailing from varied fields, it's an intriguing read. Be it a leading indologist, a Vaishnava philosopher, an art scholar or even a filmmaker, everyone has their personal take on the lovelorn milkmaid from Vrindavan.
A separate section dedicated entirely to songs of Radha was a very thoughtful addition. A section that includes translations from Vidyapati, Jayadeva's Geeta Govinda, Chandidas, Andal and even Rabindranath Tagore and his Bhanusingher Padabali.
My favourite inclusions from the book are :
a) The two introductions by the editors of the book, Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal.
b) Radha : Beloved of the Blue God by Bulbul Sharma
c) Enjoying God : The Divine Paramour by Makarand Paranjap (My favourite/strongest article of the book)
d) The Heart-throb of Chaitanya by Harsha V.Dehejia
e) Radhe Radhe by Madhureeta Anand (A powerful yet feel good article)
f) The Blue Necked God by Indira Goswami
g) A Flute Called Radha by Debotri Dhar (An incredible and poignant short story)
h) Raikamal (An abridged translation of the Tarashankar Bandopadhyay novel of the same name)
With that, the book did slow down at times with articles either bordering on boredom (Gita Govinda : Illustrated Manuscripts from Rajasthan by Kapila Vatsayan) or completely failing to achieve its desired points (Radha in Bollywood Cinema by Alka Kurian; Sita and Radha : From Human to Divine, etc.)
The book would have been much much smoother without them. However all in all, it's an enriching experience, enough to nudge you towards the cult of Radha. Either that or it can just provide an informative past time to a causal reader.
Will recommend.
3 Stars 💫
Never mentioned in the Mahabharat, the Bhagavat Purana and the leading puranic texts of its time. The authenticity of Radha has been constantly questioned. What was the necessity to come up with a consort as enigmatic as Radha? What does she add to the legend of Krishna? Were the adulterous intonations socially acceptable, and what does it signify?
The book comes up with several point of views, authored by people hailing from varied fields, it's an intriguing read. Be it a leading indologist, a Vaishnava philosopher, an art scholar or even a filmmaker, everyone has their personal take on the lovelorn milkmaid from Vrindavan.
A separate section dedicated entirely to songs of Radha was a very thoughtful addition. A section that includes translations from Vidyapati, Jayadeva's Geeta Govinda, Chandidas, Andal and even Rabindranath Tagore and his Bhanusingher Padabali.
My favourite inclusions from the book are :
a) The two introductions by the editors of the book, Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal.
b) Radha : Beloved of the Blue God by Bulbul Sharma
c) Enjoying God : The Divine Paramour by Makarand Paranjap (My favourite/strongest article of the book)
d) The Heart-throb of Chaitanya by Harsha V.Dehejia
e) Radhe Radhe by Madhureeta Anand (A powerful yet feel good article)
f) The Blue Necked God by Indira Goswami
g) A Flute Called Radha by Debotri Dhar (An incredible and poignant short story)
h) Raikamal (An abridged translation of the Tarashankar Bandopadhyay novel of the same name)
With that, the book did slow down at times with articles either bordering on boredom (Gita Govinda : Illustrated Manuscripts from Rajasthan by Kapila Vatsayan) or completely failing to achieve its desired points (Radha in Bollywood Cinema by Alka Kurian; Sita and Radha : From Human to Divine, etc.)
The book would have been much much smoother without them. However all in all, it's an enriching experience, enough to nudge you towards the cult of Radha. Either that or it can just provide an informative past time to a causal reader.
Will recommend.
3 Stars 💫
December 17, 2019
"Finding Radha" was an interesting anthology of essays revolving around the cult of Radha and its evolution in India. Radha is a character that the Mahabharata is silent on. Just like Krishna's childhood pranks, she makes an appearance only much later. However, the single person who catapults her to national imagination was Jayadeva through his Ashtapadi! The pining lover, the Rasa addicted damsel, the dancer and all of our concepts of Radha owe a lot to Jayadeva's verses.
The book informed me of all this and much more...
The book informed me of all this and much more...
February 12, 2024
The concept of this book is good but the writing doesn't hold onto you. I'm a great fan of mythological books especially Hindu gods stories but this one was a miss for me.
April 24, 2021
'What is undoubtedly surprising is that both Sita and Radha are worshipped with their male consorts and never alone, no matter that they are goddesses. There is no temple that I know of dedicated to either of them wherethey are worshipped in their own right. Female Dependency holds as true for goddesses as for ordinary women.'
Radha - what do you know about her? Do you know her birthplace? Her parents? Do you know she was older than Krishna and was already married to someone? You don't, right? Neither did I.
Finding Radha is a collection of numerous short essays about defining the origin, character and life of 'Radha'.
Sita maa is always portrayed as the ideal wife who sacrificed everything for her husband. But where do we put Radha? If you think about it, she was very well Lord Krishna's girlfriend, wasn't she? Plus, she was already married and much older than Krishna. But she is still worshipped by people. By the same people who are against 'love'.
This book subtly challenges various notions of our society - cross dressing between genders, love before marriage, sensuality of women, etc and provides such a fresh perspective towards portrayal of Radha❤
Even though the book does have beautiful snippets of Radha-Krishna's love life, it isn't a mythological fiction at all! It has lots of mentions of Indian writers and their works of Radha - some of which seemed a bit monotonous and I had to skip those pages. But I would still recommend this book to all because of the fresh viewpoints it puts forth❤
Radha - what do you know about her? Do you know her birthplace? Her parents? Do you know she was older than Krishna and was already married to someone? You don't, right? Neither did I.
Finding Radha is a collection of numerous short essays about defining the origin, character and life of 'Radha'.
Sita maa is always portrayed as the ideal wife who sacrificed everything for her husband. But where do we put Radha? If you think about it, she was very well Lord Krishna's girlfriend, wasn't she? Plus, she was already married and much older than Krishna. But she is still worshipped by people. By the same people who are against 'love'.
This book subtly challenges various notions of our society - cross dressing between genders, love before marriage, sensuality of women, etc and provides such a fresh perspective towards portrayal of Radha❤
Even though the book does have beautiful snippets of Radha-Krishna's love life, it isn't a mythological fiction at all! It has lots of mentions of Indian writers and their works of Radha - some of which seemed a bit monotonous and I had to skip those pages. But I would still recommend this book to all because of the fresh viewpoints it puts forth❤
May 17, 2019
The book is an anthology, but with essays from various writers, authors and poets of how they view the enigmatic Radha. Radha makes an intriguing character with her absolute absence from the main Purana dedicated to Krishna, Bhagavata Puran. Not even once is Radha mentioned in the Bhagavata, making her quite an intriguing character.
The book delves deeper into the complexity of her character; some recognise her as an incarnation of Lakshmi, some see her as an adulterous housewife and some as a mere milkmaid who was so hopelessly in love with the raincloud hued God that the existence of 'I' and 'Me' ceased to exist for her; only 'Him' and 'His' existed.
Radha and Krishna are worshipped as the divine lovers all over India. This book delves deeper into Radha and her quintessence in Krishna's life, her devotion, her sacrifice, her love. It also gives a vivifying account of her brief mention in other Puranas and most importantly, the Geeta Govinda by Jayadeva.
I personally loved this book since I came to know some things I had no clue of before. However, the book did seem stretched at quite a few places. Overall, it was a wonderful read.
The book delves deeper into the complexity of her character; some recognise her as an incarnation of Lakshmi, some see her as an adulterous housewife and some as a mere milkmaid who was so hopelessly in love with the raincloud hued God that the existence of 'I' and 'Me' ceased to exist for her; only 'Him' and 'His' existed.
Radha and Krishna are worshipped as the divine lovers all over India. This book delves deeper into Radha and her quintessence in Krishna's life, her devotion, her sacrifice, her love. It also gives a vivifying account of her brief mention in other Puranas and most importantly, the Geeta Govinda by Jayadeva.
I personally loved this book since I came to know some things I had no clue of before. However, the book did seem stretched at quite a few places. Overall, it was a wonderful read.
July 21, 2024
"I was born in the darkest ignorance,
And my spiritual master opened my eyes with the thought of knowledge"
"Finding Radha: The Quest for Love" edited by Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal is a collection of
essays which explore the multi dimension character of Radha, the beloved of Krishna.
As this book caught my attention, I realised that almost nothing is known about the Radha's origin.
Radha was born in Mathura which is said to be her birthplace.
Radha and Krishna are the divine lovers and their love is respected and worshipped even after centuries. The book also covers a section dedicated to songs of Radha. There are various chapters and I particularly loved the Radhe Radhe and The Blue Necked God.
Another chapter which I loved is "Sita and Radha: from Human to Divine." Both the woman are mortals elevated to goddesses. They both are believed to be incarnations of Lakshmi and are also remembered for their devotion towards their beloved. Although their stories differ but their selfless dedication and devotion is heartfelt.
The book also reflects Radha's relevance in modern times and her story inspires even today. Radha presents a complex and dynamic figure who embodies the eternal quest for love and union.
Krishna and Radha are the most beloved Hindu Gods and if you are keen to experience, visit Mathura, Vrindavan and you will experience energy like never before.
Readers gain a deeper understanding of Radha's significance as they go through this book.
And my spiritual master opened my eyes with the thought of knowledge"
"Finding Radha: The Quest for Love" edited by Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal is a collection of
essays which explore the multi dimension character of Radha, the beloved of Krishna.
As this book caught my attention, I realised that almost nothing is known about the Radha's origin.
Radha was born in Mathura which is said to be her birthplace.
Radha and Krishna are the divine lovers and their love is respected and worshipped even after centuries. The book also covers a section dedicated to songs of Radha. There are various chapters and I particularly loved the Radhe Radhe and The Blue Necked God.
Another chapter which I loved is "Sita and Radha: from Human to Divine." Both the woman are mortals elevated to goddesses. They both are believed to be incarnations of Lakshmi and are also remembered for their devotion towards their beloved. Although their stories differ but their selfless dedication and devotion is heartfelt.
The book also reflects Radha's relevance in modern times and her story inspires even today. Radha presents a complex and dynamic figure who embodies the eternal quest for love and union.
Krishna and Radha are the most beloved Hindu Gods and if you are keen to experience, visit Mathura, Vrindavan and you will experience energy like never before.
Readers gain a deeper understanding of Radha's significance as they go through this book.
July 30, 2023
•Fabulous Read• 3.5/5
"I was born in the darkest ignorance,
And my spiritual master opened my eyes with the thought of knowledge"
A book not for everyone. However, if you have an open-mind to accept your own culture with its variety and sensuality. Then this is for you.
Some chapters did catch me sleepy. However, overall the book kept me hooked to the point, I was smiling, giggling, and sobbing with Radhe.
I marked multiple quotes, and feelings across the book, even small meanings that did not understand. But, this last few verses will be etched in my mind.
"I Imagine myself
in place of Arjuna
and my heart fills with desire
and I don't know which war it is
and whose side I am on
and what the problem is
and what the fight is about
but my heart is filled with desire
because I dearly love the way
you explain it to me . . .
and the warring armies are motionless
and history stands still
and you are explaining to me . . .
Karma, swadharma, judgement, obligation . . .
But by the the time they reach me
their meaning has changed
and I only hear
Radha, Radha, Radha . . .
...
Words are countless..
But they only have one sign, one meaning
Only me!
Then how will you explain
history to me
with those words?
~Dharamvir Bharati (Translation: Alok Bhalla)
Overall, 3.5/5 except for few chapters, specially the bollywood one🤢, everything seemed good.
Besides, I never liked Bollywood's representation of anything.
"I was born in the darkest ignorance,
And my spiritual master opened my eyes with the thought of knowledge"
A book not for everyone. However, if you have an open-mind to accept your own culture with its variety and sensuality. Then this is for you.
Some chapters did catch me sleepy. However, overall the book kept me hooked to the point, I was smiling, giggling, and sobbing with Radhe.
I marked multiple quotes, and feelings across the book, even small meanings that did not understand. But, this last few verses will be etched in my mind.
"I Imagine myself
in place of Arjuna
and my heart fills with desire
and I don't know which war it is
and whose side I am on
and what the problem is
and what the fight is about
but my heart is filled with desire
because I dearly love the way
you explain it to me . . .
and the warring armies are motionless
and history stands still
and you are explaining to me . . .
Karma, swadharma, judgement, obligation . . .
But by the the time they reach me
their meaning has changed
and I only hear
Radha, Radha, Radha . . .
...
Words are countless..
But they only have one sign, one meaning
Only me!
Then how will you explain
history to me
with those words?
~Dharamvir Bharati (Translation: Alok Bhalla)
Overall, 3.5/5 except for few chapters, specially the bollywood one🤢, everything seemed good.
Besides, I never liked Bollywood's representation of anything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2020
Love is Superior:)
I found this book as a feel good type of book ..well researched information gathered in a perfect manner and to me it seems quite perfect and the prose and poems and the stories the whole concept just touched my heart.
I found this book as a feel good type of book ..well researched information gathered in a perfect manner and to me it seems quite perfect and the prose and poems and the stories the whole concept just touched my heart.
February 6, 2020
Amazing book for anyone with interest in mythology. It tells one all about Radha and how she can be totally fictitious.
November 17, 2021
This book broke me💔
January 16, 2024
Perspective
July 5, 2024
A collection of works on Radha basically https://www.anuradhagoyal.com/finding...
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews