Gopis

Gopi (, ) or Gopika in Hinduism are commonly referred to the group of milkmaids of Braj. They are regarded 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 expansion of Radha, the chief consort of Krishna. The Raslila of gopis with Krishna has inspired various traditional performance art forms and literatures.

Gopi (, ) when used as a male name of Indian origin is a short form of the name Gopala Krishna, literally translates to "cow-protector Krishna" 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.

Etymology

Gopi (गोपी) is a Sanskrit word originating from the word Gopa. In Hinduism, the name ''Gopika'' or ''Gopi'' is especially used to refer the milkmaids of Braj region. The word Gopis in the plural refers to the group of cowherd women who possess devotion toward Krishna. When it is used in the singular ("Gopi"), it generally refers to Radha, who was the Krishna's favourite gopi.

Prominent gopis

The prominent ''gopis'' of Vrindavan are total 108 in numbers. They share the eternal intimate friendship with Radha Krishna. No one can equal or exceed the love they bear for the divine couple. Out of 108 gopis, the primary eight gopis are considered as the foremost of Krishna's devotees after goddess Radharani who is considered as the chief of gopis. Their names are as follows:
* Radha (Chief gopi, Krishna's favourite)
* Lalita
* Vishakha
* Champakalata
* Chitra
* Tungavidya
* Indulekha
* Rangadevi
* Sudevi
All the eight primary gopis are together called as the '' Ashtasakhis'' (eight friends) of Radha and Krishna.

Unconditional love

According to Hindu Vaishnava theology, the stories concerning the gopis are said to exemplify '' Suddha-bhakti'' which is described as 'the highest form of unconditional love for God (Krishna). Their spontaneous and unwavering devotion is described in depth in the later chapters of the Bhagavata Purana, within Krishna's Vrindavan pastimes and also in the stories of the sage Uddhava.

For Vaishnava traditions, the most important representation of the gopis' love and devotion for Krishna is a story in the Bhagavata Purana (10.29-33) by the name of ''Rasa Lila Panchadhyaya'', which translates as "the five chapters on the story of the rasa dance". The ''bhakti'' or devotion that the gopis express in this story is believed by the Chaitanya tradition to exemplify the highest form of ''bhakti''. In the story, Krishna's flute music attracts the gopis' attention, making them leave behind their families and homes so that they can enjoy devotion of Krishna:

Upon hearing that sweet music,

their passion for him swelling,

The young women of Braj whose

minds were captured by Krishna,

Unaware of one another,

ran off toward the place

Where their beloved was waiting,

with their earrings swinging wildly (Bhagavata Purana 10.29.4)

Gallery

File:The Gopis Plead with Krishna to Return Their Clothing Folio from a Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu) series. 1610 Metmuseum.jpg, 1610 painting of Krishna stealing clothes of Gopis
File:Bodleian Library Indian paintings MS. Douce Or. a.3 fol31r.jpg, Krishna and Gopis, 18th century watercolour in the Bodleian Library
File:India, Rajasthan, Jaipur, 19th century - Krishna and Gopis - 1946.359 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif, 19th century Rajasthan painting depicting Krishna and Gopis
File:Radha and Krishna by DHURANDHAR MV.jpg, Gopika Radha with Gopal Krishna, a 1915 painting
File:Krishna dances in the Raslila with the Gopis.jpg, Raslila of Krishna with Radha and gopis
File:Gopi Talab Dwarka during Dwaraka DWARASPDB 2015 (19).jpg, Gopi Talab dedicated to gopis in Dwarka

See also

* Ashtasakhi
* Raslila
*Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
* Gita Govinda
* Lalita Sakhi

References

External links

The Residents of Eternal VrindavanaSrimati Radharani and other Personalities

Shree Radha Raasbihiari Ashtasakhi Temple, Vrindavan

{{HinduMythology

People related to Krishna
Culture of Uttar Pradesh
Consorts of Krishna
Regional Hindu goddesses
Hindu given names