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Lalita Sakhi

Lalita (Sanskrit: ललिता, IAST: Lālitā), also commonly called Lalita Sakhi, is the Hindu goddess and one of the most prominent associates of the divine couple Radha Krishna.[1] In many Vaishnaite traditions and literatures, she is revered as the gopi (milkmaid) of the Braj region and is mentioned as the chief of Ashtasakhi, the eight closest eternal companion of Radha and Krishna.[2]

Lalita
Member of Ashtasakhi
Idol of Lalita Sakhi, one of the close associates of Radha Krishna at Shri Govardhan Parvat Temple, Anjar, Gujarat
Other namesLalita Gopi, Lalita Sakhi
Devanagariललिता
Sanskrit transliterationLālitā
Venerated inRadha Vallabh Sampradaya, Nimbarka Sampradaya, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Pushtimarg, Haridasi Sampradaya
Affiliation
AbodeGoloka, Unchagaon, Vrindavan
GenderFemale
RegionBraj region
TempleShri Lalita Sakhi Temple, Unchagaon
FestivalsLalita Saptami, Lathmar Holi, Sharad Purnima, Kartik Purnima
Genealogy
ConsortKrishna
DynastyYaduvamsha-Chandravamsha
Translations of
ललिता(Lālitā)
Sanskritललिता(Lālitā)
Bengaliললিতা (Lālitā)
Hindiललिता (Lālitā)
Kannadaಲಲಿತಾ (Lālitā)
Malayalamലളിത (Lālitā)
Marathiललिता (Lālitā)
Odiaଲଲିତା (Lālitā)
Teluguలలితా (Lālitā)
Gujaratiલલિતા (Lālitā)
Glossary of Hinduism terms

Lalita is considered as the expansion of Radha and the consort of Krishna.[3][4] Unchagaon, near Barsana, is considered as the birthplace of Lalita in Dvapara Yuga while Goloka is mentioned as her spiritual abode.[5] Her birth anniversary is celebrated annually on the occasion of Lalita Saptami in Braj, which falls one day before the festival of Radhashtami.[6]

Life and legends

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Lalita is revered as the eldest gopi among Ashtasakhi and is described as 27 days older than goddess Radha. Lalita was born to her parents, Visoka (father) and Saradi (mother) in Unchagaon, near Barsana.[7][8]

According to the scriptures, it is the duty of the Lalita to arrange the meetings and different pastimes of Radha and Krishna smoothly in Dvapara Yuga. She was the integral part of many pastimes of the divine couple including Raslila, Radha Krishna Vivah lila and Lathmar Holi.[9]

According to Brahma Vaivarta Purana and Garga Samhita, when Krishna left Vrindavan, all the Ashtasakhi, headed by Lalita left their villages and accompany Radha to Kadli forest.[10][11]

Once the 100 years of separation period was over for Radha Krishna, Krishna came back to Braj and met all the Ashtasakhi and Radha in the Kadli forest. There Krishna summoned a huge divine chariot and took Radha, all the gopis including Lalita and residents of Braj back to their celestial abode Goloka.[12][13]

Literature and symbolism

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Lalita gopi was mentioned within multiple Vaishnavism scriptures. In some scriptures, she was mentioned as the gopi or chief of Ashtasakhi while in others, she is described as the closest associate of Radha Krishna. Some of the common scriptures with her mention are - Garga Samhita,[14] Padma Purana,[15] Narad Purana[16] and Brahma Vaivarta Purana.[17]

In Shaktism, Lalita gopi and other Ashtasakhi are considered as the embodiment of the Ashta Siddhis which are – Aṇimā, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prāpti, Prākāmya, Iṣiṭva, and Vaśitva.[18]

Worship

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Lalita gopi is worshiped in many traditions including – Radha Vallabh Sampradaya, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Nimbarka Sampradaya, Pushtimarga Sampradaya, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat and Haridasi Sampradaya.[19][20][21]

Hymns

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Temples

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Ashtasakhi with Radha Krishna at Sri Radha Rasbihari Ashtasakhi Temple, Vrindavan

The main temple of Lalita is situated in her birth place, where she is worshiped with Krishna as his consort. The temple is called Shri Lalita Sakhi temple, Unchagaon.[5] She is also venerated in other temples including Shri Radha Madan Mohan Temple, Vrindavan, Shri Radha Rasbihari Ashtasakhi Temple in Vrindavan and Shri Radha Madan Mohan Temple, Karauli, Shri Ashtasakhi temple, Barsana.[22]

Incarnation

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In Kaliyuga, Swami Haridas, the popular saint and musician of Vrindavan is said to be the incarnation of Lalita. He manifested the idol of Banke Bihari in Nidhivan, Vrindavan.[23][24][25]

Adaptation

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In popular culture, Lalita Sakhi is portrayed by artists in TV series.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Callewaert, Winand M.; Snell, Rupert (1994). According to Tradition: Hagiographical Writing in India. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. pp. 59–62. ISBN 978-3-447-03524-8.
  2. ^ Vemsani, Lavanya (13 June 2016). Krishna in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Hindu Lord of Many Names: An Encyclopedia of the Hindu Lord of Many Names. ABC-CLIO. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-61069-211-3.
  3. ^ Jestice, Phyllis G. (2004). Holy People of the World: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 316–317. ISBN 978-1-57607-355-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  4. ^ Hawley, John Stratton (1992). At Play with Krishna: Pilgrimage Dramas from Brindavan. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 17. ISBN 978-81-208-0945-1. Radha expresses herself in the multiple forms of gopis
  5. ^ a b "Unchagaon". iskcondesiretree.com. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Lalita Saptami | Lalita Saptami 2024 Date | Tuesday, 10 September 2024". BhaktiBharat.com. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Lalita Sakhi". vcm.org.in. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Uncha Gaon – Lalita Sakhi's Village". Braj Ras – Bliss of Braj Vrindavan. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  9. ^ Fahy, John (23 July 2018). "The Constructive Ambiguity of Vedic Culture in ISKCON Mayapur". The Journal of Hindu Studies. 11 (3): 234–259. doi:10.1093/jhs/hiy008. ISSN 1756-4255.
  10. ^ "गर्ग संहिता पृ. 347". hi.krishnakosh.org (in Hindi). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  11. ^ "ब्रह्म वैवर्त पुराण पृ. 898". hi.krishnakosh.org (in Hindi). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  12. ^ "गर्ग संहिता पृ. 827". hi.krishnakosh.org (in Hindi). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  13. ^ "ब्रह्म वैवर्त पुराण पृ. 976". hi.krishnakosh.org (in Hindi). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  14. ^ Gita Press Gorakhpur. Garga Samhita Gita Press Gorakhpur. pp. 99–100.
  15. ^ Gita Press. Padma Purana – Gita Press. p. 554.
  16. ^ Gita Press Gorakhpur. Narada Puran. p. 517.
  17. ^ Brahma Vaivarta Purana – English Translation – All Four Kandas. 1 January 2003. pp. 248, 673, 728.
  18. ^ "Tantra and some Śaiva Thinkers", An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, Bloomsbury Academic, 2015, doi:10.5040/9781474243063.0022, ISBN 978-1-4725-2476-8, retrieved 6 July 2023
  19. ^ Bachrach, Emilia (14 May 2014). Reading the medieval in the modern : the living tradition of hagiography in the Vallabh sect of contemporary Gujarat (Thesis thesis).
  20. ^ Goel, Swati (28 September 2016). "Political and Merchant Devotees : Multiple facets of pilgrimage to the medieval region of Braj (16th and 17th centuries)". International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage. 4 (6). doi:10.21427/D7NQ6M. ISSN 2009-7379.
  21. ^ Gosvāmī, Hita Harivaṃśa; Snell, Rupert (1991). The Eighty-four Hymns of Hita Harivaṃśa: An Edition of the Caurāsī Pada. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-0629-0.
  22. ^ "Ashtasakhi Temple, Barsana". Braj Ras – Bliss of Braj Vrindavan. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Unchagaon". iskcondesiretree.com. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  24. ^ "Sri Lalita Sakhi". iskcondesiretree.com. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  25. ^ The Color Guide to Vr̥ndāvana: India's Most Holy City of Over 5,000 Temples. Vedanta Vision Publication. 2000.

Further reading

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