On the one hand, Radha is seen as Krishna's lover-consort (although in some beliefs Radha is considered to be Krishna's married consort).
On the other hand, Rukmini and Krishna's many other consorts are already said to be married to him.
PolygynistLord Krishna had eight chief wives, known as ashtabharyas. Regional texts vary in the identity of Krishna's wives (consorts), some presenting them as Rukmini, some as Radha, all gopis ("milkmaids"), and some identifying all as different aspects or manifestations of the goddess Lakshmi [8, 9].
(Neo Dharmism) Colonialism rewrote Hinduism [all of the traditions found along the Indus balled up and turned into a "religion" by the British, having also been systematized and more or less unified byAdi Shankara-acharya]: Here's what European scholars erased
"Hinduism" (which calls itself the Sanātana Dharma or "Eternal Truth") traces its roots back thousands of years to Brahmanism (the tradition of the educated Brahmin priestly caste) and the Old Vedic Religion derived from the Vedas.
Kuladevata (Sanskrit कुलदेवता, Romanized Kuladevatā, lit. "clan deity," a minor god or goddess) [1], also known as a kuladaivaṃ (Malayalam കുലദൈവം, Telugu కులదైవం) [2], an ancestral "tutelary deity" in Hinduism and Jainism [3].
Such a deity (devi, deva, devata) is often the object of one's spiritual devotion (bhakti) and is coaxed to watch over one's clan (kula), lineage (gotra), family, and children to protect them from misfortune.
This is distinct from an ishta-devata ("personal tutelar") and a grāma-devatā ("village deities") [4].
A male deity is called a kula-deva and female deity kula-devi (sometimes spelled kuldev or kuldevi respectively, particularly since Hindi drops many of the a's overly used in Sanskrit) [5].
ETYMOLOGY: The word kuladevata is derived from two words, kula, meaning "clan," and devata, meaning "deity," referring to the ancestral deities that are worshipped by particular clans [6]. More
I visited Radha Krishna Temple for the first time in Korea 🇰🇷
(Michelle the Korean CEO) Oct. 12, 2025: SOUTH KOREA. I'm a hot CEO in Korea. 🌼
For my next India trip, my dear RCBian Hindu friend @jayakar_kundapura and I celebrated India’s Independence Day at a Hindu temple in Korea 🇮🇳🇰🇷. It was a peaceful and heart-warming experience. We also had lots of deep and fun conversations about Hinduism, Indian culture, and RCB ❤️ Thank you macha ☺️🙏
#rcb #rcbian #rcbfans #rcbforever #teamindia #india #hindu #krishna #radhakrishna #iskon #korea #korean #koreangirl #koreanceo #koreavlog #koreatravel #koreatrip
(Crecganford) Venus (Aphrodite, Inanna, Astarte...[maybe even to Radha, Saraswati, and Vishnu) is one of the oldest and most beloved deities of all time.
Syncretism
From her earliest beginnings arising from the communities of Neolithic farmers to her evolution into the ancient Greek Goddess Aphrodite, to her eventual worship as the Roman Goddess Venus, this video goes on a journey through time and across cultures.
Podcast: ► Spotify: open.spotify.com/show... Social media:
► Twitter: crecganford
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► Facebook Fan Page: crecganford
Patreon:
► crecganford. Contact:
► Send mail to: hello@crecganford.com
► Business enquires: biz@crecganford.com (for business inquiries ONLY).
References
Allegory: Cupid, Mars, Time, Venus (Guernica)
Black, Jeremy and Green, Anthony. 1992. Gods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia. British Museum Press.
Puhvel, Jaan. 1989. Comparative Mythology. John Hopkins University Press.
Siri Mata-ji (larathayatra.com); Eds., Wisdom Quarterly COMMENTARY
Krishna, the all-attractive "Dark One," has a thing for the human beauty, Radha.
.
It was a very strange meeting of minds at the annual "Festival of the Chariots" on the Venice Beach Boardwalk.
The morning began with KPFK (90.7 FM) playing Alan Watts on the topic of the Bhavagad Gita, devotional-Hinduism "Song of the Lord."
Alan Watts explains the Bhagavad Gita or"The Song of the Lord"
It's a world-famous text that attempts to tell an unbelievable story about how "God" on Earth, Lord Krishna (the "Dark One") argues with Arjuna (the best of men) to kill.
Hare Krishna vegetarians party on the beach
Arjuna doesn't want to kill, particularly not his friends an relatives. But Krishna insists it's the right thing to do.
It must be some kind of metaphor. Surely, it's a metaphor. It can't be literal. No religious text would tell its devotees to KILL or that it's right to kill as long as you're "just doing your job," aka social "duty" (innate obligation under the Vedas' strict caste system) and obeying the Lord.
It turns out it does. These mainly white Hare Krishna converts each said they would kill if God told them to. They weren't kidding. They urged me to kill if instructed. I said, "You must be out of your mind." It's like the satirical Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys opening that song from Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables with the line, "God told me to skin you alive."
Krishna and Krist are pro-gun?
We think of conservative, Republican, gun-toting Jesus freaks eager for war with Russia -- or whomever the Pentagon is designating as the enemy of the moment, which as in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, changes from time to time. Sometimes we're told to hate/fear the communists of China, other times the Muslims of the Middle East, or the Ruskies or the liberals or the Satanists or the unpatriotic or, worst of all, those damned Unbelievers.
(Airplane!) Americans were once sick to the bloody teeth of Hare Krishna cult
It's good we get along, but our followers? Oy vey
No wonder India gets so much "communal violence," which is when Hindu mobs practice ahimsa (non-violence) to the utmost -- murdering Muslims, Christians, members of other castes or creeds or ethnicities -- because they, as the majority, are whipped up into believing the "other" is harming their interests. Indian Prime Minister Modi is accused of inciting ethnic violence and getting tens of thousands murdered to promote himself and his political party, the BJP, and Indian patriotism above all.
At no time did Alan Watts say the central dialogue between the Lord (a kind of "all-attractive" Krist figure) and the ideal man Arjuna was a metaphor. And everyone to a man today said, "It's not a metaphor. It's literally true. I would kill if God (Krishna) told me to."
Expect someone to come down from space ("heaven") and tell the Indians it's time to kill those darn, pesky, Muslim Pakistanis...and they'll do it with Christian Crusader gusto, "Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition." Un be liev a ble. So much for only being a cult aggressively panhandling for cash donations, ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna CONsciousness) is so much more and eventually will be a willing arm of the Indian Army.
The Hare Krishna devotional cult lives on in LA
Send hate mail and threats of communal violence to Wisdom Quarterly care of Editor Ashley Wells, through the comments section. Or if someone has another, less literal, take on the true meaning of the Advice to Arjuna in the Gita, we'd love to hear it. Here is Alan Watts' explanation as the interpreter of Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism, Zen, and Taoism for the West.
"The Song of the Lord" as metaphor
Wiki Bhagavad Gita edited by Wisdom Quarterly
God on earth (blue-black Krishna) tells Arjuna to fight and kill because it's "right" to do so.
These are all incarnations (avatars) of the Sustainer Lord Vishnu in Hinduism (South Park).
.
If God says so, maybe we should kill? - No, guys.
Summarizing [Hinduism's] Upanishadic conceptions of God, the Gita ("The Song by God") posits the existence of a lower self (atman) and a higher GOD self (Brahman) within each individual [Note 1].
The dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Krishna his charioteer has been interpreted as a metaphor for an immortal dialogue between the human self and God [Note 2].
Commentators of Vedanta (the "best of the Vedas") read varying notions in the Bhagavad Gita about the relationship between the atman (individual Self) and Brahman (universal Self):
Advaita Vedanta affirms the non-dualism of Atman and Brahman [7], Vishisht-advaita asserts qualified non-dualism with Atman and Brahman being related but different in certain respects, while Dvaita Vedanta declares the complete duality of atman and Brahman [Note 3][6][8].
As per Hindu mythology, the Bhagavad Gita was written by the god Ganesha, as told to him by the sage Veda Vyasa.
The Bhagavad Gita presents a synthesis [9][10] of various Hindu ideas about dharma (social duty or innate obligation) [9][10][11], theistic devotion (bhakti) [11][12], and the yogic ideal [10] of liberation (moksha) [10].
The text covers Knowledge, Devotion, Action, and Royal (Jñāna, Bhakti, Karma, and Rāja) Yogas [12], while incorporating ideas from the Samkhya-Yoga philosophy [Web 1][Note 4].
The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered Hindu texts [13] and has a unique pan-Hindu influence [14][15]. Numerous commentaries have been written on the Bhagavad Gita with differing views on its essentials. More
The annual "Festival of Chariots" in L.A.
The vast majority of the Festival will be on the Venice Beach Boardwalk.
Travel to India while staying in the U.S. at the 47th Annual Los Angeles Ratha Yatra or "Festival of the Chariots."
On the first Sunday in August, three deities (Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra) take their annual trip, or Yatra, on three 40-foot-tall chariots down Main Street in Santa Monica and onto the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk.
The Ratha Yatra Festival includes a colorful Indian parade in addition to a festival at the Venice Beach Windward Plaza, featuring cultural performances, a FREE feast, kirtan (spiritual chanting), food stalls, and Indian gifts.
It's FREE (donations welcome) and a vegan/vegetarian potluck, with chanting led by a yogini and guest. Every activity is optional. Participate in as much or as little as is comfortable and fun. No religion or belief system necessary. Bring a Trump-loving MAGA cousin if so moved.
Reminder: Bring a gift, monetary or a new toy donation, for families in need. Gifts will be collected and given to charity.
We want to wrap everyone in our great heart of practice -- ahimsa (nonviolence), compassion, and gratitude for all! This out with the old and in with the New Year party begins with a ceremony celebrating the spiritual.
Strengthen, soften, live from the heart.
Then it's call and response singing called kirtan in India. There will be a gift-giving blanket spread out. Bring one or multiple gifts to put on it, even a lightly used thing to put to good use or a handmade craft or vegan chocolate chip cookies or a special object. It's not a Kris Kringle or drawing; it's sharing with one and all. We might give away good incense or crystals.
Let us eat
Potlucks (potlatches) make for diversity
VEGGIE POTLUCK: Bring a vegan/vegetarian dish to share! It's time to eat and socialize, make friends. Might even take a yoga class before the ceremony. There's a parking lot and lots of free street parking in hipster Highland Park on Figueroa near Avenue 50. Metro is nearby. FREE TO RSVP:
What's Wrong with Doniger’s Controversial Book The Hindus?
American Professor Wendy Doniger's controversial bookThe Hindus: An Alternative Historyhas
outraged Hindus around the world, insulting
Indians and offending Hindus.
Doniger, 73, is a
Jewish American Indologist and has been a professor at the University of
Chicago since 1978.
Although she is a well-known authority onHinduism,
her book has had many factual errors pointed out. And her
perspective of many things Indian, Vedic, and Hindu have been questioned time
and again.
Hey, Wendy, I'm a Hindu! - Actor Julia Roberts
Published in 2009, The Hindus became the #1 bestseller
in the non-fiction category in India despite [or more likely because of] a furor of criticism and
protest from the American Hindu community.
In 2010, Mr. Aseem Shukla of the
Hindu American Foundation debated various elements of the book with
Doniger herself on his blog.
Historian Vishal Agarwal attacked Prof. Doniger's research chapter by
chapter and pointed out numerous errors. In 2011, a New Delhi-based
group, Shiksha Bachao Andolan, filed a civil lawsuit against Penguin, Donger's Indian publisher, and two other criminal complaints were lodged against the book.
Finally,
on February 4th, Penguin decided to stop publishing it and agreed to pulp
all remaining copies of the book officially stating that... More
Who is a Hindu? Subhamoy Das
(Thoughtco.com, April 26, 2015)
In one part, it states that the court identifies the following seven
defining characteristics of Hinduism and by extension of a Hindu:
Acceptance
of the Vedas with reverence as the highest authority in religious and
philosophic matters... More
Not the Buddha
Buddha Gautama, Shakyamuni (Gandhara)
Well, right there, the Buddha would not qualify. For the Buddha was not a Hindu, nor were the Shakyians/Scythians his family clan.
But his father, King Suddhodana, may certainly have employed Brahmin advisors, counselors, chaplain, ministers, and astrologers. Any and every king of the day might have. First of all there was no such thing as "Hinduism" at that time.
Hinduism only came into being a few centuries ago with Sri Shankara, who systematized it into a formal "religion" or doctrine with universal tenets cobbling together many disparate traditions in India.
Shankara regarded the Buddha as foreigner whose Dharma was an outside influence on India, not something born in it. He was right. It came from the Northwest frontier where Brahmins were not the highest cast.
That place, Scythia or Saka Land, had its own ways. There was no actual "India" at that time either, although there may have been in the distant past pre-or-post Indus Valley Civilization if any emperor before the Buddhist Asoka had brought together warring kingdoms to make Mahabharata, "Great Bharat," a name used for what is today more or less thought of as "India."
There was at that time Brahmanism (the Vedic belief-system of the Brahmin priestly caste, which regarded Brahman as the "ultimate"), and the Buddha was not a Brahmin adhering or promoting the Vedas.
And although beautiful modern Hinduism may co-opt "Lord Buddha" as a god in the pantheon -- which is very nice as it facilitates good relations between the two great Dharmic traditions -- the Buddha himself in his lifetime rejected the Vedas.
What Brahmanism thought of as ideal, "temple priests" (brahmana) tied to texts, rote memorization, mantras, and tradition, the Buddha rejected. In its place he promoted the "wandering ascetic (shramana) ideal. And Buddhism and Jainism, both accepted by Hinduism today, are actually the two remaining examples of that protest movement.
The shramaṇa movements arose in the same circles of mendicants in ancient "India" [which was not yet "India" but a bunch of kingdoms and territories with uneasy and changing alliances who in no way thought of themselves as one country until and when one king or group conquered another] that led to the development of yogic practices, as well as the popular concepts common to all major Indian religions such as saṃsāra (the problem of the endless Cycle of Birth and Death) and moksha(final liberation from that cycle). More
And the Buddha stated unequivocably that he was not a god (deva), not an incarnation (avatar), and that he did not adhere to the central tenets of the Vedas, like things stated about the soul/self (atman) -- teaching the radical, unheard of "doctrine of no-self" (anatta) unique to buddhas.
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