Dear RKN, The Radha-Krishna relationship is not unique to the Hindu religion. Similar relationships and ideology has been reflected in some form or other in many religions. In Greek mythology it is Dionysus who plays this important role of spiritual intoxication, Bacchus in Roman mythology. (Infact the playful Dionysus is often referred to as Krishna's counterpart and may have been an import/export from India to the Mediterranean or vice versa).
In Islam, the Sufi wrote passionate poems professing this intoxicating love one feels for God and hence most Muslim distance themselves from the Sufis finding them too permissive, and in Christianity we have what are called the Canticles (of Canticles), which are love-songs inspired by God. Largely religions explore a paternalistic, advisory relationship between divine and devotee. But every once in a while, there is this exploration of reaching the Divine through one's more earthy senses. Selma --------------------------------- > > The Radha-Krishna concept is quite different from > the above. It > > celebrates the complementary nature of man-woman > relationship. Radha > > was not exactly Krishna's "paramour". Janmashtami, > the birthday of > > Krishna, is celebrated by re-enacting his > childhood and adolescent > > antics. He was believed to be very fond of dairy > products in his > > childhood and used to help himself to them > clandestinely. The human > > ladder to snatch the high-strung pot symbolises > this belief. > > > > Someone more well-versed in the Hindu mythology > will be able to > > elaborate on this. > > > > Cheers, > > RKN __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
