What Happened To Radha After Krishna Left for Mathura?

The divine love story of Radha and Krishna is known all over the world despite their tragic end, their love story is glorified and Radha is remembered as the first woman Krishna ever loved. However, due to the chasm in their identities, Krishna left Radha and she ended up alone. But what happened in the aftermath of their separation? How did Radha cope? Did she simply lived an existential life, in the memories of her love?

Radha led the life of a chaste maiden in Barsana, Source: Pinterest

She was a goddess born as a commoner, a childhood companion, and the mature love of a great man who was meant to fulfil great prophecies. She was the companion of his childhood fallacies, the gentle support system with whom he used to spend long and peaceful summer days while playing his flute and to Krishna, if bliss ever existed and love could be a person, it was Radha. The cow herd girl who is remembered as the Gopi whom Krishna chose to  spend his carefree days in Vrindavan with before his destiny of ending Kamsa called him to Mathura; where another important woman of his life was waiting ardently for him, his birth mother Devaki.

One must be familiar with the plotline of the romantic cult story of Radha and Krishna. Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu used to spend his days grazing his cows, making memories that lasted the whole life. Though quite shockingly, the character of Radha is not even mentioned in any of the spiritual texts and mythologies like the Mahabharata, Harivansha, Brahma Purana, and the Gita. It's like she has been a figment of the poet's imagination to add a hint of thrill and adventure to the life of Krishna, a god who was given the life of a commoner and wanderer.

Whether Radha existed or not is another debate but this story focuses on what happened to Radha once her lover and childhood companion, Krishna left Vridavan to fulfil his birth destiny to kill his uncle Kamsa, reclaim his royal throne and become the ruler of Mathura. According to the legends, both lovers were tearful and heartbroken when the advent of their inevitable separation drew near Being a person of royal birth, Krishna was expected to take on royal wives. Radha was a commoner, too a cow herd girl could never have fulfilled the criteria of being the royal wife of a king even though she ruled in the heart of Krishna.

Krishna blessed Radha with a promise that her name would be taken before him, as a consolation of his leaving, Source: Google Imagesurce

Krishna understood the unfairness and forcedness of their situation and he knew that whatever he does, won't ever compensate for the emptiness of their life. Still, he promised Radha that since she loved him unconditionally, she would always be remembered as his chief consort and the goddess who would be worshipped with him and also the goddess whose name would be taken before him. That’s why, people naturally always utter Radha’s name by greeting each other and chanting the phrase ‘Radhe-Radhe’, because it was Krishna’s way of immortalizing the love by always remembering the woman who made him a man worth ruling a kingdom.

But what happened later when Krishna left for Mathura? What actually becomes of Radha? Though there is no clear account of this mystery, it is said that for a few years, Radha wandered around the village as an abandoned wife, hopelessly waiting for Krishna to return to their forest. She pined to listen to the melodious rhymes of Krishna’s divine flute but after the news about Krishna’s coronation wafted around the village, Radha returned to the land of her birth, Barsana, where she spent the rest of her life, always taking Krishna’s name, remaining to him while Krishna took one after another princesses as wives.

Many legends confuse Radha with Rukmini,  as in many cultures it's Rukmini who is worshipped alongside Krishna, who was the chief consort of Krishna. Yet, its Radha’s name which taken before and along with Krishna because it was her sacrifice that made Krishna’s destiny a success. She sacrificed her happiness, her love, and her whole life while Krishna got to live his’s to the fullest. It is believed that even though they were never together mortally, Krishna remembered Radha as his only true love. But was this only enough? Was granting glory the only way of redemption? Could Radha have called her life a fulfilled one when she spent it in isolation? Or was that her destiny? To be cursed with an incomplete love, the fault in their stars.