# राधा (rādhā)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/radha

राधा (rādhā) is a Sanskrit word meaning a gift or favor, the month of Vaishakha, of a man, name of two teachers, prosperity, success, the twenty-first lunar mansion, Vishakha. Its 27 recorded definitions are grouped into 11 contexts, among them Kṛṣṇa's Divine Consort/Gopī, Meanings of 'राध' (Rādha m./n.), Karṇa's Foster-Mother.

- **SLP1:** `rADA`  **IAST:** rādhā  **Devanagari:** राधा
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radha
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/radha/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** राध (rādha), राढा (rāḍhā), राढ (rāḍha), रध (radha)

## Meanings by context

### Kṛṣṇa's Divine Consort/Gopī (5 definitions)
- A celebrated cowherdess beloved by Krishna, later worshipped as a goddess and incarnation of Lakshmi.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a celebrated cowherdess or Gopī (beloved by Kṛṣṇa, and a principal personage in Jaya-deva's poem Gītagovinda; at a later period worshipped as a goddess, and occasionally regarded as an Avatāra of Lakṣmī, as Kṛṣṇa is of Viṣṇu; also identified with Dākṣāyaṇī), Gīt.; Pañcat. &c. ( cf. Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 332 ) [ ID=177192 ]
- the cowherdess beloved by Krishna  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 0910-c ] राधा (rādhā) 2 N. of a celebrated Gopī or cowherdess loved by Kṛṣṇa (whose amours have been immortalized by Jayadeva in his Gītagovinda); तदिमं (tadimaṃ) राधे गृहं प्रापय (rādhe gṛhaṃ prāpaya) Gītagovinda 1
- 1. A cowherdess beloved of Krishna and later worshipped as a goddess. 2. Karna's foster-mother.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 254-2 ] राधा (rādhā) rādh-ā, f. N. of a cowherdess beloved of Kṛṣṇa and later worshipped as a goddess; N. of Karṇaʼs foster-mother : -kānta, m. lover of Rādhā, ep. of Kṛṣṇa; -remaṇa, m. id.; -vat, a. rich. [ ID=15198 ]
- 1. Came with Krishna to mediate between Parashurama and Vinayaka. 2. Spoke on the non-differentiation of Shiva and Vishnu.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 3-071 ] Rādhā (I) — came with Kṛṣṇa to mediate between Paraśurāma and Vināyaka; spoke on the non-differentiation of Śiva and Viṣṇu; Gaṇeśa was a Vaiṣṇava and Paraśurāma Śaiva. Br. III. 42. 21, 47-8; 43. 21 and 29; 44. 29; Vā. 104. 52. [ ID=11606 ]
- the goddess enshrined at Vrindavana  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Rādhā (II) — the goddess enshrined at Vṛndāvana. M. 13. 38. [ ID=11607 ]

### Meanings of 'राध' (Rādha m./n.) (4 definitions)
- a gift or favor  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 876,2] राध (rādha) m. n. = राध (rādha) स् (rādhas), a gift, favour (only in राध (rādha) ानाम् पतिः (rādhānām patiḥ) N. of Indra), RV. [ ID=177164 ]
- The month of Vaishakha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > राध (rādha) m. ( fr. राध (rādha) ा (rādhā) ) N. of the month Vaiśākha (= April-May), Rājat. [ ID=177165 ]
- of a man  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a man, Buddh. [ ID=177166 ]
- Name of two teachers  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with गौतम (gautama) ) N. of two teachers, Cat. [ ID=177167 ]

### Karṇa's Foster-Mother (3 definitions)
- the foster-mother of Karna  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of the foster-mother of Karṇa ( q.v.; she was the wife of Adhiratha, who was Sūta or charioteer of king Śūra), MBh. ( cf. Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 377 ) [ ID=177191 ]
- the wife of Adhiratha and foster-mother of Karna  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 0910-c ] राधा (rādhā) 3 N. of the ( pb ) wife of Adhiratha and foster-mother of Karṇa
- wife of Adhiratha and foster-mother of Karna  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 573-2 ] Rādhā, wife of Adhiratha, foster-mother of Karṇa. § 131 b (Karṇa): I, 67, 2775 ( °āyāḥ kalpayām āsa putraṃ [sc. Karṇa] so 'dhirathaḥ, cf. § 547).—§ 547 (do.): III, 309, 17154, 17162, 17163 (Adhiratha and R. found Karṇa, whom they adopted).—§ 569 (Bhagavadyānap.); V, 141, 4759, 4760 (reared Karṇa, cf. § 547). [ ID=8871 ]

### Names of Plants (3 definitions)
- Emblic Myrobolan  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Emblic Myrobolan, L. [ ID=177189 ]
- Clitoria Ternatea  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Clitoria Ternatea, L. [ ID=177190 ]
- Emblic Myrobalan  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 0910-c ] राधा (rādhā) 7 Emblic Myrobalan

### Prosperity or Success (3 definitions)
- prosperity, success  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 876,3] राधा (rādhā) b f. prosperity, success, L. [ ID=177185 ]
- Prosperity, success  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 0910-c ] राधा (rādhā) 1 Prosperity, success
- 1. Prosperity or success. 2. Lightning. 3. The foster-mother of Karna. 4. The cowherdess beloved by Krishna. 5. The lunar asterism Vishakha.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 610-16 ] राधा (rādhā) f. 1. Prosperity, success; 2. lightning; 3. name of the foster-mother of Karṇa; 4. name of the famous cowherdess loved by Kṛishṇa, राधा (rādhā) माधवयोर्जयंति यमुनाकूले रहःकेलयः (rādhāmādhavayorjayaṃti yamunākūle rahaḥkelayaḥ) Git.G. i.; 5. the lunar asterism called Visākha. [ ID=32068 ]

### Lightning (2 definitions)
- lightning  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > lightning, L. [ ID=177187 ]
- Lightning  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 0910-c ] राधा (rādhā) 5 Lightning

### Lunar Mansion Viśākhā (2 definitions)
- the twenty-first lunar mansion, Vishakha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (also du. ) N. of the 21st Nakṣatra Viśākhā (containing 4 stars in the form of a curve supposed to be α, ι, ν Librae, and γ Scorpionis, cf. नक्षत्र (nakṣatra) ), L. [ ID=177186 ]
- The lunar mansion called Vishakha.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 0910-c ] राधा (rādhā) 4 The lunar mansion called विशाखा (viśākhā)

### Shooting/Standing Posture (2 definitions)
- a particular attitude in shooting, standing with the feet a span apart  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a partic. attitude in shooting (standing with the feet a span apart; cf. - भेधिन् (-bhedhin), - वेधिन् (-vedhin) ), Pracaṇḍ. [ ID=177188 ]
- An attitude in shooting  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 0910-c ] राधा (rādhā) 6 An attitude in shooting

### Full-moon day of Vaiśākha (1 definition)
- The full-moon day in the month of Vaishakha  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > राधा (rādhā) [Printed book page 0910-c ] राधा (rādhā) 8 The full-moon day in the month of Vaiśākha

### Lexicographical Pointer (1 definition)
- See below.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 876,2] राधा (rādhā) a f. See below. [ ID=177168 ]

### Name of a Female Slave (1 definition)
- of a female slave  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a female slave, Lalit. [ ID=177193 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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