Music Divine

Today I spent nearly the whole day at the temple, listening to the beautiful bhajans sung by the very talented singers and musicians. I've always appreciated how important music is to me, and to the world. I think music is so moving because it goes beyond this material existence and reaches deeper into our souls. A chord from a musical instrument can make one feel happy, sad, thoughtful, or elated. It seems as if it comes from a higher place. It is said that in the spiritual world every word is a song and every step is a dance.


I always listen to music when I am painting or drawing, it really helps me to focus on what I am doing and set the mood of the picture. Depending on the subject I’ll listen to different kinds of music. For example, if I’m painting something related to India I’ll listen to Indian music (usually classical). If I’m painting a landscape I’ll listen to classical Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. I find that this really helps me to be patient and precise. If I want to get the mood of a painting of Radha and Krishna right I will usually listen to artists like Prem Joshua, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Karnamrita, Ramya, As Kindred Spirits, Kishori Mohan, and A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada…to name a few.

Prem Joshua is a musician who artfully blends the eastern and western styles of music. For some of his albums he collaborates with another musician names Manish Vyas. I think the two of them work fantastically together, and two of my all-time favourite albums they have produced together are Water Down the Ganges and Sky Kisses Earth. I never ever get tired of listening to the music on these two albums, and I often listen to them when I am drawing Radha and Krishna. Something about this music gives me so much inspiration that I can honestly say that I have fallen in love with it.

Hariprasad Chaurasia is a renowned musician whose primary instrument is the bamboo flute. He is such an expert flute player. His music is incredibly beautiful and well composed, I listen to it every time I’m painting Krishna and pretend that the sound of the flute is coming from Krishna Himself. Chaurasia’s music is mostly in raga style, but he also has some creative albums. My favourite album since childhood is Music of the Rivers, which uses the flute and other instruments to tell the story of how the river makes it’s journey from the snowy mountain peaks to the delta into the sea. I swear when I hear this album I can actually visualize the turbulent springs in the mountains, the steady flow of the river in the plains, and the magnificence of it’s arrival to the sea.

Shiv Kumar Sharma is a contemporary of Chaurasia’s and has a very similar style. In fact the two have done many collaborative works together. Sharma’s primary instrument is the santoor, which is a very sweet folk instrument from Kashmir. There is one song of Sharma’s that has completely captivated my heart, called Balled from the album Music of the Mountains. This song is so sweet and beautiful that I never get tired of hearing it.

It reminds me of cool breezes, sparkling rivers, calm lakes filled with lotus flowers, palaces made of marble and gold, gorgeous men and women dressed in silk and singing and dancing in harmony, and blue sunny skies filled with puffy white clouds. It basically paints a picture of what heaven might be like, or a time on earth when everything was peaceful and golden, and Krishna walked gracefully through the forests of Vrindavan, enchanting all the creatures along the way.

Karnamrita is a female vocalist who was raised in the west but learned music in India. She has a wonderful album called Dasi: Prayers by Women, that is full of beautiful songs about Radha and Krishna. This is also a bit of an eastern/western blend with instruments like the piano put to Sanskrit verses and traditional Indian songs. The music is very well put together and her voice is pleasant and controlled. I have listened to it often and it really helps me to get into the mood of devotion and love for Radha and Krishna.

Ramya is another female vocalist with a very sweet voice. She has an album called Beloved of Krishna which is full of traditional Vrajabasi (from the land of Vraja) songs and hymns. This album is more folky than Karnamrita’s, but it also beautifully blends eastern and western music with the use of violins and bass guitar. I had an obsession with this album for a while. I found it excellent inspiration for painting Radha because of the folk tunes and rhythms.

As Kindred Spirits is an ensemble of different musicians and instruments that got together to make the album Nectar of Devotion. Now I really had an obsession with this album for a long, long time and I still haven’t completely gotten over it. Here the blend of east-meets-west is much more pronounced and bold. There are songs that sound really traditional and there are others where you can tell the group experimented with different styles (track two sounds a bit Russian at the beginning, but then changes into a gorgeous slow and soft love song). This album explodes with love and devotion for Radha and Krishna. It is so incredibly beautiful and touching it brings tears to my eyes. I heard that the group was coming out with a new album someday soon (their first album came out in 2003 and I’ve been waiting for their next one ever since). I hope so!

Kishori Mohan is a musician who sings in traditional bhajan style. His two albums Cry for Mercy and Hindi Bhajans are simply gorgeous and filled with love for Krishna. My favourite of the two is Hindi Bhajans because it’s a bit more upbeat and full of the folk songs of Vrindavan. It reminds me of Radha and Krishna dancing the the forest, surrounded by the beautiful gopis. I really never tire of it. I’ll often listen to this especially when I want inspiration for a painting of Radha, since tracks two and eight of this album is all about her sweetness and glory. I haven't been able to find the albums for sale online or any links to Kishori Mohan since he's really underground.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In 1965, at the age of 69, he travelled by ship from Bombay to the U.S.A. with the mission to preach love of Krishna in the west. His movement became popular very quickly and spread all over the world. He translated vedic texts like the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam into many languages. One of the things he stressed was that the best way to get closer to Krishna was by singing and chanting His glories. Prabhupada recorded many songs and albums with devotional prayers about Radha and Krishna. His music is very traditional, using Indian instruments and arranged in bhajan style. Whenever I need to hear what true devotion is, I listen to his albums. Nothing inspires the heart and mind like Srila Prabhupada’s voice.

There are many other musicians that inspire me to paint, and they’re not always Indian or classical. There is a certain instrumental song by John Renbourn called The Trees They Do Grow High from the album Sir John Alot Of Merrie England, which always reminds me of Krishna in the forest.

It’s so beautiful I can listen to it over and over again, and it has brought me to tears on more than one occasion. Maybe it’s the tune of the gorgeous flute, or the soft and steady guitar. Whatever it is, when I listen to that song it’s like my mind gets transported to the flowering groves of Vrindavan and I can actually see Krishna before me.


This is a sketch I did of Krishna playing His flute by the banks of the river Yamuna.

Who is Radha?

Srimati Radharani, or Radha as she is more affectionately called, is the ideal woman, and Krishna's most beloved consort. She is loved and revered by many devotees all over the world. In fact, she is so important that whenever people say the names of Radha and Krishna, Radha always comes first. It is said that if one wants to get to Krishna, one must seek the blessings of Radha first.


A Little Bit about Radha's Background

Radha is the Goddess of Fortune. Laxmi, Sita, and all other goddesses are expansions of her. She lived in the beautiful hills of Varshana, in the land of Vraja. Millions go to her temple in Varshana annually to pay her respect. Her father is Vrishabhanu, the king of Varshana, and her mother is Kirtida, the Queen. Radha has a brother named Sridham and a younger sister named Ananga Manjari.

Even though Radha and her family are cowherds they are very wealthy. In vedic times the cow is given much respect, and much wealth in the form of milk, butter, cheese, ghee, and yogurt is traded for silks, gold, and luxurious items. Therefore, though Radha is a milkmaid, she is a princess and wears beautiful silk clothing, precious gems and gold jewellery, and is always decorated with gorgeous flowers, being the sweet country girl that she is.

Above is a one of my drawings of Radha balancing a pot of yogurt on her head (as is the tradition with the milkmaids of India) and the pot is decorated with brightly coloured paint. Radha is decorated with bangles, gold earrings, a nosering, a tika (heapiece), a jewelled belt, choker necklace, and beautiful flowers in her hair. Her forehead is decorated with a bindi and her hands are painted with alta (red dye). She is wearing a silk outfit with traditional patterns and prints.

Radha is the foremost of the gopis, and she has 8 main gopi friends who always do whatever they can to ensure that Radha is united with Krishna. These gopis are named Lalita, Vishaka, Champakalata, Indulekha, Chitra Devi, Ranga Devi, Tungavidya, and Sudevi. They all live near Varshana and are very dear to Radha.


Radha's Divine Birth in this World

Radha was born in Varshana or Rawal, just south of Delhi, India. Her birthday is celebrated by millions all over the world and is called Radhastami. This day usually falls sometime in September, but because the vedic calendar follows the moon instead of the sun the date is variable.

As the story goes, when Radha was born she could not open her eyes. When the people of Braja were invited to the celebration of her birth they saw the beautiful golden-complexioned baby girl. Baby Krishna was also brought to the celebration and when he approached Radha she suddenly opened up her eyes and looked at him. Radha refused to open her eyes because the first person she wanted to see was Krishna, and as soon as he was close enough she opened up her gorgeous lotus-like eyes.

Radha's beautiful lotus eyes always recieve much praise. Radha's entire body is incredibly beautiful, and she is perfect in every way. Her skin is like molten gold, her lips are reddish and lush, her hair is thick and silky, her waist is small and her hips are round and perfectly curved. When she walks the sounds of tinkling ankle bells fill the air and her gorgeous hips sway to and fro. She is the epitome of beauty.

Here is a pencil drawing I have done of Radha and Krishna in the forest. She's being coy :)



The Transcendental Qualities of Srimati Radharani

Radha has many many transcendental qualities, and she has numerous talents. There are 25 top transcendental qualities, some of which are:

• She is sweetness personified
• She is always brightly smiling
• She is expert in the art of singing
• She is expert in presenting feminine attractions
• She can speak very nicely and sweetly
• She is transcendentally cunning
• She is situated on the highest devotional platform
• She can give shelter to all kinds of devotees
• She always keeps Krishna under Her control

Radha can also be quite fiesty and when she has a quarrel or argument with Krishna she becomes fiery and hot-tempered. When Radha becomes angry Krishna becomes appreciative of her gorgeous expressive eyebrows. Even in a bad mood Radha is still incredibly beautiful. These quarrels are part of the nectar of Radha and Krishna's pastimes in Vrindavan.

Radha has many talents, some of which are:

• She is an incredible cook.
• She is expert at arranging flowers and making flower garlands.
• She is a talented musician and singer.
• She's an amazing dancer.
• She is clever and quick-witted.
• And she knows how to please her beloved Krishna.

The Glorious Beauty of Srimati Radharani

This is a painting of Radha I did using acrylics on canvas. It is part of a set, the other being a painting of Krishna looking towards the right at Radha. I consider this one of my best paintings, and I love Radha so very much.
Some people look up to some celebrity or famous humanitarian for inspiration, and that's fine, but to me Radha is the ultimate idol. No one is better than her.

All glories to Srimati Radharani!

More pictures of Radha