Why Radha Is Considered Older Than Krishna And What It Symbolizes
Riya Kumari | Aug 19, 2025, 23:15 IST
Radha Krishna
( Image credit : Pixabay )
Highlight of the story: In every relationship, divine or human, someone arrives a little earlier. Not physically, but emotionally. Someone feels the depth first, understands the meaning sooner, carries the weight of devotion before the other even knows it exists. Radha is that presence. She is love already ripened, waiting with patience and grace for Krishna’s playfulness to meet her seriousness.
In the Padma Purana and the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Radha is described as older than Krishna. On the surface, this may sound like just another detail from their story, but in truth, it carries profound symbolism that has guided devotees for centuries. For in Hindu thought, nothing about the lives of the Divine is “by chance.” Every detail is a teaching, every relationship is a mirror.
Radha’s seniority is not about counting years; it is about spiritual ripeness. In the Bhagavata Purana, devotion (bhakti) is described as the highest path to the Divine, even beyond ritual and knowledge. Radha embodies that devotion in its fullest maturity. Krishna represents the playful, eternal energy of God, joyful, mischievous, the one who awakens hearts.
Radha, older and already awakened, represents the soul that has been prepared, that has ripened through longing and love. When Krishna enters, her devotion is not born in that moment, it is already waiting. This is why in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana Radha is said to be Krishna’s very energy (hladini shakti). She is the love that exists even before his flute calls, even before the dance begins.
In our world, age in relationships is often judged. We speak of who is older, who is younger, who holds more power. But Radha and Krishna’s story breaks this. Radha’s age does not lessen her love; it deepens it. Her maturity does not create distance; it creates steadiness.
The sages explain this as a symbol of balance. Radha shows that devotion must come first, so that joy can have a place to rest. Without the anchor of Radha’s love, Krishna’s play would remain only play. Without Krishna’s joy, Radha’s love would remain unexpressed longing. Together, they make love whole.
Radha being older reminds us that in love, whether human or divine, one heart often awakens earlier. One person feels more deeply first, carries the devotion before the other has grown into it. Instead of frustration, this can be seen as grace. Someone must be the lamp, already lit, so that when the other arrives, there is light to see by.
In our own lives, we will sometimes be Radha: ready before the other, carrying love with patience. And sometimes we will be Krishna: arriving later, playful, still learning, yet drawn to the one who waited with maturity and faith. Both roles are sacred.
Radha’s age is a teaching disguised as a detail. It shows us that devotion precedes even the Divine’s arrival in our life. The Bhagavad Gita says: “Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, I accept that gift of love.” But before the offering is accepted, there must be the one who is ready to give. Radha is that readiness. She is the heart that waits before the music begins, the love that arrives before the Beloved.
Krishna may be eternal, but Radha shows us that devotion is eternal too, older, in fact, because it is what first opens the door for the Divine to enter. When we look at Radha as older than Krishna, we are reminded that love is not about perfect timing, but about perfect balance. One arrives first, the other follows. One steadies, the other awakens. Together, they reveal what the Bhakti Shastras call the highest truth: that love is not bound by time at all.
The Meaning Behind Radha’s Age
Radha, older and already awakened, represents the soul that has been prepared, that has ripened through longing and love. When Krishna enters, her devotion is not born in that moment, it is already waiting. This is why in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana Radha is said to be Krishna’s very energy (hladini shakti). She is the love that exists even before his flute calls, even before the dance begins.
A Lesson Beyond Convention
The sages explain this as a symbol of balance. Radha shows that devotion must come first, so that joy can have a place to rest. Without the anchor of Radha’s love, Krishna’s play would remain only play. Without Krishna’s joy, Radha’s love would remain unexpressed longing. Together, they make love whole.
How This Speaks to Us
In our own lives, we will sometimes be Radha: ready before the other, carrying love with patience. And sometimes we will be Krishna: arriving later, playful, still learning, yet drawn to the one who waited with maturity and faith. Both roles are sacred.
The Eternal Truth
Krishna may be eternal, but Radha shows us that devotion is eternal too, older, in fact, because it is what first opens the door for the Divine to enter. When we look at Radha as older than Krishna, we are reminded that love is not about perfect timing, but about perfect balance. One arrives first, the other follows. One steadies, the other awakens. Together, they reveal what the Bhakti Shastras call the highest truth: that love is not bound by time at all.