Question: In your digests, I’ve seen you describing both Srimati Radharani and Yoga-maya as internal potency. As per my understanding, I think both shouldn’t be treated as one. Please explain if there is any difference between them.
Answer by Romapada Swami: Both Srimati Radharani and Yoga-maya are internal potencies of the Lord.
Srimati Radharani is the pleasure potency portion of the internal potency, hladhini-sakti of Krsna. When Krishna wants to enjoy, He expands His potency or energy within Himself that gives him enjoyment. This pleasure potency is a person. Her name is Srimati Radharani.
Radharani is not a different person from Krishna, or, rather, she is both one with and different from Him. This can be understood with the example of the Sun and the sunshine.
The sun cannot exist without the sunshine, nor the sunshine without the sun. We say, “the sun is in my room” – even though the sun itself is ninety-three million miles away – because the sun appears in the form of its energy.
Therefore the energy (the sunshine) and the energetic (the sun) are simultaneously one and different. Similarly, Radha and Krishna are simultaneously one and different. Krishna, the self-effulgent Lord, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Srimati Radharani is His supreme pleasure energy. Together They constitute the complete Absolute Truth.
A very important verse from Caitanya-caritamrta that capsulizes this message is as follows: “The loving affairs of Sri Radha and Krsna are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Radha and Krsna are one in Their identity, previously They separated Themselves. Now, these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Sri Krsna Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Srimati Radharani although He is Krsna Himself.”
Yoga maya (the Lord’s personal internal potency) is also known as Paurnamasi. All Pastimes and activities of the Lord in Vrindavan are administered by Yoga Maya. By the arrangement of Yoga Maya, the devotees sometimes forget the Presence of the Omnipotent Lord.
So although both Radharani and Yoga Maya are different aspects of the internal potency of the Lord, their functions are different.
