Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s First Meeting as Described in Gopālacampū

Abstract

The article "Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s First Meeting as Described in Gopālacampū" by Jan Brzezinski explores the early romantic encounter between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa as portrayed in Jīva Gosvāmī’s devotional Sanskrit prose-poem Gopālacampū. The article offers a translated excerpt from Chapter 21, shedding light on how the lovers’ first meeting is delicately framed within the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theological tradition. By drawing on literary, aesthetic, and theological insights, Brzezinski highlights the narrative’s intent to deepen the emotional intensity of divine love and affirm Rādhā’s centrality in devotional thought.