Gopi

Gopi (Sanskrit: गोपी, IAST: Gopī) or Gopika in Hinduism are commonly referred to the group of milkmaids of Braj. They are regarded as the consorts and devotees of Krishna and are venerated for their unconditional love and devotion (Bhakti) to him as described in Bhagavata Purana and other Puranic literature. Gopis are often considered as the expansion of Radha, the chief consort of Krishna. The Raslila of gopis with Krishna has inspired various traditional performance art forms and literatures. Gopi (Sanskrit: गोपी, IAST: Gopī) when used as a male name of Indian origin is a short form of the name Gopala Krishna, literally translates to "cow-protector Krishna" or "Krishna the cowherd". While traditionally used for both genders, it's more commonly used as a male name, especially within the Indian diaspora and communities. According to Indian philosopher Jiva Goswami, gopis are considered as the eternal beloved and manifestations of the internal spiritual potency of Krishna. Among the gopis, Radha is the chief gopi and is the personification of the bliss potency (hladini shakti) of Krishna. She alone manifests the stage of mahabhava, or supreme love for Krishna, and holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in a number of religious traditions.