yah vrat bhadrapad mas ke shukla paksh ki ashtami ko manaya jata hai. is din hi radha ka bhulok men avataran hua tha. shastron men varnit hai ki mrigputra raja suchandra ka evan pitron ki mansi kanya suchandra patni kalavti ka punarjanm hua. suchandra to vrishbhanu gop ke rup men utpann hue evan kalavti kirtida gopi ke rup men. yathasamay donon ka vivah ho kar punarmilan hua. ek to raja suchandra hari ke ansh se hi utpann hue the; usapar unhonne patni sahit divya dvadash varshon tak tap kar ke brahma ko santusht kiya tha. islie kal yoni ne hi yah var diya tha. dvapar ke ant men svayan shri radha tum donon ki putri banengi. us var ki siddhi ke lie hi suchandra vrishbhanu gop bane hain.
inhin vrishbhanu men, inke janm ke samay, surya ka bhi avesh ho gaya; kyonki surya ne tapasya kar shri krishn chandra se ek kanya ratn ki yachna ki thi tatha shri krishn chandra ne santusht ho kar tathastu kaha tha. iske atirikt nitya lila ke vrishbhanu evan kirtida ye donon bhi inhin vrishbhanu gop env kirtida men samavisht ho gaye; kyonki svayan golok viharini shri radha ka avataran hone ja raha hai. astu, is prakar yogmaya ne dvapar ke ant men raseshvari ke lie upyukt kshetra ki rachna kar di. dhire-dhire vah nirdisht samay bhi a pahuncha. bhadrapad ki shukla ashtami hai; chandravasar hai, madhyahn hai. kirtida rani ratnajatit shaiyya par virajit hain.
ek ghari purva se prasav ka abhas sa milne laga hai. vriddha gopikaen unhen ghere baithi hain. is samay akash meghachchann ho raha hai. sahsa prasuti grah men ek jyoti fail jati hai; itni tivra jyoti ki sabke netra nimilit ho gaye. isi samay kirtida rani ka prasav hua. prasav men keval vayu nikla. itne din udar to vayu se hi purn tha. kintu isse purva ki kirtida rani evan anya gopikaen netra khol kar rakhen, usi vayu kanpan ke sthan par ek balika prakat ho gayi. sutikagar us balika ke anant saundarya aur rup lavanya se plavit hone laga. yahi vah devi thi, jo jagat men ‘radha’ nam se vikhyat hui. vrishbhanu gop, gopiyon yahan tak ki prakriti bhi, is balika ke janm se apne apko dhanya manti hui, sadgunon se purn ho gayi.
anandotsav hone laga. radha shri ka paitrik ganv hai ‘barsana’. akhil brahmand men radha ke nam ki dhvani fail gayi. akash men dundubhiyan bajne lagin, apsaraen nritya karne lagin. devta ful barsane lage. braj mandal ke ganvon se gop-gopikaen a kar vrishbhanu ko badhai dene lage, kyonki aj shri krishn ki pran priya achintya shakti shri radha ka janmotsav hai. is din kalash ke upar svarnamayi shri radha ki pratima sthapit kar madhyahn kal men shodshopchar pujan (jaise panchamrit snan, gandhodak, shuddhodak snan, shrringar pushp, dhup, dip, naivadya) kar shri radha ji ke prasannarth upvas rakhen evan shri radha ji ki arti utaren. dusre din, bhaktipurvak suvasini striyon ko bhojan kara kar, acharya ko suvarnamayi shri radha ki pratima ka dan karen aur nana prakar ke bhent charhaen.
abhushan tatha dakshina de kar, pranam kar, unhen vida karen. tatpashchat svayan bhi bhojan karen. is prakar vrat ko purn karna chahie. vrati purush is radhashtami vrat ke karne se braj ka rahasya jan leta hai tatha sanpurn papon se mukt ho jata hai. lok aur parlok men vah sukh bhogta hai. aj bhi prativarsh braj mandal kshetra men mathura jile ke antargat barsana gram men shri radha ka janmotsav bari dhumdham se manaya jata hai, jahan bharatavarsh ke vibhinn pranton, shahron, ganvon se sankirtan mandal evan bhakt padhar kar radha darbar men, apni vani ko shuddh kar, radha nam men sarabor hote hain aur manglmyi, kripamyi shri radha ka ashirvad prapt kar apne ko krit-kritya mante hain.
arti arti radha ji ki kijai. krishn sang jo karai nivas, krishn karen jin par vishvas.. arti vrishbhanu lali ki kijai. krishn chandra ki kari sahai, manuh men ani rup dikhlai. us shakti ki arti kijai. nand putra se priti barhayi jamuna tat par ras rachayi. arti ras rachayi ki kijai. peram rah jisne batlayi, nirgun bhakti nahin apnayi. arti shri ji ki kijai. duniyan ki jo raksha karti, bhaktajanon ke duahkh sab harti. arti duahkh harni ki kijai. krishn chandra se prem barhaya, vipin bich men ras rachaya. arti krishn priya ki kijai. duniya ki jo janni kahavain, nij putron ko dhir badhavain. arti jagat mata ki kijai.. nij putron ke kaj sanvare, ranvira ke kasht nivare. arti vishva mata ki kijai.