page_title: Gopi
section_title: Prominent gopis
hierarchical_section_title: Gopi / Prominent gopis
caption_attribution_description: English: Always the prankster, Krishna spies the gopi (cowgirls) of Vraja bathing naked in the Yamuna River. He positions himself with all of their clothes high in a tree. They beg him to return their garments, but he insists that they each come out of the water to receive their clothing.
context_page_description: Gopi is a Sanskrit word originating from the word Gopala referring to a person in charge of a herd of cows. In Hinduism especially, the name Gopika is used more commonly to refer to the group of cowherding girls famous within Vaishnavism for their unconditional devotion to Krishna as described in the Bhagavata Purana and other Puranic literature. Of this group, one gopika known as Radha holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in a number of religious traditions, especially within Gaudiya Vaishnavism. In Gaudiya Vaishnavism, there are 108 gopikas of Vrindavan. Although Radha and the other gopis are referred to as "cowherd girls," according to the esoteric theology of Vaishnavism they are the eternal consorts of Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As such, they are the internal potency, or antaranga shakti, and expansions of the internal potency of the Supreme Godhead.
context_section_description: The Gopis of Vrindavan total 108 in number; Krishna charit describes the number as 16,000. They are generally divided into three groups: Gopi friends of the same age as Krishna; maidservants; and gopi messengers. The first group are the most exalted (Varistha), Krishna's contemporary gopi friends, the second group are the maidservants and are the next most exalted (Vara), and the gopi messengers come after them. The varistha gopis are more famous than all the others. They are eternally the intimate friends of Radha and Krishna. No one can equal or exceed the love they bear for the divine couple. The primary nine gopis are considered the foremost of Krishna's devotees after Srimati Radharani. Their names are as follows: 
  Lalita (gopi) Sakhi
  Vishakha Sakhi
  Champakalata Sakhi
  Chitra Sakhi
  Tungavidya Sakhi
  Indulekha Sakhi
  Rangadevi Sakhi
  Sudevi Sakhi
  Anuradha Sakhi
caption: Krishna Taunting the Gopi, 1775-80
exif: {}