In Sanskrit, the word Krishna means "dark", indicating the Supreme Consciousness. Pure Consciousness is said to be "dark", not as opposed to "light", but in the sense that it is unseen by or unknown to one as long as one remains rooted in earthly experiences, experiences limited to the realms of perceptions, emotions, and thoughts gained through the physical body and the intellect.

The most beautiful and the most beloved of all gopis was Ratha. The love of Ratha and Krishna is symbolic of the eternal love affair between the devoted mortal and the Devine. In relation to God it is said that we are all women. Radha’s yearning for union with her beloved Krishna is the soul’s longing for spiritual awakening to be united with the one source of peace and bliss from which it has become separated. This long forgotten pain of separation is the root cause of all suffering.