# Woman/Women Devotee(s) *Female saints and devotees in Vedic literature* ## The Gopīs of Vṛndāvana ### Rādhārāṇī - [[index/entries/radharani|Rādhārāṇī]] - Supreme female devotee - Greatest example of conjugal devotion - Heart of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes - Personification of Kṛṣṇa's internal potency ### Eight Principal Gopīs (Aṣṭa-sakhīs) - Lalitā, Viśākhā, Citrā, and others - Most intimate companions of Rādhā - Exemplars of devotional service ### Other Gopīs - Hundreds of cowherd girls - Varying degrees of closeness to Kṛṣṇa - Example of group devotion ## Queens and Princesses ### Devakī - [[index/entries/devaki|Devakī]] - Mother of Kṛṣṇa - Suffered imprisonment for Kṛṣṇa's sake - Pure maternal devotion - Protected the divine child ### Draupadī - [[index/entries/draupadi|Draupadī]] - Common wife of Pāṇḍavas - Dignity in trials - Surrender to Kṛṣṇa - Exemplar of fortitude ### Kuntī - [[index/entries/kunti-prtha|Kuntī (Pṛthā)]] - Mother of the Pāṇḍavas - [[index/K#kuntī|Kuntī]] - Queen of Hastināpura - [[index/K#kuntī cited on kṛṣṇa|Kuntī cited on Kṛṣṇa]] - [[index/K#kuntī quoted|Kuntī quoted]] - [[index/K#kuntī queen pṛthā|Kuntī, Queen (Pṛthā)]] - [[index/K#kuntīdevī|Kuntīdevī]] - [[index/K#kuntīdevī quoted on kṛṣṇa|Kuntīdevī quoted on Kṛṣṇa]] - Composed prayers of praise ### Gandhari - [[index/entries/gandhari|Gāndhārī]] - Mother of the Kauravas - Blindfolded herself in devotion - Symbol of wifely devotion - Mother's grief personified ### Sītā - [[index/entries/sita|Sītā]] - Wife of Rāma - Perfect chastity - Devoted to dharma and husband - Model of feminine virtue ### Rukmiṇī - [[index/R#rukmiṇī|Rukmiṇī]] - Kṛṣṇa's chief queen - [[index/R#rukmiṇī kṛṣṇa devotees worship|Rukmiṇī Kṛṣṇa worship]] - [[index/R#rukmiṇī kṛṣṇa kidnapped|Kṛṣṇa kidnapped Rukmiṇī]] - Incarnation of Lakṣmī ### Satyabhāmā - [[index/S#satyabhāmā|Satyabhāmā]] - Kṛṣṇa's queen - [[index/entries/satyabhama-queen|Satyabhāmā, Queen]] - Brought Pārijāta tree from heaven - Incarnation of Bhūmi-devī ### Subhadrā - [[index/entries/subhadra|Subhadrā]] - Kṛṣṇa's sister - [[index/S#subhadrā kṛṣṇas sister|Subhadrā (Kṛṣṇa's sister)]] - Wife of Arjuna - Mother of Abhimanyu ### Uttarā - [[index/entries/uttara|Uttarā]] - Wife of Abhimanyu - Mother of Parīkṣit - Protected by Kṛṣṇa - Example of faith ### Rohiṇī - [[index/entries/rohini|Rohiṇī]] - Mother of Balarāma - Wife of Vasudeva - Raised Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma - Foster mother in Vṛndāvana ### Kauśalyā - [[index/K#kauśalya|Kauśalyā]] - Mother of Rāma - Queen of Ayodhya - Exemplar of maternal virtue - Patient and devoted ### Mandodari - [[index/M#mandodarī|Mandodarī]] - Wife of Ravana - Virtuous despite husband's sins - Tried to guide Ravana - Example of righteous counsel ### Himavati - Wife of King Himavat - Spiritual companion ## Saintly Women ### Yaśodā - [[index/entries/yasoda|Yaśodā]] - Foster mother of Kṛṣṇa - [[index/entries/yasoda-mother|Yaśodā, Mother]] - Supreme example of maternal love - Bound Kṛṣṇa with her love ### Devahūti - [[index/entries/devahuti|Devahūti]] - Mother of Kapila - [[index/D#devahūti lord kapila|Devahūti, Lord Kapila &]] - Received Sāṅkhya philosophy - Example of spiritual inquiry ### Satī - [[index/entries/sati|Satī]] - Wife of Śiva - [[index/entries/sati-wife-of-siva|Satī (wife of Śiva)]] - Daughter of Daksha - Sacrificed herself for honor ### Suniti - [[index/entries/suniti-queen|Sunīti, Queen]] - Mother of Dhruva - [[index/entries/sunitha-queen|Sunīthā, Queen]] - Guided son to devotion - Example of spiritual motherhood ### Women Mystics - Holy women who renounced family - Devoted to meditation and service - Teachers of spiritual wisdom ### Female Ācāryas - Teachers and spiritual guides - Āṇḍāl among the Āḻvārs - Other female spiritual leaders ## Characteristics of Women Devotees - Surrender and service orientation - Emotional depth of devotion - Courage in adversity - Family-centered dharma - Pure love as motivation - Various rasas (emotional relationships) ## Types of Women's Devotion ### Maternal (Vātsalya-rasa) - Yaśodā, Devakī, Kuntī, Sunīti - Protective and nurturing ### Conjugal (Mādhurya-rasa) - Rādhārāṇī and gopīs - Intimate and highest rasa ### Marital (Strī-dhana-bhakti) - Queens devoted to husbands and Kṛṣṇa - Balance of duties ### Service (Dāsya-rasa) - Women devoted to Kṛṣṇa's service - Temple attendants and helpers ## Related Topics - [[index/personalities/gopis|Gopīs]] - Cowherd girl devotees - [[index/personalities/royal-devotees|Royal Devotees]] - Queens and princesses - [[index/personalities/devotees|Devotees]] - All categories of devotees - [[index/personalities/acaryas|Ācāryas]] - Female teachers --- *This index is under development. Additional entries from Śrīla Prabhupāda's books, lectures, conversations and letters will be added as the indexing work progresses.*