Shri Krishna, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu, is one of the most beloved Gods in Hinduism. According to Hindu mythology, Shri Krishna was born on Earth to put an end to the rule of the demon King Kansa. Though Shri Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudeva, he was raised by Yashoda and Nanda. Tales about Shri Krishna’s life and times, and his mischievous deeds from his childhood days, are a part of the Hindu culture.Most people have grown up listening to the stories of Radha and Krishna’s deep friendship and love for each other. So much so that Radha’s name is always taken before Krishna’s name, and their name together– Radha Krishna– is a symbol of love and devotion. But have you ever wondered why Radha and Krishna never got married, despite their profound love for each other? There are many stories associated with it, and here we list down some of the most popular ones:

1. Radha’s love for Shri Krishna is divine
Though there are many stories about Radha and Krishna deeply loving each other, it is said that their love was not in the usual physical sense. Instead, it is said that Radha knew early on that Krishna was not a common man, and so her love for him was divine– that of a devotee’s towards God. “The bond of love between Lord Krishna and Radha was not physical, rather it was a spiritual and pure form of devotion. So, it is said that Lord Krishna and Radha are two different manifestations of the divine principle (of love),” reads a statement on ISKCON‘s website.
2. Radha Krishna‘s love was beyond the bond of marriage
Another concept is that Radha Krishna’s love for each other was so deep, that it was beyond the idea or bond of marriage. Their love was pure and selfless, and so they decided not to marry each other. Explaining this, another statement on ISKCON’s website reads, “To prove that love and marriage both are entirely different from each other, Lord Krishna and Radha decided not to marry each other. For evidencing that love is more pure and selfless emotion than being physical, both of them expressed the highest devotion of love by not marrying each other.”

3. Radha and Krishna are not two different people, but one
There’s another belief that Radha and Krishna weren’t two different people, but one soul. They resided in each other, and so how could they marry? “Also, there is one more belief according to which Lord Krishna (and Radha) used to consider each other the single soul, therefore he explained how he could marry his own soul,” reads ISKCON’s website.
4. Radha and Rukmini were the same people
Some other stories say that Radha and Rukmini (Shri Krishna’s wife) were not two different people, but one. Here’s how: Just as Shri Krishna was the eighth avatar of Vishnu, Rukmini was an avatar of Lakshmi ji. According to a mythological tale, Rukmini was born in Vidharba. When she was a small child, a demon named Putana came to kill her. Putana turned into a beautiful lady who wished to be fed milk. However, despite several attempts, Rukmini refused and so Putana took her and flew away. People believed that Rukmini had died, but instead, Rukmini increased her weight by three times and grew so heavy that Putana dropped her. And so, Rukmini, who was a baby then, was found on a lotus in a pond by Vrishabhanu and Kirti. Considering her God’s blessing, they named her Radha. Years later, Radha was identified to be Rukmini and she returned to Vidarbha, where surprisingly people were hostile to Shri Krishna. Meanwhile, her brother Rukmin wanted to get her married to Maharaj Shisupal, but Rukmini wanted to marry Krishna. And so, Krishna abducted and married her in Dwarka.