An introduction to the eight principal sakhis of Radha: who they are, how they are usually listed, and where to read more.
The Ashtasakhi (Sanskrit अष्टसखी, "eight friends") are a group of eight prominent gopis who are close companions of Radha and Krishna in the Braj region.[1][4] According to the Padma Purana, they are the eternal female companions of Radha and Krishna, and descended with them to earth from Goloka.[2]
The list most often given names Lalita, Vishakha, Champakalata, Chitra, Tungavidya, Indulekha, Rangadevi and Sudevi.[1] Of the eight, Lalita and Vishakha are regarded as the most prominent.[3] Lists and their order can differ between traditions and texts, so treat this as the commonly given list, not the only one.
Tradition associates each sakhi with her own seva, the loving service she offers the divine couple.[1]
Many Krishna traditions revere the Ashtasakhi, among them the Pushtimarg of Vallabhacharya, the Haridasi sampradaya, the Radha Vallabh sampradaya, the Gaudiya sampradaya and the Nimbarka sampradaya.[1] In Shaktism they are sometimes seen as the embodiment of the eight siddhis (Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Ishitva and Vashitva).[1]
Tradition places the birth of the sakhis in villages around Barsana: Unchagaon (Lalita), Kamai (Vishakha), Karahla (Champakalata), Chiksauli (Chitra), Dabhala (Tungavidya), Anjanoka (Indulekha) and Rakholi (Rangadevi and Sudevi).[1] Temples dedicated to them stand in several of these villages.[1]
Each sakhi has her own page with a short profile and the sources behind it. Every reading ends with a numbered list of references. Use "Read the original" to go to a source; where a source has no online link, the printed edition is named so you can find it. These pages summarise secondary sources, so please check the primary texts before relying on a detail.