Kamadeva

Krishna is worshiped with the Kama Gayatri, establishing Himself as the transcendental Kamadeva of Vraja. The following sheds some light on the life of Kama as cupid, his lila, qualities and names, as told in the Kalika Purana:

Brahma created ten Prajapatis. After that he created a beautiful lady called Sandhya. Seeing her exquisite beauty he became perplexed, Brahma and the Prajapatis where irresistibly fascinated by her charm and sprang forth from their seats. All there thoughts converged on the same object. At his time an extremely handsome youth emerged from Brahma's mind, with a floral bow in his hands. On appearing he asked Brahma, "kam darpayami" - whom should I make proud? From this time onwards he was known as Kandarpa.
Brahma replied, let the minds of the living entities be the aim of your arrows... you will enter the hearts if all in an invisible form ( your flower arrows will pierce the heart)". Since he churned the mind of Brahma, he got the name 'manmatha' and since he was extremely attractive in appearance he came to be called Kama.

In the assembly of Brahma and the Prajapatis he shot five arrows:
Harsanam - Pleasing or gladdening
Rocanam - Attracting or tempting
Mohanam - Deluding or infatuating
Shoshanam - Weakening
Maranam - Killing

Braham beacame aroused by the arrows and all became infatuated by Sandhya. Sandhya was also excited and from her came 49 parts and 64 kalas (Arts).
From the drop of perspiration that fell on the ground from Daksha arose a beautiful woman and Daksha told Kama that this woman would become famous as Rati Devi, and gave her as his wife.

Kama's names in the Puranas:
Madana, Manmatha, Mara, Pradyumna, Minaketana, Kandarpa, Darpaka, Ananga, Pancasara, Sambarari, Manasija, Kusumeshu, Ananyaja, Puspadhanva, Ratipati, Makaradhvaja, Atmabhu, Iraja, Isma, Kinkira, Abhirupa, Grdhukalakeli, Kanjana, Ramana, Dipika, Madhudipa, Samantaka, Muhira, Rupastra, Vama, Puspaketana, makaraketu, Ratinayaka, Ragavrnta, Samsaraguru, Gadayitnu, Mapatya, Mayi.

Weapons: Bow of sugarcane, string of beetles, the arrows are tipped with flowers.
Vahana is the parrot and the sign on his banner is Makara.
The flowers on his arrows are: Aravinda, Ashoka, Cuta, Navamalika and Nilotpala. Also known as Unmada, Tapana, Shoshana, Stambhana and Sammohana.

Krishna is Saksanmanmathamanmathah - The essence of cupidity in Cupid himself.
Radha is known as Madan Mohan Mohini - She bewilders Him, who captivates even Cupid himself with His beauty.

Prema Prayojana

Sri Caitanya taught that Bhagavan is the sambandha of all the Vedas. Sambandha is a technical term in rhetoric meaning the matter which is to be discussed. Bhagavan is that to be realised. The forms of bhakti which are the means of attaining Bhagavan are called abhidheya. From sadhana bhakti comes the sprout of prema. The great wealth of prema is the prayojana (the fifth end of man beyond artha, kama, dharma and moksha), which makes one taste the madhurya rasa of krsna. By prema, krsna is placed under the control of his own bhaktas; by prema one is able to relish the bliss of krsna bhakti. He states that all the Vedanta Sutras conclude on these three ends: sambhandha, abhidheya and prayojana.

The consorts of krishna are of three kinds:lakshmis, mahishis and vrajadevis, all emanate from Radharani. Radha is the cause of Govinda's bliss, the enchanter of Govinda. She is the be-all and end-all of Govinda; the crest jewel of all the consorts.

sloka 13 Brhadgautamiya Tantra
Radha is said to be devi, krsnamayi, paradevata, sarvalakshmimayi, sarvakanti, and the highest sanmohini.

Devi means 'She who is most brilliant', 'She of the utmost beauty', or the nagari 'the dwelling place of the play and worship of krsna. Krishnamayi is she whom perceives krishna within and without. She is the true form of krishna, full of prema rasa; as his shakti she is one with him. In her worship she fulfills the desire of krishna; thus her name is called 'Radhika'. Thus she is to be worshipped as the highest goddess. She is the preserver of all things and the mother of the world. She is the abode of all the lakshmis, in her reside all beauty and all splendour, the charm of all the lakshmis emanantes from her. Sarvakanti means that Radha fulfils all the desires of Krishna, all the desires of Krishna reside in Radha.

Krishna is Madan Mohan - the enchanter of the world; Radha is Madan Mohan Mohini - the enchantress of the enchanter; thus she is the Thakurani of all.

radha purna shakti, krishna purna shaktiman...

Sri Radha is the full shakti and Sri Krishna is the container of full shakti. They are two principles, though non-different, as evidenced by the revealed scriptures. They are indeed the same, just as musk and it's scent are inseperable, or as fire and it's heat are non divided. Thus Radha and Krishna are one, yet they have taken two forms to taste lila-rasa. It is to teach prema-bhakti that Krishna assumed the beauty and bhava of Radha and advented as the avatara Krishna Caitanya.

C.C.1.1.5
radha krsna pranaya vikritir hladini asmadekatmanau api bhuvi pura deha bhedam gatau taucaitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad dvayam caikyam aptamradha bhava dyuti suvalitam naumi krsna svarupam

Radha is the manifested form of pure love for Krishna, His hladini shakti. Although one in identity, Radha and Krishna had previously assumed separate forms on earth, now these two transcendental identities have become united in the form of Sri Krishna Caitanya. I bow to him, identical with Sri Krishna enveloped in the radiance of the bhava of Srimati Radharani.

C.C.1.1.6
sri radhaya pranaya mahima kidrso vanayaivasvadyo yenadbhuta madhurima kidrso va madiyahsaukhyam casya mad anubhavatah kidrsam veti lobhattad bhavadhyah samjani scai garbha sindhu harinduh

Desiring to understand the glory of Radha's love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through her love, and the happiness she feels when she realizes the sweetness of his love, Hari endowed with her bhava, appears from the womb of Sacidevi, as the moon appears from the ocean.

Radha is the highest development of love for Krishna ; she is his svarupa shakti called hladini. Hladini causes krishna to taste bliss. By hladini he nourishes his bhaktas. The svarupa of krishna is made of sat cit ananda; his cit shakti also has three forms: the ananda part is hladini, the sat is sandhini, and the cit part is samvit, which is known as jnana. An amsa of the essence of sandhini is called suddha sattva, and the reality of Bhagavan has his refuge in this. Knowledge of Bhagavan is the essence of samvit. The essence of hladini is bhava; the highest state of bhava is called mahabhava. The form of mahabhava is Radha Thakurani.

That mahabhava is the essential crest-jewel; it fulfils the desires of krishna - that is its function. The crest-jewel of mahabhava is the svarupa of Radha. The sakhis are simply extensions of her form. The love of krishna toward radha is a fragrant ointment for the body; by it, her body the colour of glowing fire, becomes even sweeter in scent. The first bath is in the stream of the nectar of compassion; the middle bath is in the stream of the nectar of youth; and the final bath is in the stream of the nectar of beauty. The syama coloured sari which she wears is her own modesty. The passion of krishna is the dawn coloured cloth; her breast is hidden by the blouse of her mana and her love. The saffron is her beauty, her sandalwood the love of her sakhis, and the radiance of her smile is the camphor - with these three her body is annointed. The deciept of her hidden mana is the decoration of her hair, and the ground scent on her body is the quality of her own dhiradhira. Her lips burned with the red of the tambula of passion and the guile of prema is the kohl decorating her eyes. With the sattvika-bhava she is suddipta and with harsha and the other sancari bhavas; her body is covered with the ornamentation of all the bhavas. Decorated with the kilakicita bhava and others of the twenty - these clusters of gunas blossomed on her whole body like garlands of flowers. On her beautiful forehead the tilaka of good fortune glowed, and the jewel of prema-vaicittya was in the hollow of her heart. Fixed in her youth, her hand placed on the shoulder of her friends, directing their minds to the krishna lila. There is a beautiful conch in the fragrant abode of her own body; she remain ensconced on it, eternally thinking of union with krsna. The earrings of the glory and qualities of krishna dangle from her ear; the glory and qualities of the name of krishna flow from her lips. She causes krishna to drink the honey of her syama rasa and eternally fulfils all the desires of krishna. The pure prema of krishna is a mine of jewels, his body replate with many incomparable qualities. (CC. 2.8.121-142)

Her body is the swarupa of prema, she is prema manifest; the best of the beloveds of krishna, famed throughout the world. Loving service to her lotus feet is the prayojana - the ultimate goal, attainment and destination. To this end Raghunatha dasa Goswami prays:
Oh Devi! I shall never pray to you for anything else but the excellent service of your lotusfeet! I offer my constant obeisances to the idea of becoming your friend, but I really relish the idea of becoming your maidservant!