| Garga Samhita | |
|---|---|
 Front cover of Garga Samhita published by Gita Press, Gorakhpur | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Author | Garga (attributed) |
| Language | Sanskrit |
| Chapters | 267 |
| Verses | 12,000 |
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Garga Samhita (Sanskrit: गर्ग संहिता, romanized: Garga-saṃhitā) is a Sanskrit-language Vaishnavite scripture based on the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna. Its authorship is attributed to the sage Garga, the head priest of Krishna's clan, Yadava.[1][2] It is the earliest text that associates Radha Krishna and the gopis with the Holi festival.[3]
Garga Samhita[a] contains 11 khandas or parts:[4][1]
| # | Khanda (Book) | Number of chapters | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goloka-khanda | 20 | Pastimes of Radha Krishna in Goloka, Structure of Goloka. |
| 2 | Vrindavana-khanda | 26 | Krishna's pastimes with Radha, Gopis and Gopas (cowherds); identifies various places (including Vrindavan) in the Mathura mandala (region) as the sites of these events. |
| 3 | Giriraja-khanda | 11 | Divinity of Govardhan Hill and its festivals |
| 4 | Madhurya-khanda | 24 | Love life of Radha Krishna in Vrindavan, including descriptions of Radha Krishna, Gopis, and Yamuna |
| 5 | Mathura-khanda | 25 | Krishna's return to Mathura, and his killing of Kamsa; conversation between Uddhava and Gopis |
| 6 | Dvaraka-khanda | 22 | Foundation of the Dvārakā city, its description, and Krishna's pastimes there |
| 7 | Vishvajit-khanda | 50 | Krishna's exploits and divinity, including his role in the Mahabharata War |
| 8 | Balabhadra-khanda | 13 | Balarama's exploits and divinity |
| 9 | Vijnana-khanda | 10 | Devotional instructions for deity worship |
| 10 | Ashvamedha-khanda | 62 | Ugrasena's ashvamedha; Radha-Krishna's reunion in Vrindavan and departure to Goloka |
| 11 | Garga-samhita Mahatmaya | 4 | Significance of Garga-samhita |