B A L A R A M A

Names, forms, qualities, characteristics, etc. of Balarama

Position:

Vilasa expansion, Tadekatma rupa: Different bodily features, for the

purpose of pastimes: Vaibhava vilasa: in the mood of a cowherd boy

in Gokula, Balarama serves Krsna.

Svamsa expansion, Tadekatma rupa: From Balarama come all the

avataras, namely purusa, guna, yuga, lila, manvantara, saktyavesa

Vaibhava Prakasa, from Svayam Prakasa, from Svayam Rupa (the form by

which the Lord is directly understood): Balarama in ksatriya mood in

Mathura.

"Balarama is the original Sankarsana. He assumes five other forms

to serve Lord Krsna. He himself helps in the pastimes of Lord

Krsna, and He does the work of creation in four other forms. He

executes the orders of Lord Krsna in the work of creation, and in

the form of Lord Sesa He serves Krsna in various ways." (He

expands as Maha_sankarsana, Karanabdhisayi, Garbhodakasayi,

Ksirodakasayi and Sesa.)

Appearance:

In His previous incarnation as Laksmana, the younger brother of

Ramacandra, He was forced to do many things which He did not want:

Taking Sita to the forest to leave her there, leaving Sita when the

demon Marica (sounding like Ramacandra) called to him for help;

lighting a fire for mother Sita to be tested in after returning from

Lanka; Vasista's judgement that Laksmana could serve Ramacandra in

all public affairs, Sita in all private affairs was not agreeable to

Laksmana; bearing the insults of Sita in the forest when Marica

called.

When lighting the fire, Laksmana made a solemn vow that He would

never again appear as the younger brother of the Lord.

When Devaki became pregnant for the seventh time, a plenary

expansion of Krsna known as Ananta appeared within her womb. Devaki

was overwhelmed both with jubilation and lamentation...

Krsna ordered Yogamaya to appear and arrange for the transfer of

Sesa from Devaki's to Rohini's womb. Due to being forcibly attracted

to the womb of Rohini, He would be known as Sankarsana, the source

of spiritual power -- bala -- by which one would be able to attain

the highest bliss of life, known as ramana.

Pastimes:

__Getting Krsna in trouble for eating dirt

__Stealing milk and yogurt with Krsna

__Brahma_vimohan_lila: even Balarama was bewildered by Krsna's

expanding into so many cows & cowherd boys.

Killing Dhenukasura

Dhenukasura symbolizes all the anarthas, bad desires which attack

the devotee. Balarama as the original spiritual master destroys the

demon of impure desires in the heart.

__Subduing Kaliya:

Balarama stood there smiling __ He knew how powerful His younger

brother was and that there was no cause for anxiety when Krsna was

fighting with an ordinary serpent of the material world. He did

not, therefore, personally take any part in their concern.

__ Killing Pralambasura

The demon was undoubtedly very strong and powerful, but he was

carrying Balarama, who is compared with a mountain; therefore he

began to feel the burden, and thus he assumed his real

form...Immediately Balarama struck the head of the demon with His

strong fist, just as the king of the heavenly planets strikes a

mountain with his thunderbolt. Being stricken by the fist of

Balarama, the demon fell down dead, just like a snake with a

smashed head, and blood poured from his mouth...All the boys then

rushed to the spot..."well done, well done", they said.

Lifting Govardhana Hill

Balarama was laughing at Krsna, who was shaking, looking at the

breasts of the gopis...

Balarama takes Varuni_rasa, calls Yamuna

As Nityananda, Balarama cut a canal to every door with HK mantra

Once Balarama, intoxicated with Varuni_rasa, began to address the

ants: "O you kings of the ants! Why are you hiding yourselves in

these holes?".."O King Indra! You plaything of Saci! Why are you

laughing? I am now prepared to smash the whole universe, and I

know that Krsna will not be angry with Me.".."My dear Krsna, tell

Me immediately why the whole world is trembling, and why the moon

has become elongated! And O you members of the Yadu dynasty, why

are you laughing at Me? Please give me back My liquors made of

honey from the kadamba flower!" Srila Rupa Gosvami prays that Lord

Balarama will be pleased with all of us while He is thus talking just like an intoxicated person.

Revatidevi was married to Balarama in Dwaraka.

Raivata was advised by Lord Brahma that his daughter should marry

Balarama. At the end of Dwapara yuga Raivata came to Vraja and

approached Lord Balaram to accept his daughter's hand in marriage.

Balaram accepted his proposal and then placing his plow on the

shoulders of Revati devi pulled her down to the correct size to

match his height and then the wedding was duly performed in

opulence with much pomp and splendor.

__Balarama kills Rukmi

__Balarama kills Romaharsana

__Arjuna kidnaps Subhadra (Balarama passified by Krsna)

__Balarama approves of the fight between Bhima and Durydhana

Balarama's relation to Krsna:

ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya

Lord Balarama is serving Krsna in every respect. He serves Krsna in all the different mellows, right from dasya all the way up to

conjugal. To insure Krsna's pleasure and satisfaction, Balarama

expands Himself as Vraja Mandala; He even expands Himself as all of

Krsna's personal possessions--His throne, crown, bed, ornaments,

clothes--every single material thing that Krsna uses is an

expansion of Lord Balarama.

Parental love within the scope of fraternal affection:

Baladeva addressed Subala: "My dear friend, please inform Krsna

not to go to Kaliya's lake today. Today is His birthday, and so I

wish to go along with Mother Yasoda to bathe Him. Tell Him He

should not leave the house today."

Sometimes Balarama is counted as one of the well_wishing vayasyas

__ friends who are older and feel protective of Krsna: Once

Mandalibhadra was wielding a big sword, Balarama was holding His

big plow, others were agitated and making threatening motions

because they had mistaken a thundercloud over Govardhana Hill to

be Aristasura coming to threaten Krsna.

Description of Balarama:

"Let me take shelter of the lotus feet of Balarama, whose beauty

is enhanced by the earrings touching His cheeks. His face is

decorated with tilaka made from kasturi (musk), and His broad

chest is decorated with a garland of gunja (small conchshells).

His complexion is as white as an autumn cloud, He wears garments

of blue color, and His voice is very grave. His arms are very

long, touching His thighs, and He has shown His great strength by

killing the Pralamba demon. Let me take shelter of this chivalrous

Balarama."

(from Laghu_Bhagavatamrta:)

text 62: "Above Brahmaloka is the home of Prsnigarbha. Where Krsna

stays , there Balarama stays also. His amsa_avatara resides in

Patalaloka, carries always a palm_tree flag, is eloquent, is

decorated with a forest garland, carries a plow, club, and sword, is

decorated with blue garments, and always wears on His head a jewel¬picture of ananta Sesa.

Balarama, the original spiritual master:

Nayam atma bala hinena labhya: One cannot attain the Supreme or any

form of self_realization without being sufficiently favored by

Balarama. Bala does not mean physical strength..One must have the

spiritual strength which is infused by Balarama or Sankarsana.

To attain the lotus feet of Radha-Krsna one must approach the lotus

feet of Balarama or Nityananda. Neither Lord Balarama nor Lord

Nityananda accept any offenses.

Deities

--Dauji: Black Deity of Balarama in Vrndavan, installed 5000 years
ago by Vajranath, the great great grandson of Krsna from Dwaraka.

He is black because He was absorbed in thoughts of Krsna. Revati

stands behind Him, because in Vrndavan Radharani is queen.

Everyone else takes second position.

--Revati-Balaram in Jaipur

--Jagannatha/Subhadra/Balarama:

Story of cat jumping on Deity of Balarama

Prayers

namaste tu halagrama!

namaste musalayudha!

namaste revati-kanta!

namaste bhakta-vatsala!

namaste balinam srestha!

namaste dharanidhara!

pralasvare! namaste tu

ehi mam krsna-purvaja!

Miscellaneous

Krsna-sandarbha 3/9 (SB 10.15.35) "As the thread in a cloth

spreads both lengthwise and breadthwise, so everything we see within

this cosmic manifestation is directly and indirectly existing in

Lord Balarama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is not very

wonderful for Him."

Balarama's position remembered by Yamunadevi when she made offense

to Him. "...now I have come to my senses and I remember that You

hold all the planetary systems on Your head merely by Your partial

expansion as Sesa. You are the sustainer of the whole universe."

(SB10.65.28)

...but Balarama first expands as Laksmana, who then expands as

Ananta_sesa. (confirmed by Indra in Skanda Purana)

Krsna and Balarama are equal in all respects.

The beauty of Jagannatha and Baladeva (from Bhakti Ratnakara)

The beauty of Nilacala Candra was so splendid that it could beat the beauty of a dark cloud about to pour water.á His lotus eyes stretched out of his ears and the beauty of his face could defeat

millions of moons.á How wonderful were his hands, how beautiful and glamorous he appeared in ornaments and bright dress.á Long flower garlands that touched the ground hung from his beautiful_j _

neck and a crown of flowers bedecked his attractive head.-

Srinivasa then looked at the deity of Sri Baladeva who was so

beautiful that he defeated the brillance of the moon or the kinda

flower or a sandal mountain.á What a beautiful face, even a

glance from his eyes could make a kandarpa senseless.á His hands,

eyebrows, large eyes and forehead were so beautiful that it would

be impossible for anyone to describe them properly.á Srinivasa

felt thrilled to see the beauty of Sri Baladeva and became

mesmerised by the beauty of Sri Subhadra.á He also observed the

illustrious Sudarshana Chakra with full satisfaction.á The main

priest of Prabhu Jagannatha gave Srinivasa prasadam and a flower

garland use by the Lord. Srinivas avisited all the temples

within the compound of the main temple and at last he and his

guide returned to the house of Sri Gopinatha where he again paid

his obeisances to the lotus feet of the deity.-

The story of a Govardhan brahmin who was a devotee of Baladev

Once a rich devotee of Baladev named Artha Vanta lived in

Govardhan. His mind was always absorbed in thoughts of

Balarama. He believed that one day Baladeva would kindly grant

him darshan for that reason he wandered around Govardhan. The

brahmin was fortunate and one day he got the information that

Baladev would grant him darshan. Just to fulfil this devotee's

desire Nityananda Nandaram went to Govardhan on pilgrimage.

Nityananda remained in a lonely place but whoever saw him was

moved by his celestial body.