Balarama

by Mahavegavati d.d.
This is being submitted for the pleasure of the devotees

Hare Krsna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, Who by His mercy and the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Nityananda, Lord Sri Krsna, and our Guru Varga, has brought this Sanatan Dharma to the world. Due to such mercy of all of the great Vaisnava Acaryas, we are fortunate to have been given the information we have about the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna, and His expansions, His devotees, and Lord Balaram.

When Lord Ramacandra appeared in the Treta Yuga, He was accompanied to the forest by His wife, Mother Sita, and His younger brother, Laksman. Laksman seeing that He was not able to have any control over the situation, (due to His being the younger brother of the Lord, and not being able to override Lord Ramacandra’s decisions), decided that He would never accept such a position on the future. Thus, when Krsna came in the Dvarpara Yuga, Lord Balaram appeared as the older brother of Krsna. Lord Balaram is the first expansion of Krsna, and is non-different from Krsna Himself. Srila Prabhupada explained that other than a difference in color –Krsna being blackish like the rain cloud; Lord Balaram, white in color there is no difference in Their bodily features.

In Nectar of Devotion, one devotee glorifies Lord Balaram, Lord Balaram’s beauty is enhanced by the earrings touching His cheeks. His face is decorated with tilak made from kasturi (musk), and His broad chest is decorates with a garland of gunja. 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 great strength by killing the Pralamba demon. Let me take shelter of this chivalrous Balaram. Bala, (the source of all spiritual power), Ram, (by which one can attain the highest bliss of life, Ramana), is the original spiritual master, from Whom Guru comes. Nayam atma bala hinena labhya; one cannot attain the Supreme without the favor of Lord Balaram.

Lord Balaram’s mood in relation to Krsna is that of friendship mixed with servitude and parental feeling. He, being the older brother of Krsna, feels a parental sense of protection and concern towards Krsna, and when Krsna goes to herd the cows with His friends, Mother Yasoda puts Her Kanaiya (Krsna), directly under the protection of His older Brother, Lord Balaram. Mother Yasoda makes sure to get Lord Balaram’s word, that He will keep His “younger brother” under His watchful gaze, and protect Him. Sometimes, even in the “older years,” Lord Balaram will also give instruction to Krsna as well.
In Srila Prabhuapada’s “Krsna Book” after Krsna abducted Rukmini and defeated Rukmi after fighting with him, (cutting his beard, hair and moustache), Lord Balaram spoke the following words of chastisement to please His new sister-in-law: “Krsna, Your action is not at all satisfactory. This is an abomination very much contrary to our family tradition! To cut someone’s hair and shave his moustache and beard is almost comparable to killing him, whatever Rukmi might have been, he is now our brother-in-law, a relative of our family, and You should not have put him into such a condition.”

Lord Balaram is known for His infathomable strength, both material and spiritual, yet despite that strength, out of His love for the cowherd boys, He will allow them to “defeat” him in mock fighting. Lord Balaram returned to Vrndavan out of His love for the Brijbasis who were suffering intense pain of separation from Krsna. Lord Balaram cried to see their fate. To sooth the pangs of separation of the gopis, Lord Balaram stayed in Vrndavan for two months and engaged in the Rasa lila with some of these gopis. It was at this time that Lord Balaram threatened Yamuna Devi with His plow, and started to pull on Her banks, when She, forgetting Lord Balaram’s position and strength, (thinking Him to be intoxicated), would not come to Him when He called Her. After Yamuna Devi’s heartfelt prayers and submission to Lord Balaram, He, being pleased, forgave Her. Thus, Yamuna Devi developed many branches, these tributaries attesting to the position and power of Lord Balaram.

On another occasion, Lord Balaram taking service from His plow, almost dragged the city of Hastinapur into the Ganges. After Samba had been caught by the Kuru princes and held captive after his abducting Laksmana, the daughter of Duryodhan, to marry her, Narada Muni brought the news to the Yadus. The members of the Yadu dynasty hearing such news, were ready to go and fight with the Kurus. Lord Balaram wanted to avoid such a fight so He went to Hastinapur to negotiate a “truce” with the Kurus hoping to induce the Kurus to release Samba along with his newly acquired wife, Laksmana.
After offering His proposal, Lord Balaram, with such supremacy, speaking in a very assertive, and commanding tone, the Kuru leaders did not appreciate Lord Balaram’s dictations, and thus replied with words expressing the power of their dynasty. Lord Balaram displeased with their pride became very angry, His bodily features such, that it was very difficult for anyone to look at Him. Threatening the Kurus to “rid the world of their dynasty,” Lord Balaram proceded to strike the earth with His plow, this striking causing extreme fear into the hearts of everyone present in Hastinapur. The Kurus seeing that Lord Balaram was separating their city from the rest of the Earth planet, dragging Hastinapur into the Ganges, they immediately brought forth Samba and his wife, Laksmana, and began offering prayers and glorifications to Lord Balaram. Being pleased with their prayers, Lord Balaram was appeased, and accepted the dowry offering given by Duryodhan, and brought Samba and his new wife back to Dwaraka.

Lord Balaram was also present for another wedding ceremony; the wedding of Lord Krsna’s grandson, Aniruddha to Rukmi’s granddaughter, Rocana. The wedding took place in Rukmi’s city of Bhojakata, Rukmi having offered his daughter’s hand in marriage to Aniruddha to please his sister, Rukmini.

After the wedding, the King of Kalinga, a friend of Rukmi, advised Rukmi that Lord Balaram was not a good chess player, and that if he wanted to insult Krsna through His brother Lord Balaram, he should challenge Lord Balaram to a game of chess. It was figured that Rukmi would win, and win he did…but…After winning so many games, Rukmi lost a game, but cheated and said that he had won. Lord Balaram, becoming angry, challenged Rukmi to another game, again winning. Rukmi again tried to cheat, saying that he had won, being supported by his friend, the King of Kalinga. Despite a divine voice from the sky stating that Lord Balaram had won, Rukmi continued to insist that he had done so. Rukmi then started to insult both Krsna and Balaram, and Lord Balaram became most angry, His eyes burning like cinders. With one swift stroke of His club to the head of Rukmi, Rukmi fell down dead. Lord Balaram then took his club to the King of Kalinga, knocking out all of his teeth which had been used for laughing at Lord Balaram. The other accompanying princes supporting Rukmi were clubbed as well, their hands and legs broken while they were trying to run away.

Thus, may we all please Lord Balaram with our service, submissive prayers, and glorification of Him and His devotees, so that we may attain the mercy of Lord Balaram and not incur His displeasure.

Lord Balaram is the original Guru, and as such, to teach one lesson, (and to set example), He killed Romaharsana Suta, who, while sitting on the Vyasasana, due to pride, did not exhibit the proper etiquette to get up to offer respects to a superior personality, (Lord Balaram) Who had come. Simply with a piece of Kusa grass, Lord Balaram stuck him dead. Upon the request of the gathered saintly persons, Lord Balaram accepted their recommendations for “atonement” for His act of killing Romaharsan Suta. It should be noted that the sages said that there was no fault in what Lord Balaram had done, but for the sake of other people who might misunderstand the actions of the Lord, He should undergo some recommended process of atonement.

As Ananta Sesa, Lord Balaram is holding millions of planets on His innumerable heads. He is also chanting the glories and pastimes of His beloved Lord, Krsna with all of His mouths, never being able to tell all. Lord Balaram serves Krsna by His accepting the form of the Lord’s paraphernalia; shoes, clothing, ornaments, Brahmin thread, etc. He seeks every opportunity to render service to His Lord, Sri Krsna. (And Krsna wants to render service to His “older brother.”)

Sometimes alone, sometimes with His brother, Krsna, Lord Balaram kills the various demons that come to Vrndavan and elsewhere disturbing the great saintly persons. Lord Balaram killed the demons Dhenukasura on the asking of the cowherd boys; the Pralambasura, Mustika, Kuta (these and other wrestlers in the arena of Kamsa), the eight brothers of Kamsa, Dvivida, Rukmi and Balvala.

May we all be blessed with the mercy and compassion of Lord Balaram, Who is so kind to the fallen souls. He so kindly expands Himself as Sri Guru, the extreme example of compassion being Lord Nityananda.

All glories to Lord Balaram.

I remain your fallen servant,
Mahavegavati Dasi

Hare Krsna

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