Appearance of Lord Balarama

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Aug 12, 2011, 6:08:22 AM8/12/11
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Since Tomorrow is the Auspicious Appearance Day of Lord Balarama, Let us understand about him and his divine pastimes.
 
ISKCON Delhi, East of Kailash is celebrating this festival tomorrow at 5:00 PM starting with Abhishek. Followed by Bhoga offering @ 6:30 PM and Arati @ 7:00 PM
 
The following excerpts are from Srila Prabhupada's books.
 
P.S. Attached is a PDF file of the same content with images for reading at your convinience.
 

Introduction

 

Sri Krishna Himself has explained in the Bhagavad-gita that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that whenever there are discrepancies in the regulative principles of man’s religious life and a prominence of irreligious activities, He appears on this earthly planet. In other words, when Lord Sri Krishna appeared, there was a necessity of minimizing the load of sinful activities accumulated on this planet, or in this universe.

 

In sacred Vedic Theology, it is described how Lord Balarama is the first personal bodily expansion of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All other incarnations expand from Him. In Lord Krishna's earthly pastimes, He plays as Krishna's older brother.  Together Krishna and Balarama enact many pastimes as cowherd boys in the land of Vrindavana. Lord Balarama carries a plow and club and is known for His great strength. Whereas Krishna is blue, Balarama is white.

 

This Tuesday, 24th of August is the very auspicious Appearance Day of the same Lord Balarama. So I thought let us know more about this Supreme Personality of Godhead, his birth and his activities.

 

 

 

 

Appearance Of Lord Balarama

 

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. She was joyful, for she could understand that Lord Visnu had taken shelter within her womb, but at the same time she was sorry that as soon as her child would come out, Kamsa would kill Him. At that time, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, being compassionate upon the fearful condition of the Yadus, due to atrocities committed by Kamsa, ordered the appearance of His Yogamaya, or His internal potency. The Yogamaya is the principal potency of the Personality of Godhead.

 

The Lord thus informed Yogamaya: "Under the imprisonment of Kamsa are Devaki and Vasudeva, and at the present moment, My plenary expansion, Sesa, is within the womb of Devaki. You can arrange the transfer of Sesa from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini. Rohini, one of the wives of Vasudeva, was residing at the house of King Nanda and Queen Yasoda in Vrindavan.

 

The Lord also declared to Yogamaya that His plenary expansion, Ananta Sesa, was within the womb of Devaki. On account of being forcibly attracted to the womb of Rohini, He will be known as Sankarsana and would be the source of all spiritual power or bala, by which one could be able to attain the highest bliss of life which is called ramana. Therefore the plenary portion Ananta would be known after His appearance either as Sankarsana or Balarama.

 

 

Significance of Lord Balarama

 

In the Upaniads it is stated, Nāyam ātmā bala hīnena labhya. The purport is that one cannot attain the Supreme or any form of self-realization without being sufficiently favored by Balarāma. Bala does not mean physical strength. No one can attain spiritual perfection by physical strength. One must have the spiritual strength which is infused by Balarāma or Sakaraa. Ananta or Śea is the power which sustains all the planets in their different positions. Materially this sustaining power is known as the law of gravitation, but actually it is the display of the potency of Sakaraa. Balarāma or Sakaraa is spiritual power, or the original spiritual master. Therefore Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, who is also the incarnation of Balarāma, is the original spiritual master. And the spiritual master is the representative of Balarāma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who supplies spiritual strength. In the Caitanya-caritāmta it is confirmed that the spiritual master is the manifestation of the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.

 

 

Killing of Pralmbasura

 

In order to avoid the company of Krsna, Pralambasura carried Balarama far away. 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. When he appeared in his real feature, he was decorated with a golden helmet and earrings and looked just like a cloud with lightning carrying the moon. Balarama observed the demon's body expanding up to the limits of the clouds, his eyes dazzling like blazing fire and his mouth flashing with sharpened teeth. But with a clear mind He could quickly understand that He was being carried away from His friends by a demon who intended to kill Him. Immediately He 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. When the demon fell, he made a tremendous sound, and it sounded as if a great hill were falling upon being struck by the thunderbolt of King Indra. All the boys then rushed to the spot. Being astonished by the ghastly scene, they began to praise Balarama with the words, "Well done, well done." All of them began to embrace Balarama with great affection, thinking that He had returned from death, and they offered their blessings and congratulations. All the demigods in the heavenly planets became very satisfied and showered flowers on the transcendental body of Balarama for His having killed the great demon Pralambasura.

 

 

Killing of Dhenukasura

Sridama, Subala and Stoka Krsna addressed Krsna and Balarama: "Dear Balarama, You are very powerful; Your arms are very strong. Dear Krsna, You are very expert in killing all kinds of disturbing demons. There is a big forest of the name Talavana. This forest is full of palm trees, and all the trees are filled with fruits. It is a very nice place, but because of a great demon, Dhenukasura, it is very difficult to go there. No one can reach the trees to collect the fruits. Dear Krsna and Balarama, this demon is present there in the form of an ass, and he is surrounded by similar demon friends who assume the same shape. All of them are very strong, so it is very difficult to approach this place. Dear brothers, You are the only persons who can kill such demons. Dear Balarama, let us all go there and enjoy these fruits. The aroma of the fruits is now spread everywhere. Don't You smell it from here?" When Balarama and Krsna were thus petitioned by Their smiling, intimate friends, They were inclined to please them, and They began to proceed towards the forest, surrounded by all Their friends.

Immediately upon entering the Talavana, Balarama began to yank the trees with His arms, exhibiting the strength of an elephant. Upon hearing the sound of the falling fruits, the demon Dhenukasura, who was living there in the form of an ass, began to approach with great force, shaking the whole field appeared before Balarama and began to kick His chest with his hind legs. Balarama immediately caught hold of the legs of the ass with one hand and, wheeling him around, threw him into the treetops. While he was being wheeled around by Balarama, the demon lost his life. This exhibition of extraordinary strength is not astonishing because Balarama is the Personality of Godhead known as Ananta Sesa Naga, who is holding all the planets on the hoods of His millions of heads. The whole cosmic manifestation is maintained by Him exactly as two threads hold the weaving of a cloth. Hearing of this great incident, the demigods from the higher planets began to shower flowers on Krsna and Balarama and began to beat their drums and offer devotional prayers.

 

Killing of Dvivida

 

This gorilla was a great friend of Bhaumasura's, or Narakasura's, who was killed by Krsna in connection with his kidnapping sixteen thousand princesses from all over the world. When Dvivida gorilla heard the story of his friend Bhaumasura's being killed by Lord Krsna, he planned to create mischief throughout the country in order to avenge the death of Bhaumasura. The city of Dvaraka was situated in this Kathwar province, and because Lord Krsna used to live in this city, Dvivida specifically made it his target of disturbance.

 

Dvivida was as powerful as 10,000 elephants. Sometimes he would go to the seashore, and with his powerful hands he would create so much disturbance in the sea that he would overflood the neighboring cities and villages. When Lord Balarama personally saw the disturbances created by the gorilla and heard that he had already performed many mischievous activities all over the country, He became very angry and decided to kill him. Immediately He took His club in His hands.

 

Lord Balarama took His club by the name of Sunanda and began to hit the gorilla with it. The gorilla's head was severely injured. Since the gorilla was very angry, he took another tree in his hands and began to strike Lord Balarama's body. Again Lord Balarama tore the tree to pieces, and the fighting continued.

 

Then, with great force, Dvivida began to beat the chest of Lord Balarama with his fists. This time Lord Balarama became most angry. Since the gorilla was striking Him with his hands, He would not strike him back with His own weapons, the club or the plow. Simply with His fists He began to strike the collarbone of the gorilla. This striking proved to be fatal to Dvivida, who immediately vomited blood and fell unconscious upon the ground. When the gorilla fell, it appeared that all the hills and forests tottered.

 

All Glories to Lord Balarama



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In service of Srila Prabhupada
IYF Delhi
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ISKCON Youth Forum
Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir
East of Kailash, New Delhi.

Appearance Of Lord Balarama.pdf
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