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Balarama

He is the older brother of Krishna. He is white and has two hands. He usually carries a plow or a club (and sometimes both). He is often seen in pictures with Krishna and with the cowherd boys. He usually wears a blue dhoti. He is also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha or Haladhara. He married Revati, the daughter of King Raivata. They had two sons named Nisatha and Ulmuka.

Rupa Gosvami in the Nectar of Devotion describes the beauty of Balarama. “Let me take shelter of the lotus feet of Balarama, whose beauty is enhanced by the earrings touching His checks. His face is decorated with tilaka made from kasturi (musk). 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.”

Balarama is the son of Vasudeva. He first appeared in the womb of Vasudeva’s wife Devaki, but was mystically transferred to Rohini’s womb. (Rohini is another of Vasudeva’s wives). This was done to prevent Kamsa from killing him at his birth. Kamsa was destined to be killed by Devaki’s eighth son, and to not take any chances he was killing all the sons born to Devaki at birth.
Balarama trained both Bhima and Duryodhana in club fighting. Eventually, his students faced one another in the final combat of the Kurukshetra war. Because of this, Balarama chose to remain neutral during the conflict.

Balarama killed the ass-demon named Dhenukasura. One time Duryodhana locked up Krishna’s son Samba in Hastinapur. Balarama went there and demanded his release. When Duryodhana refused he took his plow and started to drag the city into the Yamuna. To save the city Duryodhana released Samba.

“Sri Baladeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He is equal in supremacy to the Supreme Godhead, yet whereever Krishna appears, Sri Baladeva appears as Krishna’s brother sometimes elder, sometimes younger.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.1.24 purport)

“In His vaibhava-prakahsa feature, Lord Krishna manifests Himself as Balarama. The Balarama feature is as good as Krishna Himself, the only difference being that the bodily hue of Krishna is dark and that Balarama is fair.” (TLC, Chap 7)
“Sri Balarama is the servitor Godhead who serves Lord Krishna in all affairs of existence and knowledge. The transcendental abode exists by the energy of Lord Balarama. Krishna’s first expansion in a form for pastimes is Balarama. Balarama Himself helps in the pastimes of Lord Krishna and He does the work of creation in four other forms. In all forms Balarama tastes the transcendental bliss of serving Krishna.” (Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 4.8-11)

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides