– The Appearance day of Lord Balaram

Just like Lord Krishna’s appearance day is known as Krishna Janmastami, the appearance day of Lord Balaram, who is the elder brother of Krishna, is known as Balarama purnima, or Balarama jayanti. Lord Balarama (or Balaram) is the first bodily expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, but He plays the role of His elder brother. By Lord Balaram’s mercy one can receive the mercy of Lord Krishna. Lord Balaram appeared as the son of Rohini and Vasudeva during Dvapara yuga. According to Vedic calendar, Balarama punima is the fifteenth day of Shravan month.

Lord Balaram at ISKCON’s Sri Krishna Balaram mandir, Vrindavan
Balaram purnima is celebrated especially in the Dauji temple in Vrindavan, where Sri Balarama and Srimati Revati (the consort of Balarama) reside in Their nitya-lila, or eternal pastimes. The same festival is also celebrated in many other temples around India,  and especially after the inception of ISKCON in 1969, Sri Balarama jayanti has become one of the main Vaishnava festivals all over the world.

The day before Balarama purnima, an adhivasa ceremony is performed in the evening to invoke auspiciousness for the next day celebration. On the day of Balarama purnima, devotees fast till noon and engage in hearing and chanting of the transcendental names and

 

glories of Lord Balaram. Just like Lord Krishna is happy when His name is connected to His devotees names, like Radha Govind, Yashoda Dulal, Nanda Nandan, Gopijana Vallabh and so, His devotees are also very happy when they are known by their relationship with Krishna. This is why devotees chant Dauji ka bhaiya Krishna kanhaiya for the pleasure of Lord Balaram.

In the evening, devotees play Lord Balarama’s pastime of breaking a honey pot. They go blindfolded with a stick in hand and try to break the pot hanging high. After many attempt when the pot finally breaks, devotees relish the honey and maha-prasada. Some devotee also make some varuni-like drink and distribute in a very minute quantity to all participants as maha prasad.

Balarama purnima is also the day when Sri Sri Radha-Krishn

 

a’s 5-day Jhulan yatra, or swing festival ends for the year. This is why this day is also known as Jhulan Purnima. In many parts of India, people celebrate this day as Raksha bandhan when sisters tie Rakhi and wish all protection to brothers. There is a historical significance to this. This day also marks the last day of the first month of chatur-mas.

Lord Balarama came as Nityananda Prabhu when Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is non-different from Lord Krishna, appeared. Lord Chaitanya offered Vyas puja to Nityananda Prabhu because He, being non-different from Lord Balaram is the original guru.

Balarama purnima ki Jay! Sri Sri Krishna Balaram ki jay!

Knowing more about Lord Sri Balarama on His Appearance day

 

Lord Sri Krishna, the absolute Personality of Godhead, is the primeval Lord, the original form of Godhead, and His first bodily expansion is Sri Balaram. These two are one and the same identity. They differ only in form. Lord Balaram assists in Lord Krishna’s transcendental pastimes.

We know Lord Krishna and Krishna Janmastami but not all of us know much about Lord Balarama, or Balaram, the transcendental elder brother of Lord Krishna. Just seven days before the appearance of Krishna appeared Balaram, the first expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Whenever Lord Krishna appears in any part of the universe, Lord Balarama also appears to assist Him.

Last year we published an article titled “Celebrating Lord Balarama Appearance day“. It was mentioned how the celebration of Sri Balarama purnima, or Sri Balarama jayanti, is celebrated particularly in the Dauji temple in Vrindavan, where Sri Balarama and Srimati Revati (the consort of Balarama) reside in Their nitya-lila, or eternal pastimes. The same festival is also celebrated in many other temples around India,  and especially after the inception of ISKCON in 1969, Sri Balarama jayanti has become one of the main Vasihnava festivals all over the world. Balarama jayanti is the full moon day of the Shravana month.

The following is taken from the same article.

Generally people have vague ideas about Lord Krishna and His incarnations. Lord Balaram is Lord Krishna’s very first expansion. It is important that we understand His transcendental position in the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the cosmic manifestation.

Ksidodakashayi Vishnu, who is an expansion of Lord Balaram, is being approached by different demigods at the Milk ocean
In the Sri Chaitanya charitamrita, Srila Prabhupada gives us the following information on Lord Balaram.

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the fountainhead of all incarnations. Lord Balaram is His second body.

“Lord Sri Krishna, the absolute Personality of Godhead, is the primeval Lord, the original form of Godhead, and His first expansion is Sri Balaram. The Personality of Godhead can expand Himself in innumerable forms. The forms that have unlimited potency are called svamsha, and forms that have limited potencies (the living entities) are called vibhinnamsha

“These two are one and the same identity. They differ only in form. Lord Balaram is the first bodily expansion of Krishna, and He assists in Lord Krishna’s transcendental pastimes.

“Balaram is a svamsha expansion of the Lord, and therefore there is no difference in potency between Krishna and Balaram. The only difference is in Their bodily structure. As the first expansion of Godhead, Balaram is the chief Deity among the first quadruple forms, and He is the foremost assistant of Sri Krishna in His transcendental activities.

“Lord Balaram is the original Sankashan. He assumes five other forms to serve Lord Krishna. He Himself helps in the pastimes of Lord Krishna, and He does the work of creation in four other forms. He executes the orders of Lord Krishna in the work of creation, and in the form of Lord Shesha He serves Krishna in various ways.

Sri Krishna Balaram mandir at ISKCON Vrindavan
“According to expert opinion, Balaram, as the chief of the original quadruple forms, is also the original Sankarshan. Balaräma, the first expansion of Krishna, expands Himself in five forms: (1) Maha-Sankarshan, (2) Karanodakashayi Vishnu, (3) Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, (4) Ksirodakashayi Vishnu, and (5) Shesha. These five plenary portions are responsible for both the spiritual and material cosmic manifestations. In these five forms Lord Balaram assists Lord Krishna in His activities. The first four of these forms are responsible for the cosmic manifestations, whereas Lord Shesha is responsible for personal service to the Lord. Shesha is called Ananta, or unlimited, because He assists the Personality of Godhead in His unlimited expansions by performing an unlimited variety of services. Sri Balaram is the servitor Godhead who serves Lord Krishna in all affairs of existence and knowledge. Lord Nityananda Prabhu, who is the same servitor Godhead, Balaram, performs the same service to Lord Gauranga by constant association.

“That original Lord Krishna appeared in Navadvip as Lord Caitanya, and Balarama appeared with Him as Lord Nityänanda. In all the forms He tastes the transcendental bliss of serving Krishna. That same Balaram is Lord Nityananda, the companion of Lord Gaurasundara.””

 

Lord Balarama – Understanding God’s elder brother

 

Most people in India and in the world, including religious leaders and saintly persons today, are unaware that although God resides in everyone’s heart in His extended form as Paramatma, He also resides eternally in the spiritual world in His original form, Bhagavan. Due to lack of this information, they end up spreading inaccurate understanding of God, thus unknowingly misleading their innocent followers.

 

We know God is the one who created all of us. Fine, but then how come we hear that He has father, mother and elders? Isn’t He the original person? Some say that when God comes to this world, He enacts different pastimes and some personalities like Lakshman and Balarama appear as His elder brothers. Even then, the question is, who are those greatly fortunate personalities playing such an important role as God’s elder brother, and what happens to them when God winds up His visible pastimes? Do they go back with the Lord? And if they do, where do they all go?

These, and many such questions, may sound childish or unnecessary, but in reality they are extremely important questions. To know God does not only mean to know that He exists and that He is great. To know God means knowing His transcendental personality, His surroundings, His abode, His friends, His family members, His likes, dislikes, His divine forms, His pastimes, His pure, unalloyed devotees, or eternal associates, and so on.

Sri Balarama is well known as Krishna’s elder brother, but He is not a temporary elder brother Lord Krishna – He is His eternal elder brother. This can easily sound contradictory to the very definition of God but the most wonderful thing about God is, He accepts His devotees as His superiors. Not only during one of two incarnations but He accepts them as His eternal superiors.

To understand this, first we need to realize that the Supreme Lord, or God, is a person; a real living person like us but far more superior to us, beyond imagination. As oppose to our bodies, His body is fully transcendental, full of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Lord Krishna is accepted by all Vedic scriptures as the Supreme Personality of Godhead having His eternal abode in Goloka Vrindavan in the spiritual sky.

It is clearly mentioned in Brahma Samhita- goloka eva nivasati akhiatma bhuto govindam adi purusham tamaham bhajami.  That the Supreme Lord Govinda, or Krishna, eternally resides in Goloka dham and He is the super soul of all souls. He Himself expands into different Vishnu forms and among those innumerable Vishnu forms, Lord Balarama is His first Vishnu expansion. So although Balarama is Krishna’s elder brother, He is always engaged in serving Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada explains in Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita that Lord Balarama, as the chief of the original quadruple forms, is also the original Sankarshan. Balarama, the first expansion of Krishna, expands Himself in five forms: (1) Maha-Sankarshan, (2) Karanodakashayi Vishnu, (3) Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, (4) Ksirodakashayi Vishnu, and (5) Shesha.

“These five plenary portions are responsible for both the spiritual and material cosmic manifestations. In these five forms Lord Balarama assists Lord Krishna in His activities. The first four of these forms are responsible for the cosmic manifestations, whereas Lord Shesha is responsible for personal service to the Lord. Shesha is called Ananta, or unlimited, because He assists the Personality of Godhead in His unlimited expansions by performing an unlimited variety of services. Sri Balarama is the servitor Godhead who serves Lord Krishna in all affairs of existence and knowledge. Lord Nityananda Prabhu, who is the same servitor Godhead, Balarama, performs the same service to Lord Gauranga by constant association.”

In the same Sri Chaitanya charitamrita, Srila Prabhupada gives us the following information on Lord Balarama.

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the fountainhead of all incarnations. Lord Balarama is His second body.

“Lord Sri Krishna, the absolute Personality of Godhead, is the primeval Lord, the original form of Godhead, and His first expansion is Sri Balarama. The Personality of Godhead can expand Himself in innumerable forms. The forms that have unlimited potency are called svamsha, and forms that have limited potencies (the living entities) are called vibhinnamsha

“These two are one and the same identity. They differ only in form. Lord Balarama is the first bodily expansion of Krishna, and He assists in Lord Krishna’s transcendental pastimes.

“Balarama is a svamsha expansion of the Lord, and therefore there is no difference in potency between Krishna and Balarama. The only difference is in Their bodily structure. As the first expansion of Godhead, Balarama is the chief Deity among the first quadruple forms, and He is the foremost assistant of Sri Krishna in His transcendental activities.

“Lord Balarama is the original Sankashan. He assumes five other forms to serve Lord Krishna. He Himself helps in the pastimes of Lord Krishna, and He does the work of creation in four other forms. He executes the orders of Lord Krishna in the work of creation, and in the form of Lord Shesha He serves Krishna in various ways.

Most people in India and in the world, including religious leaders and saintly persons today, are unaware that although God resides in everyone’s heart in His extended form as Paramatma, He also resides eternally in the spiritual world in His original form, Bhagavan. Due to lack of this information, they end up spreading inaccurate understanding of God, thus unknowingly misleading their innocent followers. Having detailed information about Lord Krishna and His expansions like Lord Balarama and other Vishnu incarnations helps one understand God better.

It is the greatest fortune of human beings today that the original Lord Krishna appeared in Navadvip, India, as Lord Chaitanya, and Lord Balarama appeared with Him as Lord Nityananda just a few more than 500 years ago. The present-day Hare Krishna movement was inaugurated by Lord Chaitanya Himself for saving the mankind from the onslaughts of Kaliyuga.

Today, on this most auspicious day of Lord Balaram’s appearance day, known as Sri Balaram Jayanti, or Balarama Purnima, we pray that the world leaders recognize their ongoing failures on various fronts in their attempts to bring peace to the planet, and, instead of misleading the mankind towards atheism in the name of secularism, promote surrender to Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as that is the most easiest and surest way to achieve peace in the world. Hare Krishna.