Balarama Avatar: Role, Divine Powers & Benefits of Worship

Lord Balarama, often known as the elder brother of Lord Shri Krishna, but he is more than that. He is the first expansion of the Supreme Lord, Lord Krishna. As being the first expansion, He is the first servant of Lord Krishna. Despite His divine personality, His service towards Lord Krishna is eternal.

Role of Balarama in Lord Krishna’s Pastimes

Lord Balarama or Baladeva appeared as the son of Mother Rohini, the wife of Vasudev in Vrindavan. He spent His entire life serving Lord Krishna from Vrindavan to Mathura. This divine form of Lord Balaram is celebrated as Balaram Purnima.

Slaying the Demons to Protect the Dharma:

i) Dhenukasura: During childhood times, Lord Krishna and Lord Balaram faced a lot of demon attacks. These demons were purposely sent by King Kamsa, the ruler of Mathura, to kill Lord Krishna.

He has killed Dhenukasura,a demon donkey who threatened the entire Talavana forest. This forest was famous for its aromatic and most delicious fruits that was owned by King Kansa.

He owned the entire Talavan upon his power and the threat of demons. Also, he made the fruits inaccessible to everyone, including the demigods.

ii) Pralambasura: During their childhood times, they were attacked by another human-like demon, named Pralambasura. He was sent by King Kamsa to kill Lord Krishna. This demon took the form of a cowherd boy, about the same age as Lord Krishna and Lord Balaram at that time.

The reason behind this was to trick the friends of Lord Krishna, including Lord Balaram, during their playtime and kill them all. But Lord Balaram killed this demon and saved everyone.

Glories of the Balarama Avatars

Glories of the Balarama Avatars i) Anant Shesa: Anant Shesa is the thousand-headed serpent upon whom Lord Vishnu resides in Kṣīra-sāgara. He is the very first expansion of Lord Balarama. He serves the Lord as His bed and throne. His appearance is widely celebrated as Anant Chaturdashi among all the devotees of Lord Krishna.

The word 'Anant'means limitless, which defines his sole purpose. His only purpose is to eternally serve the Lord in dāsya-bhāva(the mood of a servant).

He has a very important role in the cosmic manifestation, which is glorified in the text of Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto five, Chapter seventeen,text twenty one as:

यमाहुरस्य स्थितिजन्मसंयमंत्रिभिर्विहीनं यमनन्तमृषय: । न वेद सिद्धार्थमिव क्‍वचित्स्थितंभूमण्डलं मूर्धसहस्रधामसु॒ ॥ २१ ॥

~ŚB 5.17.21

Translation: Lord Śiva continued: All the great sages accept the Lord as the source of creation, maintenance, and destruction, although He has nothing to do with these activities. Therefore, the Lord is called unlimited. Although the Lord in His incarnation as Śeṣa holds all the universes on His hoods, each universe feels no heavier than a mustard seed to Him. Therefore, what person desiring perfection will not worship the Lord?

ii) Lord Lakshmana: A well-known character from the scriptural texts of Ramayana. He is a divine incarnation of Lord Balaram. In this form, He has served Lord Rama throughout His life. Lord Rama is one of the expansions of the Supreme Lord, Lord Krishna.

During the 14-year exile of Lord Rama, He joined Him in this exile and served Him in a lot of ways. He guards Lord Rama and Mata Sita during day and night.

Also, He has defeated Meghnad, the son of King Ravana, and many other powerful demons.

iii) Nityananda Prabhu: In the age of Kali-Yuga, Lord Balarama appeared as Nityananda Prabhu. This divine appearance is celebrated as Nityananda Trayodashi. This festival marks an important day in the Vaishnava Calendar.

Lord Balarama appeared as Nityananda to serve Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the divine incarnation of the Supreme Lord, Lord Krishna. Nityananda Prabhu became the close assistant of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

His solely purpose was to serve Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and spread His Harinam Sankirtan:

"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare"

Powers of Balarama

Powers of Balarama Lord Balarama is known for His spiritual and physical power. He has always been a part of the fight against Dharma. he represented the perfect balance of strength, power, and devotion.

i) Physical Strength: He has unmatchable physical strength. But rather than being ignorant and proud of His ability, He has been Kind and righteous towards everyone.

ii) Expansion Powers: Lord Balaram is Himself an expansion of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Lord. He has the power to expand himself further into many forms. In all of His forms, He has always served His Supreme Master, Lord Shri Krishna.

a) Anant Shesa - To serve Lord Vishu;
b) Lakshamana - To serve Lord Rama.
c) Nityananada Prabhu - To serve Lord Chaitanaya Mahaprabhu;

Lord Vishnu, Lord Rama, and Chaitanaya Mahaprabhu are all the divine incarnations of Lord Krishna.

iii) Spiritual Knowledge - Lord Balaram is also worshipped as Adi-Guru on the special occasion of Balaram Purnima. His guidance is said to be necessary for the devotees to grow on their spiritual journey.

To worship Lord Krishna, one requires the blessings of Lord Balaram. It's necessary to win over the material desires and surrender to Lord Krishna.

iv) Weapon Expert- Lord Balaram was known as the expert of using the gada(a weapon to fight).. Before the Kurushetra war, he taught the right way of using this weapon to both Bhim and Duryodhan.

v) Neutral and Detached - Despite being involved in all the material works during His incarnations, He has never been affected by them. Not a single desire succeeded in separating Him from His services towards Lord Krishna.

He has always served Lord Krishna in His particular roles. But he was always detached from his desires and emotions.

This intense serving attitude makes Him the one and only spiritual master for the devotees of Lord Krishna.

Benefits of Worshipping Lord Balarama

Worshipping Lord Balarama is beneficial to purify the heart and the spiritual intellect of a person. When you worship Lord Balaram, He helps you to overcome the worldly distractions.

i) Mind Purification: Being a conditioned soul, our mind is entangled in worldly affairs all the time. This isn’t favorable towards the devotion of the Supreme Lord.

But when you worship Lord Balaram, he purifies the mind so that it can focus on spiritual Knowledge and understand it.

ii) Spiritual Strength: Lord Balarama has been known for his intense power, both spiritual and physical. worshipping Him will provide you with the spiritual strength to carry on your spiritual journey.

Even if you haven’t started your Krishna Consciousness journey, He will bless you with the strength to start it right away.

iii) Inner Balance: Devoting to the Supreme Lord, Lord Krishna, is a test in itself to see if one can maintain humility while sacrificing material desires. It isn’t easy to accomplish without the blessing of a spiritual master.

A spiritual master is a pure devotee of Lord Krishna. He becomes a bridge between the devotees and the Supreme Lord.

Lord Balaram is the spiritual master for all the devotees of Lord Shri Krishna. He guides them the right way towards the Supreme Lord.

iv) Protects From Negativity: In all His incarnations, Lord Balaram has always been righteous. He supported Dharma in every situation.

In this age of Kali-Yuga, more than half of the total percentage of living beings are unrighteous. They are prioritizing comfort over everything.

In such a situation, it is hard to even accept the ultimate reality- that you are not a body, you are a soul. The ultimate purpose of the soul is to serve the Supreme Lord. Hence, we must worship Lord Balaram so that he helps us to understand the reality and live accordingly.

How to Worship Balarama

1) Observe Fasting: Observe fasting on the special occasion of Balaram Purnima. It is the day when Lord Balram appears as the elder brother of Lord Krishna.

There are two ways to fast:-

i) You can follow the fasting of devotees, where they restrict food and water the entire day.

ii) You can follow the common fasting, where you can have the fasting food and drinks the entire day.

The most important thing is sincerity. Be sincere when you fast for Lord Balram.

2) Read Scriptural books: Lord Balram is the eternal servant of Lord Krishna. Read the original teachings of Bhagavad Gita, He would be happy.

3) Chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra: The Hare Krishna Mahamantra includes the name of Lord Krishna and Shrimati RahaRani. Chanting the holy names of His Supreme Master would please Him.

4) Donation: When you donate some help to the poor people and animals, it pleases Lord Krishna. If the Supreme Lord will be pleased, Lord Balaram will be pleased as well.

You can donate for different necessities in the temple, like Cow Seva, Prasadam Seva and many more.

FAQs:

1. Why is Lord Balarama considered the Adi-Guru?

Lord Balaram is the original spiritual master. He guides all the devotees towards the devotion of Lord Shri Krishna. He purifies the mind and enhances the spiritual intellect of a person.

2. What is the significance of Balaram’s incarnation as Ananta Shesha?

In this incarnated form of Lord Balaram, Anant Shesha, He serves Lord Vishnu. He has a very important role in the cosmic order of the universe. He controls the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe.

3) Did Lord Balaram participate in the Kurukshetra war?

No, but He taught Bhima and Duryodhana the right way to fight with the gada(a weapon).

4) Is Lord Balaram regarded as the source of spiritual strength for devotees?

Yes, He is the source of spiritual strength, which is why He is considered Adi-Guru.

5) What qualities should a person have to worship Lord Balarama?

You don’t need any specific qualities to worship Lord Balram. Just have sincerity when you observe the fasting and the faith in His power.

Conclusion

To walk on the path of serving the Supreme Lord, Lord Krishna, the mercy of Lord Balaram is necessary. His personality, serving attitude, unmatchable strength and spiritual knowledge is an ultimate motivation for everyone.