Balarama’s swaroop
Balarama is light-skinned unlike Krishna, his dark-skinned younger brother. He usually wears blue garments and a garland of wildflowers. Balarama adorns himself with earrings, bracelets and armlets and ties his hair in a topknot. He has a quiet, sombre disposition and a short temper though he cools down quickly too. Balarama, an avatar of Ananta Sesha Nag, holds a danda or a mace in one of his hands and wields a plough called Balachita in his other hand. He loves agricultural activities, unlike Krishna who plays the flute and loves animal husbandry.
Balarama’s many names
Balarama was born on Raksha Bandhan in the month of Shravan. He increases the transcendental bliss of others and has extraordinary strength. So he is also known as Baladeva. When Devaki conceives Vasudeva’s seventh child, Yogamaya transplants the embryo from Devaki’s womb to Rohini’s (Vasudeva’s first wife) womb. So Balarama is known as Sankarshana or the ‘one who was dragged away.’ Balarama is also known as Sankarshana because he motivates the clan of Yadus to follow his instructions. He is also fondly addressed as Luk-Luk Dauji because he always keeps a careful watch over Krishna.
Balarama and Yamunaji
Balarama marries Revati, the daughter of king Kakudmi. But some texts refer to Varuni, the goddess of wine as Balarama’s wife. Balarama’s flag has the symbol of a toddy palm tree ( tada- dhavja) on it clearly indicating his fondness for intoxicants.
It is said that Varuni, Sura, the goddess of alcohol took the intoxicating form of liquid honey which oozed from the hollows of trees in Vrindavan. So the entire forest was filled with the heady aroma of this honey. One day Balarama and the gopis drink this honey to their hearts’ content. Balarama gets intoxicated by the honey.
He wants to refresh himself by bathing in the waters of Yamunaji. But in his inebriated state, he cannot do so. So he asks Yamunaji to come to him. But Yamunaji refuses to do so.
Balarama flies into a rage, drags her by her hair and forces her to change her course for him. Yamunaji feels terrified and apologizes to him immediately when she realizes that Balarama is an avatar of Adi Ananta Sesha, the cosmic serpent of Time.
The lord of agriculture
Hindu farmers look upon Balarama as their patron deity. They consider him to be the god of agricultural knowledge, tools and prosperity. These farmers believe that he forced Yamuna to change her course and flow through Indraprastha so that her waters could restore the groves, farms and forests that produced goods and drinks there. Some people believe that Yamuna’s struggles created the many bends in her course around Delhi.
According to folklore, after Balarama forces Yamuna to change her course in such a violent manner, she begs Krishna to marry her because she knows no one cares for her anymore. So Krishna takes her to Dwarka, marries her and accepts her as his fourth wife.
Balarama’s mace
Balarama teaches both Duryodhana and Bhima the art of using the mace. But he does not take part in the Kurukshetra and decides to go on a pilgrimage instead with his nephew Pradyumna.
However, he does take part in the war that arose between the clans of Yadus. Krishna departs soon after this. When Balarama witnesses all this, he decides to renounce his body by meditating.
The people of Veraval, Somnath, believe that a great white snake emerged from Balarama’s mouth while he was meditating, went into a cave near the temple and disappeared into Patal Loka after that.
Ananta Sesha Nag
Ananta Sesha Nag is the thousand-headed serpent on which Lord Vishnu reclines. The Puranas say that Sesha holds all the planets of the universe on his many hoods and constantly sings the glories of Vishnu from his mouths. When he uncoils he creates the universe and when he coils back, the universe ceases to exist. We believe that Sesha symbolises Time.
Sesha accompanies Vishnu as Lakshmana and Balarama when He incarnates as Rama and Krishna. Sesha is rishi Kashyapa’s son. His mother is Kadru. When he saw his siblings, the nagas inflicting their atrocities on other creatures like Garuda, Sesha performs austere penances in various holy places. When Brahma appears before him, Sesha asks him for only one blessing – that he focuses on Narayana always. Brahma fulfils his wish and requests him to go to Patala and maintain the stability of the earth. Sesha agrees to do so.
Garbhodakashayi Vishnu and Kshirodakashayi Vishnu
Some say that Krishna first creates several Maha Vishnus (Purushas) to control and preserve the material universe. Each Maha Vishnu creates a separate universe and lies on Ananta, who rests on the causal ocean. After this, each Maha Vishnu gives his material energy a form and names her Maya.
Now each Maha Vishnu creates two other Vishnus – the Garbhodakashayi Vishnu and the Kshirodakashayi Vishnu. The Garbhodakashayi Vishnu maintains order in his universe. And the Kshirodakashayi Vishnu enters into each atom of the universe and resides within our souls.
According to some people, Sesha is none other than Lord Narayana, a form of Vishnu and Krishna. They call Him Sankarshana because they believe that it is Sesha who expands himself as Garbhodakashayi Vishnu at the beginning of the universe to create Brahma.
Regardless of what we believe in – one thing is clear – Ananta protects all the living creatures of the material world. Sesha is infinitely kind too. Even a heartfelt prayer is enough for him. He enters our soul, helps us detach ourselves from our materialistic tendencies and frees us from all our sins.
He resides in his abode in bliss patiently. Sesha restrains his anger and intolerance when he sees us making mistakes. But He releases the 11 Rudras that appear between his eyebrows, destroys the entire universe and creates a new one when He gets angry. Shiva too worships Sesha. Ignorant and egoistic people too benefit by worshipping Ananta. Because often Sesha, Time, teaches us what we refuse to learn in our lives.
Perhaps Sesha is sending us a grim reminder through Balarama’s and Yamuna’s violent interaction – that if we don’t mend and change our ways with Time, Sesha will force us to do so – in the most violent manner – if need be. Like Yamunaji, let’s appreciate the good times we had so far in our lives. But more importantly, let’s learn to flow and grow with the flow too. For ultimately, whether we like it or not, Krishna’s will alone prevails through the cosmos.
Please click here to read other Yamunaji Stories.
Please click here to read articles on Shrinathji.