BY: SUN STAFF
Jun 14, CANADA (SUN) —
Sri Krsna-sandarbha
by Srila Jiva Goswami
Anuccheda 85
Lord Balarama, the seventh son of Devaki, is described as a visnu-tattva plenary portion of Lord Krsna in the following quote from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.5) describing His appearance in Devaki’s womb.
“Some of their relatives, however, began to follow Kamsa’s principles and act in his service. After Kamsa, the son of Ugrasena, killed the six sons of Devaki, a plenary portion of Krsna entered her womb as her seventh child, arousing her pleasure and her lamentation. That plenary portion is celebrated by great sages as Ananta, who belongs to Krsna’s second quadruple expansion.”*
Anuccheda 86
1 That Lord Balarama is the origin of the visnu-tattva expansion Sankarsana is described in the following verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.1.24):
“The foremost manifestation of Krsna is Sankarsana, who is known as Ananta. He is the origin of all incarnations within this material world. Previous to the appearance of Lord Krsna, this original Sankarsana will appear as Baladeva, just to please the Supreme Lord Krsna in His transcendental pastimes.”*
2 In this verse Lord Balarama is described as ‘vasudeva-kala” (the first expansion of Lord Krsna, the son of Maharaja Vasudeva). Because Balarama is described as ‘kala’ (the first expansion), it must be concluded that He is the origin of Lord Sankarsana, and not an expansion from Lord Sankarsana. This is confirmed by the use of the word “svarat” (fully independent).”
The word ‘ananta’ (unlimited) is used in this verse to described Lord Balarama because He is transcendental, beyond the limitations of time and space. In this portion of the Bhagavatam, where Lord Krsna’s appearance is described (the First Chapter of the Tenth Canto), Sukadeva Gosvami explains that Lord Balarama, while in Devaki’s womb, was transferred to the womb of Rohini. Someone may protest at this point and say that the perfect and complete Personality of Godhead cannot be pulled from one place to another, and therefore we should not consider that Lord Balarama is actually the Personality of Godhead. This is not a very sound argument. If the Personality of Godhead wishes, He can empower His yogamaya potency to carry Him from one place to another. There should be no objection on this point.
3 The incarnation of yogamaya within the material world during Lord Krsna’s pastimes is described in the following verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.1.25):
“The potency of the Lord, known as visnu-maya, who is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will also appear with Lord Krsna. This potency, acting in different capacities, captivates all the worlds, both material and spiritual. At the request of her master, she will appear with her different potencies in order to execute the work of the Lord.”*
4 In this verse the word ‘amsena’ means ‘by His spiritual potency yogamaya’, and the word ‘sambhaviyati’ means ‘will assemble there’. Yogamaya is described as ‘ekamsa’ because she expands herself as mahamaya. We may also note in regard to Srimad Bhagavatam 10.1.24, (quoted in text 1 of this anuccheda) that Lord Balarama is described as the origin of Ananta Sesa, who has thousands of faces. For this reason it should be concluded that Lord Balarama is certainly visnu-tattva, the Personality of Godhead, who enjoys transcendental pastimes in many different forms.
5 That Lord Balarama is the Personality of Godhead, the origin of the Sesa incarnation is confirmed in the following statement by Yamuna-deva (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.65.28):
“My dear Balarama, You are the most powerful personality, and You are pleasing to everyone. Unfortunately, I forgot Your glorious exalted position, but now I have come to my senses and I remember that You hold all the planetary systems on Your head merely by Your partial expansion as Sesa. You are the sustainer of the whole universe.”*
6 In his commentary on this verse, Sridhara Svami says: “The word ‘ekamsena’ means ‘by Ananta Sesa’.
Someone may say the word ‘ekamsena’ means ‘with a single hand, Lord Balarama sustains the universe’. This interpretation, based on accepting a secondary meaning of the word ‘amsa’, is not as clear as Sridhara Svami’s, which depends on the primary meaning is ‘amsa’. Sridhara Svami’s explanation of this word should therefore be accepted, and not the alternate interpretation based on accepting a secondary meaning of the word ‘amsa’.
The word ‘ekamsena’ in this verse, interpreted according to Sridhara Svami’s explanation, means that Lord Balarama is the origin of Ananta Sesa. Lord Balarama first expands as Laksmana, brother of Lord Ramacandra. It is from Laksmana that Ananta Sesa is expanded. This is confirmed in the following verses from the Ayodhya-mahatmya section of the Skanda Purana, where Maharaja Indra clearly describes Ananta Sesa as an expansion of Laksmana.
7 “As all the demigods watched, Laksmana who is always true to His promise, assumed the form of Ananta Sesa. With sweet words king Indra offered the following prayers to the Lord.
8 “Indra said: O Laksmana, O hero, O destroyer of the enemies, You have fulfilled Your mission of assisting the demigods, please return now to Your own transcendental abode.
9 O Lord, Your form of Ananta Sesa, who has innumerable glittering hoods, has now arrived. Please now return to Your own eternal abode in the spiritual world.
10 “After speaking these words to Laksmana, and respectfully placing Him on Lord Sesa who, standing on Patalaloka, easily carries the great weight of all the worlds, King Indra and all the demigods climbed into their airplanes and left for the heavenly planets.’
11 That ananta Sesa is expanded from Lord Balarama is also confirmed in the following statement of Narayana-varma:
“May Lord Yajna protect me from the dangers of material existence. May Lord Balarama protect me from death. May Lord Ananta Sesa, the king of serpents, protect me from the hands of the angry and envious.”
In this prayer Lord Balarama is described as the protector from death and Lord Ananta is described as the protector from the hands of the angry and envious. Because death is a much more formidable opponent than the angry and envious, this prayer shows the superior strength of Lord Balarama.
Because Lord Balarama and Lord Ananta are described as identical, because Lord Balarama’s strength is superior, He must be the origin, and Lord Ananta must be expanded from Him.
12 That Lord Ananta Sesa is an expansion of Lord Balarama and ultimately of Lord Krsna is described in the following verses, the first spoken by Lord Krsna to Yogamaya, and the second by Devaki-devi to Lord Krsna:
“Within the womb of Devaki is My partial plenary expansion known as Sankarsana or Sesa. Without difficulty, transfer Him into the womb of Rohini.”*
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.2.8
“After millions of years, at the time of cosmic annihilation, when everything, manifested and unmanifested, is annihilated by the force of time, the five gross elements enter into the subtle conception, and the manifested categories enter into the unmanifested substance. At that time, You alone remain, and You are known as Ananta Sesa-naga.”*
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.3.25
13 That Krsna and Balarama are equals is confirmed in the following verse spoken by Maharaja Vasudeva (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.85.18):
“My dear Krsna and Balarama, I know that neither of You are my sons; You are the original chief and progenitor, the Personalities of Godhead, known as Pradhana and Purusa. But You have appeared on the surface of this globe in order to minimise the burden of the world by killing the ksatriya kings who are unnecessarily increasing their military strength.”*
14 Someone may say: Actually Balarama cannot be visnu-tattva, but He must be an empowered living entity (avesa-avatara). He is not the Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in the following statement spoken by Balarama who, when He noticed that the cowherd boys and calves of Vraja were actually direct expansions of Krsna, described Krsna as His master (Srimad Bhagavatam 13.37):
“Who is this mystic power, and where has she come from? Is she a demigod or a demoness? She must be the illusory energy of My master, Lord Krsna, for who else can bewilder Me?”
To this objection I reply: By quoting many verses from Srimad Bhagavatam I have clearly proven that Lord Balarama is the Personality of Godhead (visnu-tattva). If this quotation is properly understood it will not be seen to contradict that conclusion.
15 Lord Balarama appears in this world and enjoys pastimes as an associate of Lord Krsna. This statement of Lord Balarama may be seen as a display of His great devotion for His friend Krsna. This devotion of Lord Balarama is a display of His spiritual opulence. It does not mean that Lord Balarama is not directly a visnu-tattva expansion of Lord Krsna.
Go to Anuccheda Eighty-seven
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