Shri Balarama Rasayatra

In this day marks the auspicious remembrance day of Lord Balarama’s springtime rasa dance with His cowherd girlfriends. It is also the day of Sri Krishna Vasanta Rasa, the Lord’s springtime rasa lila pastime. Sri Krishna Vasanta rasa takes place on Vaisakha purnima, which is also the time Balarama performs His springtime rasa dance with the gopis.

“In order to keep the gopis in Vrndavana satisfied, Lord Balarama stayed there continually for two months, namely the months of Caitra and Vaisakha. For those two months he kept himself among the gopis and he passed every night with them in the forest of Vrndavana in order to satisfy their desire for conjugal love. Thus Balarama also enjoyed the rasa dance with the gopis during those two months.” (Krsna Book II p.78)

As described in Srimad-Bhagavatam 1:3:23, in the nineteenth and twentieth incarnations the Lord advented Himself as Lord Balarama and Lord Krsna in the family of Vrsni [the Yadu dynasty].

Vasudeva and Nanda Maharaja were stepbrothers. Vasudeva’s father, Surasena, married a vaisya girl, and from her Nanda Maharaja was born. Later, Nanda Maharaja himself married a vaisya girl, Yasoda. Therefore his family is celebrated as a vaisya family, and Krsna, identifying Himself as their son, took charge of vaisya activities. Balarama represents plowing the land for agriculture and therefore always carries in His hand a plow, whereas Krsna tends cows and therefore carries a flute in His hand.

Balarama, who has the same original form of Krsna, is Himself a cowherd boy in Vrndavana, and He also considers Himself to belong to the ksatriya race in Dvaraka. Thus His color and dress are different, and He is called a pastime form of Krsna.

During their Vrindaban lila, Krsna and Balarama enjoyed many transcendental pastimes, which are described in the 10th Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Gargamuni performed the name-giving ceremony for Krsna and Balarama, who spent their early life enjoying playful childish activities, crawling and walking, stealing butter and breaking the pots.

During their pastimes with the cowherd boys in the forests of Vrinaban, Balarama and Krsna killed numerous demons like Aghasura, Dhenukasura and Pralambasura, many of whom were sent by the demon Kamsa to kill the brothers. Later, they traveled to Mathura where they killed Kamsa’s wrestlers, brothers, and Kamsa himself. Afterwards, they battled Jarasandha, and jumped from a mountain Jarasandha had set fire to.

Next they entered Dvaraka, where Balarama killed Rukmi and broke the teeth of the King of Kalinga during a chess game. Baladeva later went to Gokula, and on Raivataka Mountain he killed the mischievous demon ape Dvivida.

Lord Baladeva went to Hastinapura, which he pulled with his plow due to the arrogance of the Kauravas. Later, he went touring holy places, and killed Romaharsana and Balvala. Rather than join the battle of Kuruksetra, he returned to Dvaraka. Later, he left with His wife Revati.