Lord Balarama and Yamuna Devi
Since the season was springtime, the breeze on the bank of the Yamuna was blowing very mildly, carrying the aroma of different flowers, especially the flower known as kaumudi. Moonlight filled the sky and spread everywhere, and thus the banks of the Yamuna appeared very bright and pleasing, and Lord Balarama enjoyed the company of the gopis there.
The demigod known as Varuna sent his daughter Varuni in the form of liquid honey oozing from the hollows of the trees. Because of this honey the whole forest became aromatic, and the sweet aroma of the liquid honey, Varuni, captivated Balaramaji. Balaramaji and all the gopis became very much attracted by the taste of Varuni, and all of them drank it together. While drinking this natural beverage, all the gopis chanted the glories of Lord Balarama, and Lord Balarama felt very happy, as if He had become intoxicated by drinking that Varuni beverage. His eyes rolled in a pleasing attitude. He was decorated with long garlands of forest flowers, and the whole situation appeared to be a great function of happiness because of this transcendental bliss.
Lord Balarama smiled beautifully, and the drops of perspiration decorating His face appeared like soothing morning dew.
While Balarama was in that happy mood, He desired to enjoy the company of the gopis in the water of the Yamuna. Therefore He called the Yamuna to come nearby. But the Yamuna neglected the order of Balaramaji, considering Him intoxicated. Lord Balarama became very much displeased at the Yamuna’s neglecting His order. He immediately wanted to scratch the land near the river with His plowshare. Lord Balarama has two weapons, a plow and a club, from which He takes service when they are required. This time He wanted to bring the Yamuna by force, and He took the help of His plow. He wanted to punish the Yamuna because she did not come in obedience to His order. He addressed the Yamuna, “You wretched river!
You did not care for My order. Now I shall teach you a lesson! You did not come to Me voluntarily. Now with the help of My plow I shall force you to come. I shall divide you into hundreds of scattered streams!”
When the Yamuna was threatened like this, she became greatly afraid of the power of Balarama and immediately came in person, falling at His lotus feet and praying thus: “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 Sesha. You are the sustainer of the whole universe. My dear Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are full with six opulences. Because I forgot Your omnipotence, I have mistakenly disobeyed Your order, and thus I have become a great offender. But, my dear Lord, please know that I am a soul surrendered unto You. You are very much affectionate to Your devotees. Therefore please excuse my impudence and mistakes, and, by Your causeless mercy, may You now release me.”
Upon displaying this submissive attitude, the Yamuna was forgiven, and when she came nearby, Lord Balarama enjoyed the pleasure of swimming in her water along with the gopis in the same way that an elephant enjoys himself along with his many she-elephants. After a long time, when Lord Balarama had enjoyed to His full satisfaction, He came out of the water, and immediately a goddess of fortune offered Him a nice blue garment and a valuable necklace made of gold. After bathing in the Yamuna, Lord Balarama, dressed in blue garments and decorated with golden ornaments, looked very attractive to everyone. Lord Balarama’s complexion is white, and when He was properly dressed He looked exactly like the white elephant of King Indra in the heavenly planets. The river Yamuna still has many small branches due to being scratched by the plowshare of Lord Balarama. And all these branches of the river Yamuna still glorify the omnipotence of Lord Balarama.
Lord Balarama and the gopis enjoyed transcendental pastimes together every night for two months, and time passed so quickly that all those nights appeared to be only one night. In the presence of Lord Balarama, all the gopis and other inhabitants of Vrndavana became as cheerful as they had been before in the presence of both brothers, Lord Krsna and Lord Balarama. (Krsna Book: Balarama visites Vrndavana)
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
About the Author
Related Posts
Finding someone who understands Krishna is VERY rare →
Letter to a Buddhist about his “empty mind” philosophy →
Book Review: Srila Prabhupada’s 1969 Sri Isopanisad →
Glory to Balarama the supreme being my lord the most beautifull.
Jai Supreme Lord Balarama! Please forgive any offenses done by me to You and please give me spiritual strength so that I can become the servant of the servant of Your servant.
I wtsh to know, where does this story appear originally? Which Purana or Shrimat Bhagawata? Please give details. Thanks.
the story of Lord Balarama’s chastisement of Yamuna Devi, narrated by Srila Prabhupada in chapter 65 of Krsna Book, ‘Lord Balarama Visits Vrndavana
i can really enjoy the taste of sri krishna’s life(avatar)
WOW what a phenomenal picture of my Lord, He looks amazing even when He displays anger. Shree Balaram Bhagwan Ki Jai Jai Jai! Shree Krishna Bhagwan Ki Jai Jai Jai!
Hare Krishna
who was Pradymna Lord’s son Pradyumn who is said to be the Incarnation of ‘Kamdeva”?
Hare Krishna….
Hare Krishna
If Lord Balrama and Lord Krishna one & the same?
&
if Lord Shiva is also Born out of Lord Vishnu?
Lord Krishna is the original, supreme personality of Godhead. Everything emanates from Him. He confirms the same in Bhagavad-Gita, ” aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate (Bg. 10.8) Lord Brahma stes the same thing in his samhita, “ishvarah paramah krsna sat cit ananda vigraha, anadir adir govinda sarva karana karanam” Lord Krishna is the original person, He has no origin and He is the cause of all causes. So, although Lord Krishna is the original supreme person, He expands Himself in many, first as Balarama, then the chatur vuyha, Sankarshana, Pradymna, Aniruddha, Vasudev etc. They are one and the same as Lord Krishna something like sun and sunlight. The sunlight is nothing but the sun, but it has it’s origin in the sun globe. Similarly, all the different avatars have similar power as that of Lord Krishna yet He remains in a unique category in that He has no origin, source or cause.
Lord Shiva is the creation Lord Brahma, who is the deputed agent of the Lord for all of creation.
Please explain who Vishnu is. Please explain the relationships between Krishna and Vishnu and Brahman. Not Brahma – Brahman. In an old story in an Upanishad Brahman is described as the source of all the power the gods possess. Brahman is said to have no end and no beginning, to be neither short nor long, neither big nor small and that in accordance to it’s will the sun and moon make their orbits and times passes, that it’s imperishable and etc. Is Krishna the same as Brahman?
Hare Krishna Joseph
Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original, the origin of everything. He expands in two ways, as Visnu-tattva, that is the Visnu incarnations and as Jiva-tattva, that is the living entity expansions like us. So Visnu is an expansion of Krishna, and Visnu is non-different from Krishna, but Krishna is the origin. The example is given if you have one original candle and you light many other candles from it then all the candles have the same power, but one of the candles is original. So Krishna is the original candle. As far as Brahman, that is the impersonal effulgence emanating from the body of Krishna. Just like the sunshine is the effulgence emanating from the sun, brahman is the effulgence emanating from Krishna. If the sunshine is very dazzling or if the sun is covered by clouds, then one may not be able to see the sun, so if one only has knowledge of the sunshine then his knowledge is imperfect. It is more perfect if he understands the sunshine is emanating from the sun.
There are transcendentalists who appreciate the brahman effulgence, but they do not know that the source of brahman is Krishna. So although they are studying Krishna, they do not have very complete knowledge, their knowledge is imperfect.
Everything is moving because of the order of Krishna. So if people are thinking everything is moving because of brahman, that is incomplete, imperfect knowledge. It is Krishna’s order, Krishna’s desire, that is causing everything to move. Brahman is an imperfect, incomplete view of Krishna. It is like saying the heat is caused by the sunshine. So in one sense that is true of course, but the more perfect understanding is the sunshine is caused by the sun therefore the heat also is caused by the sun.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
lord siva is the son of brama deva
brama deva is thw son of lord vishnu