Balarama Purnima / Prayers to Lord Balarama 08 19 24

Sri Baladeva Stotra Kavacha

The Prayer and Armor of Lord Balarama

Text 1
goloka-dhamadhipatih pareshvarah
pareshu mam patu pavitra-kirtanahbhu-mandalam sarshapavad vilakshyate
yan-murdhni mam patu sa bhumi-mandale

May Lord Balarama, who is the master of Goloka, who is the supreme controller of all controllers, and whose fame is spotless, protect me. May Lord Balarama, who on His head holds the earth as if it were a single mustard seed, protect me in this world.

Text 2
senasu mam rakshatu sira-panir
yuddhe sada rakshatu mam hali cha
durgeshu chayavann musali sada mam
vaneshu sankarshana adi-devah

May Lord Balarama protect me when I am surrounded by many armies. May Lord Balarama, who holds a plow, always protect me in battle. May Lord Balarama, who holds a club, always protect me in many fortresses. May Lord Balarama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead protect me in the forest.

Text 3

kalindaja-vega-haro jaleshu
nilambaro rakshatu mam sadagnau
vayau cha ramo 'vatu khe balash cha
maharnave 'nanta-vapuh sada mam

May Lord Balarama, who wears blue garments and who stopped the Yamuna, always protect me in fire. May Lord Balarama protect me in the wind. May Lord Balarama protect me in the sky. May Lord Balarama, who is Lord Ananta Himself, always protect me in the great ocean.

Text 4

shri-vasudevo 'vatu parvateshu
sahasra-shirshä cha maha-vivade
rogeshu mam rakshatu rauhineyo
mam kama-palo 'vatu va vipatsu

May Lord Balarama, who is Vasudeva's son, protect me on mountains. May Lord Balarama, who has a thousand heads, protect me in great disputes. May Lord Balarama, who is Rohini's son, protect me from diseases. May Lord Balarama, who fulfills desires, protect me from catastrophes.

Text 5

kamat sada rakshatu dhenukarih
krodhat sada mam dvivida-prahari
lobhat sada rakshatu balvalarir
mohat sada mam kila magadharih

May Lord Balarama, who is the enemy of Dhenukasura, always protect me from lust. May Lord Balarama, who killed Dvivida, always protect me from anger. May Lord Balarama, who is the enemy of Balvala, always protect me from greed. May Lord Balarama, who is the enemy of Jarasandha, always protect me from illusion.

Text 6

pratah sada rakshatu vrishni-dhuryah
prahne sada mam mathura-purendra
madhyandine gopa-sakhah prapatu
svarat parahne 'vatu mam sadaiva

May Lord Balarama, who is the best of the Vrishnis, always protect me at sunrise. May Lord Balarama, who is the king of Mathura City, always protect me in the morning. May Lord Balarama, who is the friend of the gopas, always protect me at midday. May Lord Balarama, who is supremely independent, always protect me in the afternoon.

Text 7

sayam phanindro 'vatu mam sadaiva
parat paro rakshatu mam pradoshe
purne nishithe cha duranta-viryah
pratyusha-kale 'vatu mam sadaiva

May Lord Balarama, who is the king of serpents, always protect me at sunset. May Lord Balarama, who is greater than the greatest, always protect me in the evening. May Lord Balarama, whose power is invincible, always protect me in the middle of the night. May Lord Balarama always protect me at every sunrise.

Text 8

vidikshu mam rakshatu revati-patir
dikshu pralambarir adho yadudvahah
urdhvam sada mam balabhadra arat
tatha samantad baladeva eva hi

May Lord Balarama, who is the master of Revati, protect me from every direction. May Lord Balarama, who is the enemy of Pralamba, protect me from every direction. May Lord Balarama, who is the best of the Yadavas, protect me from below. May Lord Balarama always protect me from above. May Lord Balarama protect me from near and far. May Lord Balarama protect me everywhere.

Text 9

antah sadavyat purushottamo bahir
nagendra-lilo 'vatu mam maha-balah
sadantaratma cha vasan harih svayam
prapatu purnah parameshvaro mahan

May Lord Balarama, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, always protect me from within. May powerful Lord Balarama, who enjoys pastimes as the king of serpents, protect me from without. May Lord Balarama, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul residing in everyone's heart, always protect me.

Text 10

devasuranam bhaya-nashanam cha
hutashanam papa-chayendhananam
vinashanam vighna-ghatasya viddhi
siddhasanam varma-varam balasya

Please know that this kavacha of Lord Balarama is the best of armors. It destroys the fears of the demigods and demons. It is a blazing fire that burns up the fuel of a host of sins. It is the death of a host of obstacles. It is the abode of spiritual perfection.

- Krishna-Dvaipayana Vyasa has written this song Goloka Dhamadhipatih Paresvarah. The official name of this song is Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca (Canto 8, Chapter 12, Verses 4-13). This song is taken from the book Garga Samhita. This kavaca of Lord Balarama is the best of armors. Here Lord Balarama, the elder brother of Lord Krishna, is glorified.

𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟭𝟵 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 [𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗽𝘂𝗿, 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹, 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲

𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙖 𝙋𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖 (𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙇𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙎́𝙧𝙞̄ 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙖̄𝙢𝙖)

𝙁𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚

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𝗦́𝗿𝗶̄𝗹𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗵𝘂𝗽𝗮̄𝗱𝗮 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮̄𝗺𝗮: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗱𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵

"Balarama is holding a plow, that is His weapon. Jagannatha is holding the Cakra, that is His weapon. Krishna’s name is Cakradhara (dhara = carries) or One Who Carries the Disc. Balarama’s name is Haladhara, the Carrier of the Plow (hala)."

(Śrīla Prabhupāda's Letter to: Gajendra — 27 January 1970, Seattle)

"The immediate expansion of Krishna is Baladeva. who appeared as elder brother of Krishna and Baladeva. expands Himself further as Sankarsana, Vasudeva, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha."

(Śrīla Prabhupāda's Letter to: Pradyumna, 27 April 1967, New York)

"Śrī Balarāma is the servitor Godhead who serves Lord Kṛṣṇa in all affairs of existence and knowledge. Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, who is the same servitor Godhead, Balarāma, performs the same service to Lord Gaurāńga by constant association."

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 5.10, Purport | 1974 Edition)

"In the Upaniṣads it is stated, Nāyam ātmā bala hinena labhyaḥ. The purport is that one cannot attain the Supreme or any form of self-realization without being sufficiently favored by Balarāma. Bala does not mean physical strength. No one can attain spiritual perfection by physical strength. One must have the spiritual strength which is infused by Balarāma, or Saṅkarṣaṇa. Ananta, or Śeṣa, is the power which sustains all the planets in their different positions. Materially this sustaining power is known as the law of gravitation, but actually it is the display of the potency of Saṅkarṣaṇa. Balarāma, or Saṅkarṣaṇa, is spiritual power, or the original spiritual master. Therefore Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, who is also the incarnation of Balarāma, is the original spiritual master. And the spiritual master is the representative of Balarāma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who supplies spiritual strength. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is confirmed that the spiritual master is the manifestation of the mercy of Kṛṣṇa."

(Kṛṣṇa Book, Chapter 2 | 1970 Edition)

"Jñānāsim, the sword of knowledge, is given by Kṛṣṇa, and when one serves the guru and Kṛṣṇa in order to hold the sword of Kṛṣṇa’s instructions, Balarāma gives one strength. Balarāma is Nityānanda. Vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta haila sei, balarāma ha-ila nitāi. This bala—Balarāma—comes with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and both of Them are so merciful that in this age of Kali one may very easily take shelter of Their lotus feet. They come especially to deliver the fallen souls of this age. Pāpī tāpī yata chila, hari-nāme uddhārila. Their weapon is saṅkīrtana, hari-nāma. Thus one should accept the sword of knowledge from Kṛṣṇa and be strong with the mercy of Balarāma. We are therefore worshiping Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma in Vṛndāvana. In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.2.4) it is said:

nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyo

na ca pramādāt tapaso vāpy aliṅgāt

etair upāyair yatate yas tu vidvāṁs

tasyaiṣa ātmā viśate brahma-dhāma

One cannot attain the goal of life without the mercy of Balarāma. Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore says, nitāiyera karuṇā habe, vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe: when one receives the mercy of Balarāma, Nityānanda, one can attain the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa very easily.

se sambandha nāhi yāra, bṛthā janma gela tāra,

vidyā-kule hi karibe tāra

If one has no connection with Nitāi, Balarāma, then even though one is a very learned scholar or jñānī or has taken birth in a very respectable family, these assets will not help him. We must therefore conquer the enemies of Kṛṣṇa consciousness with the strength received from Balarāma."

(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.15.45, Purport | 1976 Edition)

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲: https://krishnaconsciousnessmovement.com/?p=13291&

"That Maha-Visnu who lies on the Causal Ocean is actually an expansion of Balarama, who is Krsna's first expansion, and, in the Vrndavana pastimes, is the brother of Krsna. In the maha-mantra Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, the word Rama refers to Balarama. Since Nityananda is an expansion of Balarama, Rama also refers to Lord Nityananda. Thus Hare Krsna, Hare Rama addresses not only Krsna and Balarama but Lord Caitanya and Nityananda as well."

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Introduction

Lord Balarama - Krsna's Immediate Expansion

"Balarama is considered to be the elder brother of Krsna. When Krsna was present, Balarama became His elder brother. When Rama was there, this Balarama represented Himself as His younger brother, Laksmana. So Balarama is the first manifestation of His personal expansion."

Lord Krsna and Balarama (Baladeva) are not two different Personalities of Godhead. God is one without a second, but He expands Himself in many forms that are not separate from one another. They are all plenary expansions.
The sastras say everywhere that Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead and that He has innumerable avataras, or incarnations. After Krsna comes Balarama, after Balarama is Sankarsana, then Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Narayana and then the purusa-avataras--Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu. All of them are avataras. Lord Brahma, born from the lotus flower from Garbhodakasayi Visnu, is an expansion of Balarama. (See hierarchy of Krsna's expansions.)

Lord Krsna is not an incarnation of the purusa, but is directly the original Personality of Godhead, and Balarama is the first plenary manifestation of the Lord. From Baladeva the first phalanx of plenary expansions, Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Aniruddha and Pradyumna, expands. Lord Sri Krsna is Vasudeva, and Baladeva is Sankarsana.

The Supreme Lord expands His personal forms in two primary categories. The prakasa forms are manifested by Lord Krsna for His pastimes, and their features are exactly like His. When Lord Krsna married sixteen thousand queens in Dvaraka, He did so in sixteen thousand prakasa expansions. Similarly, during the rasa dance He expanded Himself in identical prakasa forms to dance beside each and every gopi simultaneously. When the Lord manifests His vilasa expansions, however, they are all somewhat different in their bodily features. Lord Balarama is the first vilasa expansion of Lord Krsna, and the four-handed Narayana forms in Vaikuntha expand from Balarama. 

There is no difference between the bodily forms of Sri Krsna and Balarama except that Their bodily colors are different - the bodily hue of Krsna is dark and that of Balarama is fair. Similarly, Sri Narayana in Vaikuntha has four hands, whereas Krsna has only two. The expansions of the Lord who manifest such bodily differences are known as vilasa-vigrahas.

Lord Balarama is also the Sesa incarnation. Garbodakasayi Vishnu lies upon Ananta Sesa while dissolving the material creation. In the Upanisads it is stated that one cannot attain the supreme or any form of self-realization without being sufficiently favored by Balarama. Bala does not mean physical strength. No one can attain spiritual perfection by physical strength. One must have the spiritual strength which is infused by Balarama or Sankarsana. Ananta or Sesa is the power which sustains all the planets in their different positions. Materially this sustaining power is known as the law of gravitation, but actually it is a display of the potency of Sankarsana.

Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Absolute Truth, everything in relation to Him is also on the same platform. ...The Lord's clothing, bedding, slippers and everything required as an ordinary necessity are all transformations of Sesa, Visnu, the expansion of Sri Baladeva. Thus the cloth and other paraphernalia of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are but other forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In the maha-mantra--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--the word Rama refers to Balarama. Since Lord Nityananda is an expansion of Balarama, Rama also refers to Lord Nityananda. Thus Hare Krsna, Hare Rama addresses not only Krsna and Balarama but Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda as well.

There are three Ramas. One Rama is Parasurama (Jamadagnya), another Rama is Lord Ramacandra, and a third Rama is Lord Balarama. These are some of the reasons why Balarama is known as Sankarsana, Balarama or sometimes Rama. In the maha-mantra--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--people sometimes object when Rama is accepted as Balarama. 

But although devotees of Lord Rama may object, they should know that there is no difference between Balarama and Lord Rama. Srimad-Bhagavatam clearly states that Balarama is also known as Rama (rameti). Therefore, it is not artificial to speak of Lord Balarama as Lord Rama.

If someone calls Lord Ramacandra by the vibration Hare Rama, or if he understands "Ramacandra," he is quite right. Similarly, if one says that Hare Rama means Sri Balarama, he is also right. Those who are aware of the visnu-tattva do not fight over all these details.

Paraphrased from text and purports of HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.