Lord krishna

 

Krishna, the meaning of the word in Sanskrit is all-attractive, He is the of GodhSupreme Personality ead, also called as God of gods. Inotherwords, Krishna is the Godhead because He is all-attractive. From practical experience we can observe that one is attractive due to (1) wealth, (2) power, (3) fame, (4) beauty, (5) wisdom and (6) renunciation. One who is in possession of all six of these opulences at the same time and who possesses them to an unlimited degree is understood to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to Parasara Muni a great Vedic authority.

Humanity has not come across another personality like Lord Krishna with His unparalleled activities. By all historical accounts, Lord Krishna appeared 5,000 years back and played his part as a human being to perfection. Within the prison of His maternal uncle Kamsa, where His father and mother were confined, Krishna appeared outside His mother’s body as the four-handed Vishnu - Narayana. Then He turned Himself into a baby and told His father to carry Him to the house of Nanda Maharaja and his wife Yashoda in Gokula. The Vedic literatures give further histories of his appearances over millions and billions of years. In the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Krishna states that He can remember instructing the lessons of the Bhagavad-gita some millions of years ago to the sun-god, Vivasvan, because he possesses unlimited knowledge, Krishna has a memory that is boundless.

Bhagavad-gita, spoken by the Lord, has been acknowledged the world over for its philosophical depth and divine instructions. The world’s foremost western philosophers have paid rich tributes for the priceless wisdom that it offers to mankind. A discerning person will notice that the instruction contained in the Bhagavad-gita is higher knowledge, not to be found in any other book of knowledge.

Generally people think that by advancing the cause of moral principles and religious rites they will be happy. Others may think that happiness can be achieved by economic development, and yet others think that simply by sense gratification they will be happy. The whole world is very eager to satisfy the dormant propensity of love for others, however, if one simply reposes his dormant loving propensity in Krishna, then his life becomes successful. This is not a fiction but is a fact that can be realized by practical application. One can directly perceive the effects that love for Krishna has on his life.

Lord Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is confirmed  by all the great acharyas (spiritual masters) like Shankaracharya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacharya, Nimbarka Swami, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and many other authorities of Vedic knowledge in India. Lord Shri Krishna also establishes Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad gita, and He is accepted as such in the Brahma-samhita and all the Puranas, and especially in the Bhagavata Purana also known as the Shrimad-Bhagavatam. In Bhagavad gita (7.14) it is said, daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya: the living entities are all entangled in the three modes of material nature.  The external energy of the Lord is very strong, but the Lord, as the master of the three modes of material nature, is ever liberated from the action and reaction of those modes. He, therefore, is uncontaminated, as stated in the Isopanishad. The contamination of the material world does not affect the Supreme Godhead.

Real supremacy belongs to Krishna. Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam (SB 1.3.28) is the statement of Shrimad-Bhagavatam: "Krishna is the only Supreme Lord." Worship of Krishna alone, therefore, includes worship of all the parts and parcels, just as watering the root of a tree also waters all the branches, twigs, leaves and flowers.  The Lord is eternally liberated. Whenever He appears, even within this material world, He is never entangled by the three modes of material nature. He is known, therefore, as try-adhisa, the master of the three modes of material nature.  As Lord Krishna says, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: "This material nature is working under My direction."  Material nature is not independent. She is acting under the directions of the Supreme Lord

The Vrindavana-lila of Krishna is the perfect presentation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  We see how big demigods like Brahma, Indra are completely bewildered. They are sometimes mistaken, thinking that "How this cowherd boy can become the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" Just like some of us think that way.  Although he's engaged in pleasing the inhabitants of  Vraja, but when there is need, He can lift up the Govardhana—at the age of seven years. Or He can kill the demoness  Putana at the age of three months.  So although Krishna is playing just like a cowherd boy, His supremacy as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is never absent there. That is God. God is not created by meditation. God is God. God is never manufactured. We should know this.

According to Vaishnava philosophy, Narayana cannot be equal to any one of us. What to speak of us, Narayana cannot be equally estimated even with great demigods like Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. The Vaishnava Purana says, yas tu narayaana devam brahma-rudradi-daivataih, samatvenaiva vikseta sa pasandi bhavad dhruvam: (Cc. Madhya 18.116) "Anyone who calculates Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, equal with such demigods, what to speak of ordinary human beings, even big, big demigods like Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, immediately becomes a pasandi, atheist."

The materialists, who are after opulence and material prosperity, may take lessons from the Ramayana that the policy of exploiting the nature of the Lord without acknowledging the supremacy of the Supreme Lord is the policy of Ravana. Ravana was very advanced materially, so much so that he turned his kingdom,Lanka, into pure gold, or full material wealth. But because he did not recognize the supremacy of Lord Ramachandra and defied Him by stealing His wife, Sita, Ravana was killed, and all his opulence and power were destroyed.

How can one truly understand the greatness of the Supreme Lord, we don’t have to look further than the Bhagavad gita, where Lord Krishna says that "That very ancient science of relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee." A devotee is one who accepts the supremacy of the Supreme Lord, and he is convinced about his eternal relationship with God.

Imagine you are talking to a friend and she mentions that she has been invited for a dinner which would also be attended by the who’s who of the corporate world, Which quality do you see in common amongst all of them? Richness, isn’t it? The personalities that were mentioned earlier are very attractive because of their riches. They are attractive even though they do not possess all the wealth of the world.

Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,  is the proprietor of all riches. There are many rich men in the world, but no one can claim that he possesses all the wealth. Nor can anyone claim that no one is richer than Him. We understand from the Shrimad-Bhagavatam however, that when Sri Krishna was present on this earth He had 16,108 palaces where His near and dear ones lived, and each palace was made of marble and bedecked with jewels. The rooms were filled with furniture made of ivory and gold, and there was great opulence everywhere. In the history of human society we cannot find anyone who had 16,000 palaces.
We experience in this world that if a man is very rich, he is attractive. The personalities that were mentioned earlier are very attractive because of their riches. They are attractive even though they do not possess all the wealth of the world. How much more attractive, then, is God, who is the possessor of all riches? Great spiritual authorities therefore concluded that Krishna possesses the “attractive” quality of  “richness” or being “wealthy” in full.

Read More to know the definition of God and His Opul

what is the Bhagavad-gita? The purpose of Bhagavad-gita is to deliver mankind from the nescience of material existence. Every man is in difficulty in so many ways, and in the same way Arjuna also was in difficulty in having to fight in the battle of Kurukshetra.

Arjuna surrendered unto Shri Krishna, and consequently this Bhagavad-gita was spoken. Not only Arjuna, but every one of us is full of anxieties because of this material existence. Our very existence is in the atmosphere of nonexistence. Actually we are not meant to be threatened by nonexistence. Our existence is eternal. But somehow or other we are put into asat. Asat refers to that which does not exist.

Out of so many human beings who are suffering, there are a few who are actually inquiring about their position, as to what they are, why they are put into this awkward position and so on. Unless one is awakened to this position of questioning his suffering, unless he realizes that he doesn't want suffering but rather wants to make a solution to all suffering, then one is not to be considered a perfect human being. Humanity begins when this sort of inquiry is awakened in one's mind. In the Brahma-sutra this inquiry is called brahma jijnasa. Athato brahma jijnasa. Every activity of the human being is to be considered a failure unless he inquires about the nature of the Absolute Truth.

Therefore those who begin to question why they are suffering or where they came from and where they shall go after death are proper students for understanding Bhagavad-gita. The sincere student should also have a firm respect for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a student was Arjuna.

Lord Krishna descends specifically to reestablish the real purpose of life when man forgets that purpose. Even then, out of many, many human beings who awaken, there may be one who actually enters the spirit of understanding his position, and for him this Bhagavad-gita is spoken. Actually we are all swallowed by the tigress of nescience, but the Lord is very merciful upon living entities, especially human beings. To this end He spoke the Bhagavad-gita, making His friend Arjuna His student.
Arjuna being an associate of Lord Krishna, Arjuna was above all ignorance, but Arjuna was put into ignorance on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra just to question Lord Krishna about the problems of life so that the Lord could explain them for the benefit of future generations of human beings and chalk out the plan of life. Then man could act accordingly and perfect the mission of human life.

Being an associate of Lord Krishna, Arjuna was above all ignorance, but Arjuna was put into ignorance on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra just to question Lord Krishna about the problems of life so that the Lord could explain them for the benefit of future generations of human beings and chalk out the plan of life. Then man could act accordingly and perfect the mission of human life.

The Bhagavad-gita should be taken up in a spirit of devotion. One should not think that he is equal to Krishna, nor should he think that Krishna is an ordinary personality or even a very great personality. Lord Shri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So according to the statements of Bhagavad-gita or the statements of Arjuna, the person who is trying to understand the Bhagavad-gita, we should at least theoretically accept Shri Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and with that submissive spirit we can understand the Bhagavad-gita. Unless one reads the Bhagavad-gita in a submissive spirit, it is very difficult to understand Bhagavad-gita, because it is a great mystery.

Krishna – The Supreme personality of Godhead

Who is GOD? 

In the Brahma-sutra there is a definition for God as, "God is He from whom everything comes, emanates."

What is the nature of God? Is it a dead stone or a living being? This is explained in Srimad Bhagavatam: Sloka[SB 1.1.1]. "That God is fully cognizant of everything, directly and indirectly." Unless He is fully cognizant of everything, directly and indirectly, He is not God, indicating thus that God is the Supreme Person.

Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is defined by Parashara Muni as, one who is full of six opulences: strength, fame, wealth, knowledge, beauty, and renunciation.

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, Vyasadev lists various incarnations and finally concludes:

“All the lists of the incarnations of Godhead submitted herewith are either plenary expansions or parts of the plenary expansions of the Supreme Godhead, but Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.”

When Lord Krishna descended on this planet, He displayed all the six opulences unlimitedly. We have seen many rich persons, many powerful persons, many famous persons, many beautiful persons, many learned and scholarly persons, and persons in the renounced order of life unattached to material possessions. But we have never seen any one person who is unlimitedly and simultaneously wealthy, powerful, famous, beautiful, wise and unattached, like Krishna in the history of humanity. Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a historical person who appeared on this earth 5,000 years ago. He stayed on this earth for 125 years and played exactly like a human being, but His activities were unparalleled. From the very moment of His appearance to the moment of His disappearance, every one of His activities is unparalleled in the history of the world, and therefore anyone who knows what we mean by Godhead will accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No one is equal to the Godhead, and no one is greater than Him. That is the import of the familiar saying “God is great.”

Lord Brahma explains in Brahma samhita(Bs 5.1) as follows:

"Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes."

CC Madhya 8.136

“The transcendental body of Sri Krishna is eternal and full of bliss and knowledge. He is the son of Nanda Maharaja. He is full of all opulences and potencies as well as all spiritual mellows.

In the Sama-veda Upanishad, it is stated that Lord Sri Krishna is the divine son of Devaki. Therefore Lord Sri Krishna is the primeval Lord, and if any transcendental nomenclature is to be understood as belonging to the Absolute Personality of Godhead, it must be the name indicated by the word Krishna, which means the all-attractive. In the Padma Purana, it is also stated that out of the innumerable names of the Lord, the name of Krishna is the principal one.

In Bhagavad-gita 10.12-13 Arjuna declares Krishna as the Supreme Lord:

“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.”

In Bhagavad-gita, the Lord asserts Himself to be the original Personality of Godhead

In Bg 10.8 Lord Krishna says:

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.”

In Bg 15.19 Lord Krishna says:

“Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is to be understood as the knower of everything, and he therefore engages himself in full devotional service, O son of Bharata.”

In this universe there are millions of planets, and there exist as many universes as mustard seeds in a mustard seed bag. There are innumerable universes coming out of the pores of Mahavishnu’s body when He exhales; and when He inhales, they all enter back into Him. And Mahavishnu is only a portion of Sri Krishna. And beyond this material world there is the spiritual world, full of innumerable, gigantic spiritual planets called Vaikunthas, which are all resting in the effulgence of Sri Krishna, who engages in divine pastimes in Goloka Vrindavana, the supreme and eternal home with transcendental delights.

The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is described in the Brahma-samhita as cintamani-dhama, a place where all desires are fulfilled. The supreme abode of Lord Krishna, known as Goloka Vrndavana, is full of palaces made of touchstone. There are also trees, called "desire trees," that supply any type of eatable upon demand, and there are cows, known as surabhi cows, which supply a limitless supply of milk. In this abode, the Lord is served by hundreds of thousands of goddesses of fortune (Lakshmis), and He is called Govinda, the primal Lord and the cause of all causes.

Vedic literatures (Katha Upanisad 1.3.11) state that there is nothing superior to the abode of the Supreme Godhead, and that that abode is the ultimate destination (purushan na param kincit sa kastha parama gatih). When one attains to it, he never returns to the material world. Krishna's supreme abode and Krishna Himself are nondifferent, being of the same quality. This Supreme abode of Lord Krishna, is shaped like the whorl of a lotus flower. Even when the Lord descends to any one of the mundane planets, He does so by manifesting His own abode as it is. On this earth, Vrndavana, ninety miles southeast of Delhi, is a replica of that supreme Goloka Vrindavana located in the spiritual sky. When Krishna descended on this earth, He sported on that particular tract of land known as Vrindavana, comprising about eighty-four square miles in the district of Mathura, India.

Lord Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is confirmed  by all the great acharyas (spiritual masters) like Shankaracharya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacharya, Nimbarka Swami, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and many other authorities of Vedic knowledge in India. Lord Shri Krishna also establishes Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad gita, and He is accepted as such in the Brahma-samhita and all the Puranas, and especially in the Bhagavata Purana also known as the Shrimad-Bhagavatam. In Bhagavad gita (7.14) it is said, daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya: the living entities are all entangled in the three modes of material nature.  The external energy of the Lord is very strong, but the Lord, as the master of the three modes of material nature, is ever liberated from the action and reaction of those modes. He, therefore, is uncontaminated, as stated in the Isopanishad. The contamination of the material world does not affect the Supreme Godhead.

Real supremacy belongs to Krishna. Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam (SB 1.3.28) is the statement of Shrimad-Bhagavatam: "Krishna is the only Supreme Lord." Worship of Krishna alone, therefore, includes worship of all the parts and parcels, just as watering the root of a tree also waters all the branches, twigs, leaves and flowers.  The Lord is eternally liberated. Whenever He appears, even within this material world, He is never entangled by the three modes of material nature. He is known, therefore, as try-adhisa, the master of the three modes of material nature.  As Lord Krishna says, mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: "This material nature is working under My direction."  Material nature is not independent. She is acting under the directions of the Supreme Lord

The Vrindavana-lila of Krishna is the perfect presentation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  We see how big demigods like Brahma, Indra are completely bewildered. They are sometimes mistaken, thinking that "How this cowherd boy can become the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" Just like some of us think that way.  Although he's engaged in pleasing the inhabitants of  Vraja, but when there is need, He can lift up the Govardhana—at the age of seven years. Or He can kill the demoness  Putana at the age of three months.  So although Krishna is playing just like a cowherd boy, His supremacy as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is never absent there. That is God. God is not created by meditation. God is God. God is never manufactured. We should know this.

According to Vaishnava philosophy, Narayana cannot be equal to any one of us. What to speak of us, Narayana cannot be equally estimated even with great demigods like Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. The Vaishnava Purana says, yas tu narayaana devam brahma-rudradi-daivataih, samatvenaiva vikseta sa pasandi bhavad dhruvam: (Cc. Madhya 18.116) "Anyone who calculates Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, equal with such demigods, what to speak of ordinary human beings, even big, big demigods like Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, immediately becomes a pasandi, atheist."

The materialists, who are after opulence and material prosperity, may take lessons from the Ramayana that the policy of exploiting the nature of the Lord without acknowledging the supremacy of the Supreme Lord is the policy of Ravana. Ravana was very advanced materially, so much so that he turned his kingdom,Lanka, into pure gold, or full material wealth. But because he did not recognize the supremacy of Lord Ramachandra and defied Him by stealing His wife, Sita, Ravana was killed, and all his opulence and power were destroyed.

How can one truly understand the greatness of the Supreme Lord, we don’t have to look further than the Bhagavad gita, where Lord Krishna says that "That very ancient science of relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee." A devotee is one who accepts the supremacy of the Supreme Lord, and he is convinced about his eternal relationship with God.

 Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is none other than the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, who appeared in this Kali-yuga to inaugurate the yuga dharma for this age - Sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord.

His Appearance

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared at Sridhama Mayapura, in the city of Navadvipa in Bengal, on the Phalguni Purnima evening in the year 1486 AD. His father, Sri Jagannatha Mishra, a learned brahmana from the district of Sylhet, came to Navadvipa as a student. He lived on the banks of the Ganges with his wife Srimati Sacidevi, a daughter of Srila Nilambara Cakravarti, a great learned scholar of Navadvipa. Their youngest son, who was named Vishvambhara, later became known as Nimai Pandita and then, after accepting the renounced order of life, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. 

Related Links: Scriptural Evidences of His Appearance | Key Events in His Life 

His Pastimes

The wonderful pastimes performed by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the city of Navadvipa and in Jagannath Puri are recorded by His biographers. The early life of the Lord is most fascinatingly expressed by the author of Chaitanya-bhagavata (by Sri Vrindavana Dasa Thakura), and as far as the teachings are concerned, they are more vividly explained in the Chaitanya-caritamrta (by Sri Krishna Dasa Kaviraja Gosvami). Now they are available to the English-speaking public in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya.

His Teachings

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu preached the Srimad-Bhagavatam and propagated the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita in the most practical way.

The essence of His teachings is recorded in Chaitanya Manjusha as follows:

• Lord Sri Krsna, who appeared as the son of the King of Vraja (Nanda Maharaja), is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is worshipable by all.
• Vrindavana-dhama is non-different from the Lord and hence is as worshipable as the Lord. 
• The highest form of transcendental worship of the Lord was exhibited by the damsels of Vrajabhumi.
• Srimad-Bhagavata Purana is the spotless literature for understanding the Lord.
• The ultimate goal of human life is to attain the stage of prema, or love of God.

His instructions to Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami, His discussions with Ramananda Raya, the debate with the Mayavadi sannyasi Prakashananda Sarasvati and the Vedanta Sutra Discussion between Him and Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya are the excellent sources through which we understand His teachings in detail. 

The Lord left only eight slokas of His instructions in writing, and they are known as the Siksastaka. All other literatures based on His teachings were extensively written by the Lord's principal followers, the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana, and their followers.

His Mission - The Universal Religion

His mission was to preach the importance of chanting the holy names of the Lord in this age of Kali (quarrel). In this present age quarrels take place even over trifles, and therefore the sastras have recommended for this age a common platform for realization, namely chanting the holy names of the Lord. People can hold meetings to glorify the Lord in their respective languages and with melodious songs, and if such performances are executed in an offenseless manner, it is certain that the participants will gradually attain spiritual perfection without having to undergo more rigorous methods. At such meetings everyone, the learned and the foolish, the rich and the poor, the Hindus and the Muslims, the Englishmen and the Indians, and the candalas and the brahmanas, can all hear the transcendental sounds and thus cleanse the dust of material association from the mirror of the heart. To confirm the Lord's mission, all the people of the world will accept the holy name of the Lord as the common platform for the universal religion of mankind.

The first principle in devotional service is to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra (maha means “great”; mantra means “sound that liberates the mind from ignorance”).

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Kirtan
Hare Krishna Kirtan - slow
Hare Krishna Japa
You can chant these holy names of the Lord anywhere and at any time, but it is best to set a specific time of the day to regularly chant. Early morning hours are ideal.

The chanting can be done in two ways: singing the mantra, called kirtana (usually done in a group), and saying the mantra to oneself, called japa (which literally means “to speak softly”). Concentrate on hearing the sound of the holy names. As you chant, pronounce the names clearly and distinctly, addressing Krishna in a prayerful mood. When your mind wanders, bring it back to the sound of the Lord’s names. Chanting is a prayer to Krishna that means “O energy of the Lord [Hare], O all-attractive Lord [Krishna], O Supreme Enjoyer [Rama], please engage me in Your service.” The more attentively and sin¬cerely you chant these names of God, the more spiritual progress you will make.

Since God is all-powerful and all-merciful, He has kindly made it very easy for us to chant His names, and He has also invested all His powers in them. Therefore the names of God and God Himself are identical. This means that when we chant the holy names of Krishna and Rama we are directly associat¬ing with God and being purified. Therefore we should always try to chant with devotion and reverence. The Vedic litera¬ture states that Lord Krishna is personally dancing on your tongue when you chant His holy name.

When you chant alone, it is best to chant on japa beads (available at the ISKCON temple). This not only helps you fix your attention on the holy name, but it also helps you count the number of times you chant the mantra daily. Each strand of japa beads contains 108 small beads and one large bead, the head bead. Begin on a bead next to the head bead and gently roll it between the thumb and middle finger of your right hand as you chant the full Hare Krishna mantra. Then move to the next bead and repeat the process. In this way, chant on each of the 108 beads until you reach the head bead again. This is one round of japa. Then, without chanting on the head bead, reverse the beads and start your second round on the last bead you chanted on.

Initiated devotees vow before the spiritual master to chant at least sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily. But even if you can chant only one round a day, the principle is that once you commit yourself to chanting that round, you should try and complete it every day without fail. When you feel you can chant more, increase the minimum number of rounds you chant each day—but don’t fall below that number. You can chant more than your fixed number, but you should maintain a set minimum each day. (Please note that the beads are sacred and therefore should never touch the ground or be put in an unclean place. To keep your beads clean, it’s best to carry them in a special bead bag, also available at our temple.)

Aside from chanting japa, you can also sing the Lord’s holy names in kirtana. While you can perform kirtana individually, it is generally performed with others. A melodious kirtana with family or friends is sure to enliven everyone. ISKCON devotees use traditional melodies and instruments, especially in the temple, but you can chant to any melody and use any musical instruments to accompany your chanting. As Lord Chaitanya said, “There are no hard and fast rules for chanting Hare Krishna.”

 The Lord advented Himself on the Phalguni Purnima evening of 1407 Shakabda. On the same evening there was a lunar eclipse. During the hours of eclipse it was the custom of the Hindu public to take bath in the Ganges or any other sacred river and chant the Vedic mantras for purification. When Lord Chaitanya was born during the lunar eclipse, the country was roaring with the holy sound of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare /  Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The simultaneous occurrence of the Lord's appearance and the lunar eclipse indicated the distinctive mission of the Lord. In other words, the advent of the holy name took place along with the advent of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

When the Lord was on the lap of His mother, He would at once stop crying as soon as the ladies surrounding Him chanted the holy names and clapped their hands. This peculiar incident was observed by the neighbors with awe and veneration. Sometimes the young girls took pleasure in making the Lord cry and then stopping Him by chanting the holy name. So from His very childhood the Lord began to preach the importance of the holy name. In His early age Lord Sri Chaitanya was known as Nimai. This name was given by His beloved mother because the Lord took His birth beneath a nimba tree in the courtyard of His paternal house.

When the Lord was offered solid food at the age of six months in the anna-prashana ceremony, the Lord indicated His future activities. At this time it was customary to offer the child both coins and books in order to get some indication of the future tendencies of the child. The Lord was offered on one side coins and on the other the Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Lord accepted the Bhagavatam instead of the coins.

When He was a mere baby crawling in the yard, one day a snake appeared before Him, and the Lord began to play with it. All the members of the house were struck with fear and awe, but after a little while the snake went away, and the baby was taken away by His mother. Once He was stolen by a thief who intended to steal His ornaments, but the Lord took a pleasure trip on the shoulder of the bewildered thief, who was searching for a solitary place in order to rob the baby. It so happened that the thief, wandering hither and thither, finally arrived just before the house of Jagannatha Mishra and, being afraid of being caught, dropped the baby at once. Of course the anxious parents and relatives were glad to see the lost child.

Once a pilgrim brahmana was received at the house of Jagannatha Mishra, and when he was offering food to the Godhead, the Lord appeared before him and partook of the prepared food. The eatables had to be rejected because the child touched them, and so the brahmana had to make another preparation. The next time the same thing happened, and when this happened repeatedly for the third time, the baby was finally put to bed. At about twelve at night when all the members of the house were fast asleep within their closed rooms, the pilgrim brahmana offered his specially prepared foods to the Deity, and, in the same way, the baby Lord appeared before the pilgrim and spoiled his offerings. The brahmana then began to cry, but since everyone was fast asleep, no one could hear him. At that time the baby Lord appeared before the fortunate brahmana and disclosed His identity as Krishna Himself. The brahmana was forbidden to disclose this incident, and the baby returned to the lap of His mother. There are many similar incidents in His childhood. In this way the Lord passed His early childhood.

Navadvipa, the place where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu lived, was considered to be the center of education and culture. Students from all over the country came and stayed here as students. At the age of sixteen, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu started His own chatuspathi (village school conducted by a learned brahmana) in Navadvipa and He would simply explain Krishna, even in readings of grammar. 

During this time a great Kashmir scholar named Keshava Kashmiri came to Navadvipa to hold discussions on the shastras. The Kashmir pandita was a champion scholar, and he had travelled to all places of learning in India. Finally he came to Navadvipa to contest the learned panditas there. The panditas of Navadvipa decided to match Nimai Pandita (Lord Chaitanya) with the Kashmir pandita, thinking that if Nimai Pandita were defeated, they would have another chance to debate with the scholar, for Nimai Pandita was only a boy. And if the Kashmir pandita were defeated, then they would even be more glorified because people would proclaim that a mere boy of Navadvipa had defeated a champion scholar who was famous throughout India. 

It so happened that Nimai Pandita met Kesava Kasmiri while strolling on the banks of the Ganges. The Lord requested him to compose a Sanskrit verse in praise of the Ganges, and the pandita within a short time composed a hundred shlokas, reciting the verses like a storm and showing the strength of his vast learning. Nimai Pandita at once memorized all the slokas without an error. He quoted the sixty-fourth shloka and pointed out certain rhetorical and literary irregularities. He particularly questioned the pandita's use of the word bhavani-bhartuh. He pointed out that the use of this word was redundant. Bhavani means the wife of Siva, and who else can be her bharta, or husband? He also pointed out several other discrepancies, and the Kashmir pandita was struck with wonder. 

The Kashmir pandita was astonished that a mere student of grammar could point out the literary mistakes of an erudite scholar. Although this matter was ended prior to any public meeting, the news spread like wildfire all over Navadvipa. But finally Kesava Kasmiri was ordered in a dream by Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, to submit to the Lord, and thus the Kashmir pandita became a follower of the Lord.

 Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu began to preach the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord at Navadvipa. Some of the brahmanas became envious of His popularity, and they put many hindrances on His path. They were so jealous that they finally took the matter before the Muslim magistrate at Navadvipa. Bengal was then governed by Pathans, and the governor of the province was Nawab Hussain Shah.

The Muslim magistrate of Navadvipa took up the complaints of the brahmanas seriously, and at first he warned the followers of Nimai Pandita not to chant loudly the name of Hari. But Lord Caitanya asked His followers to disobey the orders of the Kazi, and they went on with their sankirtana (chanting) party as usual. The magistrate then sent constables who interrupted a sankirtana and broke some of the mrdangas (drums).

When Nimai Pandita heard of this incident He organized a party for civil disobedience. He organized a procession of one hundred thousand men with thousands of mrdangas and karatalas (hand cymbals), and this procession passed over the roads of Navadvipa in defiance of the Kazi who had issued the order. Finally the procession reached the house of the Kazi, who went upstairs out of fear of the masses. The great crowds assembled at the Kazi's house displayed a violent temper, but the Lord asked them to be peaceful.

At this time the Kazi came down and tried to pacify the Lord. He pointed out that Nilambara Cakravarti referred to him as an uncle, and consequently, Srimati Sacidevi, the mother of Nimai Pandita, was his sister. He asked the Lord whether his sister's son could be angry at His maternal uncle. In this way the issue was mitigated, and the two learned scholars began a long discussion on the Koran and Hindu sastras.  The Lord finally convinced the Kazi, who became the Lord's follower.

The Kazi thenceforth declared that no one should hinder the sankirtana movement which was started by the Lord, and the Kazi left this order in his will for the sake of progeny. The Kazi's tomb still exists in the area of Navadvipa, and Hindu pilgrims go there to show their respects. 

 

 When Lord Krishna appeared in Navadvipa as Lord Chaitanya, Lord Balarama joined Him incarnating as Lord Nityananda. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu cannot be approached or understood without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, who is the original guru of all the universes and serves as an intermediary between Mahaprabhu and His devotees.

His mercy knew no bounds, and people fortunate to come in contact with Him were inundated with love of Godhead. It was by His mercy that Raghunatha dasa, one of the six Goswamis, started the famous Danda Mahotsava festival of Panihati (a tradition that continues to this day) and was thus able to serve Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

When Nityananda Prabhu came across the Jagai and Madhai brothers, their life was sinful - illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling - though they were born in a nice brahmana family. Once these two brothers were creating disturbance on the street, Lord Nityananda and Haridasa Thakura were out for preaching. So people informed them.  Nityananda Prabhu said, "Why not deliver these two brothers immediately? Then it will be a great credit for Chaitanya Mahaprabhu." The Jagai-Madhai brothers hurt Him on the head by throwing a stone and Nityananda Prabhu started bleeding. 

On coming to know about it Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became very angry: "I shall kill these two brothers immediately.”  Nityananda Prabhu entreated, "You wanted to deliver poor souls. So don't kill them. Accept them." This is Nityananda Prabhu's business, guru's business. The brothers in the meantime fell down at the lotus feet of Lord Chaitanya, "We are so sinful. We have done wrong. Kindly excuse us."

So Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu made one condition, that "Your life is full of sinful activities. So if you simply promi Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had a very high estimation of the affections of the damsels of Vrajabhumi (Vrindavana) for Krishna, and in appreciation of their unalloyed service to the Lord, once Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chanted the holy names of the gopis (cowherd girls) instead of the names of the Lord. At this time some of His students came to see Him, and when they saw that the Lord was chanting the names of the gopis, they were astonished. Out of sheer foolishness they advised Him to chant the name of Krishna. The Lord chastised them and chased them away. The students were almost the same age as the Lord, and thus they wrongly thought of the Lord as one of their peers. They held a meeting and resolved that they would attack the Lord if He dared to punish them again in such a manner. This incident provoked some malicious talks about the Lord on the part of the general public.

When the Lord became aware of this, He began to consider the various types of men found in society. He noted that especially the students, professors, fruitive workers, yogis, non-devotees, and different types of atheists were all opposed to the devotional service of the Lord. However, people in general were inclined to offer respects to a sannyasi. So the Lord decided to accept the renounced order of life (sannyasa) and become an ideal sannyasi so that the general populace would show Him respect. 

At that time, Keshava Bharati, a sannyasi of the Mayavadi school and resident of Katwa (in Bengal), visited His house. The Lord asked him to award Him the sannyasa order of life. Thus after consulting with Keshava Bharati, the Lord left Navadvipa for Katwa to formally accept sannyasa. He was accompanied by Srila Nityananda Prabhu, Chandrasekhara Acharya, and Mukunda Datta, who assisted Him in the details of the ceremony. The incident of the Lord's accepting the sannyasa order is very elaborately described in the Chaitanya-bhagavata by Srila Vrndavana dasa Thakura.

Thus at the end of His twenty-fourth year the Lord accepted the sannyasa order of life in the month of Magha. After accepting this order He became a full-fledged preacher of the Bhagavata-dharma. Although He was doing the same preaching work in His householder life, when He experienced some obstacles to His preaching He sacrificed even the comfort of His home life for the sake of the fallen souls. In His householder life His chief assistants were Srila Advaita Prabhu and Srila Srivasa Thakura, but after He accepted the sannyasa order His chief assistants became Srila Nityananda Prabhu, who was deputed to preach specifically in Bengal, and the six Gosvamis (Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami), headed by Srila Rupa and Sanatana, who were deputed to go to Vrndavana to excavate the present places of pilgrimage. The present city of Vrindavana and the importance of Vrajabhumi were thus disclosed by the will of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. 

Lord Nityananda is the eternal associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu cannot be approached or understood without the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu, He serves as an intermediary between Mahaprabhu and His devotees. He is the second body of the Lord, manifesting as Balarama to Sri Krishna, Lakshmana to Sri Rama and Nityananda Prabhu to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. 

Nityananda Prabhu has the whitish complexion of Lord Balarama. He has a deep melodious voice, constantly singing the glories of Sri Krishna and carries a red stick with benedictions for the devotees, but feared by the demoniac. He has the mood of an avadhuta and He is so absorbed in love of Godhead.

Nityananda Prabhu was born in Ekachakra, a small village in present West Bengal, around the year 1474. His birth site is commemorated by a temple named Garbhasva and is visited by pilgrims even today. His father, Hadai Ojha and mother Padmavati, were pious Brahmans originally from Mithila. Nityananda Prabhu was born on the auspicious thirteenth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Magha. As a child, Nitai loved to enact the pastimes of Sri Krishna and Lord Rama. 

The village of Ekachakra was completely absorbed in the love of little Nitai, where He spent the first 12 years of his earthly life. In the 13th year, a travelling sannyasi, enchanted by Nitai's devotion and service, requested Nitai from his parents, as a travelling companion. His parents, bound by Vedic culture, could not refuse the request of a guest and reluctantly parted with Nitai. 

Nityananda Prabhu met Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in 1506, when He was 32 years old and Chaitanya 20 years. Nityananda Prabhu in His role as the original spiritual master was instrumental in spreading the yuga dharma of sankirtana all over the Gauda desh (Bengal, Odisha). His mercy knew no bounds, and fortunate were the people who tasted the nectar of His instructions.

He married Jahnava devi and Vasudha, the two daughters of Suryadasa Sarakhel, who was the brother of Gauridasa Pandit (an intimate associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the spiritual master of the famous Shyamananda Pandit). Nityananda Prabhu had a son (Virabhadra) and a daughter (Gangadevi) from Vasudha. 

Lord Nityananda wound up His earthly pastimes, by entering into the Deity of Krishna, known as Bankim Ray, not far from Ekachakra. Vaishnava Acharyas emphatically state that people who try to understand Chaitanya Mahaprabhu without getting the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu will never succeed and one must pray very sincerely to Lord Nityananda Prabhu as the adi-guru (original spiritual master) to be delivered to the Lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

 Lord Krsna and Balarama are not two different Personalities of Godhead. God is one without a second, but He expands Himself in many forms without their being separate from one another. They are all plenary expansions. The immediate expansion of Lord Krsna is Balarama. Lord Balarama is as good as Krishna Himself, the only difference being that the bodily hue of Krishna is dark and that of Balarama is fair. 

Lord Balarama is the source of all spiritual power (bala) which helps one attain the highest bliss of life (ramana) and hence the name Balarama. He is the protector of the devotees of the Lord. Without His mercy one cannot approach the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.

The history of Lord Balarama’s appearance is unique. He appeared in the womb of Devaki as her seventh son (the first six sons were killed by her brother Kamsa) and was then transferred to the womb of Rohini. He lived in the land of Vraja with His brother Sri Krishna and performed many wonderful pastimes. He killed demons like Dhenukasura, Pralambasura, Dvivida and Balvala. 

You can go through the following sections to know more about Lord Balaram

Lord Balarama is the first expansion of Lord Sri Krishna. The Supreme Lord, although one without a second, expands Himself in many forms. The vishnu-tattva forms are expansions of the Supreme Lord, and all of them are qualitatively and quantitatively equal with the Lord. This is described in Brahma Samhita as follows:

diparcir eva hi dasantaram abhyupetya
dipayate vivrta-hetu-samana-dharma
yas tadrg eva hi ca visnutaya vibhati
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

The light of one candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various manifestations. 

Lord Balarama is as good as Krishna Himself, the only difference being that the bodily hue of Krishna is dark and that of Balarama is fair. Although Balarama is non-different from Lord Sri Krishna, He expands Himself in various other forms to render service to the Supreme Lord. In His form as Sesha Naga (Ananta Sesha) He supports unlimited number of universes on His hoods. He constantly glorifies the Supreme Lord with His thousand tongues. Sesha is also called Ananta, or unlimited, because He assists the Personality of Godhead in His unlimited expansions by performing an unlimited variety of services.

Srila Yamunacharya (the spiritual master of Sri Ramanujacharya) describes this: nivasa-sayyasana-padukamsuko-padhana-varsatapa-varanadibhih [Stotra Ratna 37] Although Lord Balaram is the transcendental personal expansion of the Supreme Lord, He has accepted the service of the Supreme Lord in the form of nivasa (residence), shayya (bed), asana (seat), paduka (slippers), amshuka (garments), padhana (pillow) and varshatapa (umbrella). Therefore He is appropriately known by people as Sesha.

Lord Balarama is the mercy incarnation of Lord Sri Krishna. He is described as the protector of the devotees of the Lord. He acts as the spiritual master of all devotees. In the Mundaka Upanisha (3.2.4) it is said: nayam atma bala-hinena labhyo. One cannot attain the goal of life without the mercy of Balarama. In this Kali-yuga, He appeared as Nityananda Prabhu, an associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and delivered the conditioned souls.

Lord Balarama did not participate in the fratricidal war in Kurukshetra. He went for a pilgrimage and visited many sacred places in India. This pilgrimage tour is elaborately explained in the 79th chapter of the Krishna Book. A brief account of the same is presented here.

Lord Balarama took permission from the brahmanas assembled at Naimisharanya and, accompanied by other brahmanas, went to the bank of the River Kausiki. After taking His bath in this holy place, He proceeded toward the River Sarayu and visited the source of the river. Traveling on the bank of the Sarayu River, He gradually reached Prayaga, where there is a confluence of three rivers -- the Ganges, Yamuna and Sarasvati. Here also He took His bath, and then He worshiped in the local temples of the demigods and, as enjoined in the Vedic literature, offered oblations to the forefathers and sages. He gradually reached the asrama of the sage Pulaha and from there went to the rivers Gandaki and Gomati. After this He took His bath in the river Vipasha and in Sona River. (The Sona River is still running as one of the big rivers in Bihar Province.) He continued His journey and reached the city of Gaya, where there is a celebrated Visnu temple. According to the advice of His father, Vasudeva, He offered oblations to the forefathers in this Visnu temple. From here He traveled to the delta of the Ganges, where the sacred river Ganges mixes with the Bay of Bengal. This sacred place is called Gangasagara, and at the end of January every year there is still a great assembly of saintly persons and pious men, just as there is an assembly of saintly persons in Prayaga every year called the Magha-mela fair.

After finishing His bathing and ritualistic ceremonies at Gangasagara, Lord Balarama proceeded toward the mountain known as Mahendra Parvata, where He met Parasurama, an incarnation of Lord Krsna, and offered Him respect by bowing down before Him. After this Lord Balarama turned toward southern India and visited the banks of the River Godavari. After taking His bath in the river Godavari and performing the necessary ritualistic ceremonies, He gradually visited the other rivers -- the Vena, Pampa and Bhimarathi. Then, Lord Balarama gradually proceeded to Sailapura, a pilgrimage city in the province of Maharastra.

Lord Balarama then proceeded towards Dravida-desa and visited the temple of Balaji in Venkatacala. Then He proceeded towards Visnukanci, and also visited Sivakanci. Lord Balarama took His bath in the River Kaveri; and then reached Rangaksetra, the temple of Ranganatha. Then, Lord Balarama visited Madurai, commonly known as the Mathura of southern India. After visiting this place, He went towards Setubandha, the place where Lord Ramacandra constructed the stone bridge from India to Lanka (Ceylon). In this particularly holy place, Lord Balarama distributed ten thousand cows to the local brahmana priests. Lord Balarama then proceeded towards the Krtamala and Tamraparni rivers. These two rivers are celebrated as sacred, and Lord Balarama bathed in them both. He then proceeded toward Malaya Hill. This hill is very great, and it is said to be one of seven peaks called the Malaya Hills. The great sage Agastya used to live there, and Lord Balarama visited him and offered His respects by bowing down before him.

After taking the blessings of sage Agastya, Lord Balarama, with the sage's permission, proceeded toward the Indian Ocean. At the point of the cape (known today as Cape Comorin) is a big temple of goddess Durga, who is known there as Kanyakumari. From there, Lord Balarama went on to visit the pilgrimage city known as Phalguna-tirtha, which is on the shore of the Indian Ocean, and Pancapsarasa. From Cape Comorin Lord Balarama turned toward Kerala. After visiting this place, He came to Gokarna-tirtha, where Lord Siva is constantly worshiped. Balarama then visited the temple of Aryadevi, which is completely surrounded by water. From that island He went on to a place known as Surparaka. After this He bathed in the rivers known as Tapi, Payosni and Nirvindhya, and then He came to the forest known as Dandakaranya. Lord Balarama next came to the bank of the river Narmada, the biggest river in central India. On the bank of this sacred Narmada is a pilgrimage spot known as Mahismati-puri. After bathing there according to regulative principles, Lord Balarama returned to Prabhasa-tirtha, where He had begun His journey.

Krishna and Balarama performed many wonderful pastimes in Vrindavana. The sages of Naimisharanya wondered:

krtavan kila karmani saha ramena kesavah
atimartyani bhagavan gudhah kapata-manusah

Lord Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, along with Balarama, played like a human being, and so masked He performed many superhuman acts. [Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.20] These wonderful pastimes and superhuman acts are recorded in the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.  Srila Prabhupada presented the summary study of this tenth canto in the Krishna Book. You can read this book and relish the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. 

Some of the wonderful pastimes of Lord Balarama are presented here. 

Killing of Dhenukasura

One day the cowherd boys expressed their desire to taste the ripen fruits of palm trees in the Talavana forest, guarded by the demon Dhenukasura who is accompanied by many other demon friends, all assuming the form of ass. Krishna and Balarama wanted to please their friends and took them all to the Talavana forest. Balarama began to yank the trees with His arms, exhibiting the strength of an elephant, and all the ripe fruits fell down on the ground. Upon hearing the sound of the falling fruits, the demon Dhenukasura, appeared before Balarama and kicked His chest with his hind legs. At first Balarama did not say anything, but with great anger the demon kicked Him again more vehemently. This time Balarama immediately caught hold of the legs of the ass with one hand and, wheeling him around, threw him into the treetops. While he was being wheeled around by Balarama, the demon lost his life. Balarama threw the demon into the biggest palm tree about, and the demon's body was so heavy that the palm tree fell upon other trees, and several trees fell down. This exhibition of extraordinary strength is not astonishing because Balarama is the Personality of Godhead known as Ananta Sesha Naga, who is holding all the planets on the hoods of His millions of heads. 

Killing of Pralambasura

Once Krishna and Balarama were playing with the cowherd boys. A great demon named Pralambasura entered their company assuming the form of a cowherd boy. His intention was to kidnap both Balarama and Krishna. Krishna divided the boys into two teams. Some of them were on the side of Krishna, and some others took the side of Balarama. The arrangement is that the defeated members should carry the victorious members on their backs, as a horse carries its master. The party of Balarama, accompanied by Sridama and Vrshabha, came out victorious. Krishna’s party had to carry them on their backs. Pralambasura had to carry Balarama on his back. He took Balarama far away from others. Though the demon was very strong and powerful, he could not carry Balarama and suddenly he assumed his real form. Realizing what had happened, Lord Balarama struck the head of the demon with His strong fist, and the demon fell down dead immediately, just like a snake with a smashed head. 

Killing of Dvivida (The Gorilla)

Narakasura, a demon whom Lord Krishna killed, had a friend named Dvivida, an ape. Dvivida wanted to avenge the death of his friend. He disturbed the cowherds by setting fire to their home. He flooded the coastal lands by churning the ocean’s water with his mighty arms. He tore down the trees in the ahsramas of great sages. He went to the extent of passing stool and urine on their sacrificial fires. He kidnapped men and women and imprisoned them in mountain caves. When Lord Balarama was in Raivataka Mountain, Dvivida came there and insulted Him. His outrageous activities angered Lord Balarama. He threw a stone at the ape, but Dvivida managed to dodge it. He ridiculed Lord Balarama and tried to attack Him with a tree. Lord Balarama smashed the tree trunk to pieces. Dvivida uprooted all the trees one by one and attacked Lord Balarama, and the Lord simply broke all the trees to pieces. Then the foolish ape started throwing a barrage of stones, and Lord Balarama crushed them all to powder. Dvivida then charged the Lord and hit Him on the chest with his fists. Lord Balarama kept aside His club and plow weapon & struck Dvivida’s throat and shoulder. The ape vomited blood and fell down dead.

Killing of Demon Balvala

On the request of the sages of Naimisharanya, Lord Balarama decided to kill the demon Balvala, son of Ilvala, who was disturbing the sacrificial performances of the sages. Lord Balarama prepared Himself to meet the demon Balvala. At the time the whole sky became covered with dust and there was a hailstorm. The atmosphere became surcharged with a filthy smell. The mischievous demon Balvala began to shower torrents of stool and urine and other impure substances on the arena of sacrifice. After this, the demon himself appeared with a great trident in his hand. He was a gigantic person, and his black body was like a huge mass of carbon. His hair, his beard and his mustache appeared reddish like copper, and because of his great beard and mustache, his mouth appeared dangerous and fierce. As soon as He saw the demon, Lord Balarama prepared to attack him. He first considered how He could smash the great demon to pieces. Lord Balarama then called for His plow and club, and they immediately appeared before Him. The demon Balvala was flying in the sky, and at the first opportunity Lord Balarama dragged him down with His plow and angrily smashed the demon's head with His club. Balarama's striking fractured the demon's forehead, making blood flow profusely. Screaming loudly, the demon, who had been such a great disturbance to the pious brahmanas, fell to the ground like a great mountain with a red oxide peak being struck and smashed to the ground by a thunderbolt.

Once upon a time, Vasudeva, the son of Surasena, just after marrying Devaki, was going home on his chariot with his newly wedded wife. At that time, Kamsa, the son of Ugrasena, in order to please his sister, Devaki, had voluntarily taken the reins of the horses of Vasudeva's chariot and was driving. While the bride and bridegroom were passing along on the chariot, suddenly there was a miraculous sound vibrated from the sky which announced that the eighth child of Devaki will kill Kamsa. Immediately Kamsa caught hold of Devaki’s hair and was just about to kill her with his sword. But Vasudeva intervened promised that he will present all the children born of Devaki to Kamsa. 

When the first child was born, Vasudeva immediately brought the child before Kamsa. Kamsa returned the child to Vasudeva because according to the prophecy the danger was from the eighth child. But when he learnt from Narada that all the demigods are born in the family of Vrshnis, he became alarmed. He arrested Vasudeva and Devaki and put them behind prison bars. He also decided to kill all the babies who took birth from Devaki and Vasudeva. Thus he killed the first six babies. Lord Balarama appeared as the seventh son in the womb of Devaki. 

At this time, Krishna, the Supreme Lord, ordered the appearance of Yogamaya, His internal potency. Yogamaya is the principal potency of the Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Lord ordered her to transfer Lord Balarama from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini. Rohini was one of the wives of Vasudeva and she was residing at the house of Nanda Maharaja and Yashoda in Vrindavana. As ordered by the Supreme Lord, Yogamaya transferred Lord Balarama from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini. On account of being forcibly attracted to the womb of Rohini, He is also known as Sankarshana. 

Thus ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yogamaya circumambulated the Lord and then appeared within this material world according to His order. When Yogamaya, the supreme power of the supremely powerful Personality of Godhead, transferred Lord Sesa from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini, both Devaki and Rohini were under Yogamaya's spell, which is called yoga-nidra. When this was done, people thought that Devaki's seventh pregnancy had been a miscarriage. Thus although Balarama appeared as the son of Devaki, He was transferred to the womb of Rohini to appear as her son.