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94) Balabhadraaya SrI Venkatesaaya
nama:
Salutations to Srinivasa, who is
verily Sri Balarama Himself !
While enumerating 14 different
types of Karma Yogas in the Gita, Sri Krishna includes Teerttha Yaatraa or
pilgrimage and bathing in holy waters as one of them. It was Sri Balarama
who, through His anushttaanam, popularised this form of Karma Yoga to the
world.
It is well known that Sri Balarama
is an amsam of Sri Adisesha, ever protective of His kid brother Krishna,
ensuring that the machinations of Kamsa do not in any way affect Sri Krishna.
However, unlike Krishna, Balarama is the picture of rectitude--so much so
that whenever Krishna gets into trouble on account of His misdeeds, He
indulges in name-dropping, telling indignant victims that He is Balarama's
brother, implying thereby that He is capable of no wrong. The famous Krishna Karnamrita
sloka beginning with "Ka: tvam Bala? Balaanuja:" is proof of this.
Sri Krishna is always submissive
towards elder brother Balarama, as can be derived from Sri Andal's remark,
"Baladevarkku or keezh kandraai".
Balarama's compassion and mercy
are emphasized by Swami Desikan in Daya Satakam, when the Acharya points out
that while it is normal for the Lord to disregard misdeeds of the devout, Sri
Balarama went to the extent of disregarding those of even the Kauravas.
Swami Desikan furnishes additional
information about this elder brother of Sri Krishna, in his Dasavatara stotram--
"Phakkat Kaurava pattana
prabhrutaya: praasta Pralambaadaya:
Taalaankasya tathaa vidhaa
vihrutaya: tanvantu bhadraani va:
Ksheeram sharkkarayeva
yaabhi: aprithak bhootaa: prabhootai: gunai:
Aakoumaarakam asvadante
jagate Krishnasya taa: kelaya:"
Swami Desikan tells us that the
childhood exploits of Sri Balarama added glory and appeal to those of Sri
Krishna's, jsut as sugar adds taste to milk. This Balarama was extremely
strong and wielded the highly unusual weapon of an invincible plough. We can
get a fair idea of His prowess, when we learn that He dragged the entire city
of Hastinapuram by His plough and dumped it into the Yamuna. It was He who put
an end to the Pralambasura, who was dispatched by Kamsa to kill the toddler
Krishna.
This nama tells us that Sri
Balarama is none other than Sri Venkatesa.
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