(Click to enlarge photo of Lord Balarama, Vrindavan)
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the fountain-head of all incarnations. Lord Balarāma is His second body. They are both one and the same identity. They differ only in form. He is the first bodily expansion of Kṛṣṇa, and He assists in Lord Kṛṣṇa's transcendental pastimes."
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta Adi 5.4-5, Purport)
"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."
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta Adi 5.10, Purport)
"Lord Balārama is the Personality of Godhead, Ananta Himself; therefore He is beyond the scope of understanding by mind, intelligence or body. He descended exactly like a human being and behaved in that way for His own purpose; we can only explain His activities as the Lord's pastimes. No one can even estimate the extent of the unlimited demonstrations of His pastimes because He is all-powerful."
(Kṛṣṇa Book, Chapter 77)
"In the Upaniṣads it is stated, nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyaḥ. The purport is that one cannot attain the supreme platform 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 source of 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 Saṅkarṣaṇa. Balarāma, or Saṅkarṣaṇa, is the source of 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 form of 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)
"The immediate expansion of Krishna is Baladeva, who appeared as elder brother of Krishna and Baladeva. expands Himself further as Sankarsan, Vasudeva, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, April 27, 1967)
"Regarding your question, Sayamrupa means the Original Form. Sayamprakash means Balarama. And Tadekatmarupa is the purusa, just like Mahavisnu. It is not necessary to remember or fully understand all these different forms, at the present, but it is like if you simply stick to the master faithfully that is very good, but if you know that my master is so great, and so rich, and great in this way and rich in this way, and that way, then your veneration for your master will increase. To know Krishna is great, how He is expanded into different forms, that enhances our attachment to Krishna more rigidly."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 13, 1968)
"Regarding your question, 'What does Rama mean in Hare Rama? Is this Balarama or Lord Ramacandra?', you can take it both ways, because there is no difference between Ramacandra and Balarama. Generally it means Krishna, because Rama means enjoyer. So either Ramacandra, Balarama or Krishna are all Visnu Tattvas and are always enjoying. The sakti tattva, or jiva tattva is always enjoyed. Our position is always predominated. If we remain in that position and properly use our small independence, then we remain happily eternally. But artificially, if we want to be independent and imitate the Supreme Enjoyer, then it is delusion. Material life means trying to imitate the Enjoyer, and spiritual life means to remain in one's eternal position as enjoyed. This Hare Krishna Mantra is addressed to the energy of the Lord and the Lord Himself to keep the chanter in his eternal position of being enjoyed. The prayer is 'My Lord, Oh the Spiritual Energy of the Lord, kindly keep me engaged in Your service.'"
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 9, 1969)
"Lord Nityananda is Balarama Himself, not an expansion of Him. Srila Narottama das Thakur has sung that the Lord who appeared as the Son of Nanda Maharaj has now appeared as the son of Sachidevi; and the same Balarama has appeared as Nityananda. This is the statement of Srila Narottama das Thakur."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 8, 1969)
"Balarama is holding a plow, that is His weapon. Jagannath is holding the Chakra, that is His weapon. Krishna's name is Chakradhara (dhara = carries) or One Who Carries the Disc. Balarama's name is Haladhar, the Carrier of the Plow (hala)."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 27, 1970)
"Regarding the color of Balaramaji, He is colored like milk white with little bluish tint and rosy luster. Our idea of whiteness is of the milk foam."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 3, 1970)
"You have inquired whether to illustrate Balaramaji's Rasa Dancing with expansions of Balaramaji just like Krsna expanded Himself for Rasa Dancing. No, we do not find such description in the Srimad Bhagavatam. But He had His dancing pastime with the Gopis in a different place known as Ramghat on the bank of the Yamuna."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, July 11, 1970)
"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)
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