Balarāma Rāsa-yātrā

Lord Balarāma Visits Vṛndāvana

Excerpt from Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Chapter 65

Lord Balarāma became very anxious to see His father and mother in Vṛndāvana. Therefore, with great enthusiasm He started on a chariot for Vṛndāvana. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana had been anxious to see Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for a very long time. After being received by the cowherd men and boys, the gopīs, and King Nanda and Yaśodā, Lord Balarāma sat down, feeling satisfied, and they all surrounded Him. When the gopīs arrived, Lord Balarāma glanced over them with loving eyes. Being overjoyed, the gopīs, who had so long been mortified on account of Kṛṣṇa’s and Balarāma’s absence, began to ask about the welfare of the two brothers. They specifically asked Balarāma whether Kṛṣṇa was enjoying His life surrounded by the enlightened women of Dvārakā Purī.

Lord Balarāma, of course, could understand the ecstatic feelings of the gopīs, and therefore He wanted to pacify them. He was expert in presenting an appeal, and thus, treating the gopīs very respectfully, He began to narrate the stories of Kṛṣṇa so tactfully that the gopīs became satisfied. To keep the gopīs in Vṛndāvana satisfied, Lord Balarāma stayed there continuously for two months, namely the months of Caitra (March–April) and Vaiśākha (April–May). For those two months He kept Himself among the gopīs, and He passed every night with them in the forest of Vṛndāvana to satisfy their desire for conjugal love. Thus, Balarāma also enjoyed the rāsa dance with the gopīs during those two months. Since the season was springtime, the breeze on the bank of the Yamunā was blowing very mildly, carrying the aroma of different flowers, especially the flower known as kaumudī. Moonlight filled the sky and spread everywhere, and thus the banks of the Yamunā appeared very bright and pleasing, and Lord Balarāma enjoyed the company of the gopīs there.

The demigod known as Varuṇa sent his daughter Vāruṇī 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, vāruṇī, captivated Balarāmajī. Balarāmajī and all the gopīs became very much attracted by the taste of the vāruṇī, and all of them drank it together. While drinking this natural beverage, all the gopīs chanted the glories of Lord Balarāma, and Lord Balarāma felt very happy, as if He had become intoxicated by drinking that vāruṇī 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 Balarāma smiled beautifully, and the drops of perspiration decorating His face appeared like soothing morning dew.

While Balarāma was in that happy mood, He desired to enjoy the company of the gopīs in the water of the Yamunā. Therefore, He called the Yamunā to come nearby. But the Yamunā neglected the order of Balarāmajī, considering Him intoxicated. Lord Balarāma became very much displeased at the Yamunā’s neglecting His order. He immediately wanted to scratch the land near the river with His plowshare. Lord Balarāma has two weapons, a plow and a club, from which He takes service when they are required. This time He wanted to bring the Yamunā by force, and He took the help of His plow. He wanted to punish the Yamunā because she did not come in obedience to His order. He addressed the Yamunā, “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 Yamunā was threatened like this, she became greatly afraid of the power of Balarāma and immediately came in person, falling at His lotus feet and praying thus: “My dear Balarāma, 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 Śeṣa. 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, who are very 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 Yamunā was forgiven, and when she came nearby, Lord Balarāma enjoyed the pleasure of swimming in her waters along with the gopīs in the same way that an elephant enjoys himself along with his many she-elephants. After a long time, when Lord Balarāma 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 Yamunā, Lord Balarāma, dressed in blue garments and decorated with golden ornaments, looked very attractive to everyone. Lord Balarāma’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 Yamunā still has many small branches due to being scratched by the plowshare of Lord Balarāma. And all these branches of the river Yamunā still glorify the omnipotence of Lord Balarāma.

Lord Balarāma and the gopīs 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 Balarāma, all the gopīs and other inhabitants of Vṛndāvana became as cheerful as they had been before in the presence of both brothers, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma.

Balarāma rāsa-lila at Rāma-ghāta

Excerpt from Bhakti-ratnākara by Śrī Narahari Cakravartī, Chapter 5

“In this place Rohiṇī-nandana, Balarāma, stood in a threefold bending form and blew joyfully on His horn, the sound of which moved the heart of Brahmā and others. O Śrīnivāsa, with only one mouth how can I describe the beauty of Balai's pastimes? Here in this moon-lit Yamunā-upavana, Balarāma engaged in pastimes surrounded by millions of gopīs.” This is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.65.18-20) as follows: “In the company of numerous women, Lord Balarāma enjoyed in a garden by the Yamunā River. This garden was bathed in the rays of the full moon and caressed by breezes bearing the fragrance of night-blooming lotuses. “Sent by the demigod Varuṇa, the divine Vāruṇī liquor flowed from a tree hollow and made the entire forest even more fragrant with its sweet aroma. The wind carried to Balarāma the fragrance of that flood of sweet liquor, and when He smelled it, He went [to the tree]. There He and His female companions drank.”

Rāghava continued his story. “After drinking the liquor, Rohiṇī-nandana became maddened as He began His rāsa dance with His gopīs. Some of the gopīs played mṛdaṅga, pināka, vīṇā, and other instruments, while other gopīs sang Balarāma's glories in melodious songs based on rhythmic tunes and beats. Lord Brahmā and others were moved by the music. Śrī Balarāma Himself became overwhelmed by the dancing, singing, and music, and soon the rāsa-mandira was filled with unlimited happiness. To enjoy water sports with His lovers, Balarāma brought the Yamunā near by pulling her with His plough and then sported in her water. After bathing, Balarāma changed His dress, drank honey and liquor and spent the night with His associates. In the early morning the gopīs could not bear their separation from Balarāma and did not want to return to their homes. Balarāma consoled them in many ways and sent them to their houses. Out of fear of Balarāma, the Yamunā offered Him prayers and, folding her hands, she threw herself at His feet.” This description is found in the Vraja-vilāsa-stava: “When by her own quiet nature, the Yamunā was flowing to the south ocean, she did not respond to the order of Balarāma and thus He pulled her with His plough. In this place the Yamunā can be seen as she is. I sing the glories of this place with my devoted heart.”

Śrī Rāghava told his followers that Balarāma's rāsa-sthalī is famous throughout the world and devotees always offer their prayers at this beautiful place named Rāma-ghāta.

Lessons from Balarāma Rāsa-yātrā

anugrahāya bhaktānāṁ

mānuṣaṁ deham āsthitaḥ

bhajate tādṛśīḥ krīḍa

yāḥ śrutvā tat-paro bhavet

“When the Lord assumes a humanlike body to show mercy to His devotees, He engages in such pastimes as will attract those who hear about them to become dedicated to Him.”

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura glorifies the Lord’s conjugal pastimes, stating that these romantic affairs have an inconceivable spiritual potency to attract the polluted heart of conditioned souls. [Translation and purport, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.33.36].