Three interesting Questions regarding the relationship between Krishna, Balarama, Narayana (Vishnu) and the living entities (jivas)
1. Does Srila Prabhupada use the term Supreme Personality of Godhead to refer to Lord Balarama as well as Lord Krishna or only to Lord Krishna, with Lord Balarama being the Personality of Godhead but without the "Supreme"?
2. Srila Prabhupada said that Lord Krishna never leaves Vrindavan. What about Lord Balarama? Does He leave Vrindavan?
3. Are Lord Krishna's special four qualities described in The Nectar of Devotion also Lord Balarama's -- or only Lord Krishna's?
Krishna's four special qualities are not fully manifested even in Lord Balarama or the Vishnu/Narayana form of Godhead, what to speak of the demigods or living entities.
Those four qualities are as follows:
(61) He is the performer of wonderful varieties of pastimes (especially His childhood pastimes).
(62) He is surrounded by devotees endowed with wonderful love of Godhead.
(63) He can attract all living entities all over the universes by playing on His flute.
(64) He has a wonderful excellence of beauty which cannot be rivaled anywhere in the creation.
The 64 qualities are explained at end of this article
ANSWER part one
1. Yes, Balarama is also referred to as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and rightly so.
2. Krsna's leaving Vrndavana only takes place in bhauma-lila, not in the aprakata-lila in the spiritual world. And even though Krsna leaves Vrndavana in bhauma-lila, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains in his commentaries to the 10th canto that there is another layer (prakash) to bhauma-lila where Krsna never leaves and enjoys constantly with the Vraja-vasis. The same applies to Balarama.
3. Only Krsna manifests those four personality types.
ANSWER part two
In Rupa Goswami’s Laghu Bhagavatamrta, Balarama is categorized as a vaibhava prakasa form of Krsna. The two-armed flute bearing cowherd Gopal Krsna is svayam rupa, the orginal form of the Godhead in whom all other manifestations of himself are contained.
For the sake of his lila sometimes svaryam rupa Krsna expands into replica forms of himself, such as when picnicking among his friends along the banks of the Yamuna. At that time Krsna expanded into multiple replica forms of himself such that each cowherd thought that Krsna was sitting next to him and placing food in his mouth.
This type of expansion of svayam rupa Krsna, in which each from manifested is exactly the same as svayam rupa himself in both form and emotion, is termed prabhava prakasa.
However, when svayam rupa Krsna expands himself for lilas that require different emotional content, even while their forms are the same as svayam rupa himself, such expansions are termed vaibhava prakasa.
In the Vraja lila only these two kinds of expansions are required—many forms of Krsna of the same emotional make up and forms of differing emotional makeup.
While the prabhava prakasa forms are many—as many as there are gopas and gopis for Krsna to stand between—there is only one vaibhava prakasa in Vraja: Balaramaji.
One of the implications of the above, relative to Mahadyuti Swami's question, is that although Prabhupada does at times address Balarama as the "Supreme Personality of Godhead," as much as that terms refers to Svayam Bhagavan, it does not refer to Balarama. Balarama is not Svayam Bhagavan, but rather his expansion.
For example, In Tamala Krsna Goswami's doctoral thesis, he makes the case that Prabhupada's constant repetition of "Supreme Personality of Godhead" is a repetition of "krsnas tu bhagavan svayam." "Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam" is the paribhasa sutra of the Bhagavatam, the key to unlocking its tattva.
So to repeat it in English again and again is to almost mantrically, if you will, foster this impression onto the readers. But again, Balarama is not Svayam Bhagavan. However the two, Krsna and Rama, are so intertwined that wherever Krsna manifests, Rama is with him.
So the advent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Krsna) includes with it as an integral part of that appearance the advent of Balarama.
Following Sri Rupa’s lead in Laghu-bhagavatamrta, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami explains that the vaibhava prakasa forms of Krsna differ from him in emotional content— bhavavesa-bhede nama ‘vaibhava-prakase’.
Sri Krsnadasa goes on to say that other than the difference in the color of their complexions, the two, Krsna and Balarama, are equal—varna-matra-bheda, saba—krsnera samana.
However, color and emotion are related. Thus the difference in the color of Krsna and Balarama’s complexions also speaks of their emotional difference from one another.
Krsna’s complexion is syama or indigo in color and in Indian aesthetic theory this color corresponds with the rasa over which he presides, srngara or madhurya-rasa.
Balarama’s complexion is whitish like that of the moon or a crystal, and this is the color—pandura—assigned to hasya rasa—humor—over which Balarama presides and which among the rasas is the best friend of sakhya-rasa.
Indeed, in the sakhya rasa center of Srimad Bhagavatam’s 10th canto 15th chapter we find Krsna’s lengthy glorification of Balarama amidst their friends spoken in the rapture of hasya rasa.
Both the crystal and the moon are agents of reflection. The crystal reflects the color of that which it is placed beside and the moon reflects the light of the sun.
As mentioned earlier, these two images from the natural world identified with Balarama’s complexion also tell us something about his emotional makeup: Krsna is sevya—served—Bhagavan, Balarama is sevaka—servitor— Bhagavan, causing us to reflect back upon Krsna, the object of Rama’s seva.
As such this Rama draws his light and life from Krsna/Visnu in ways that no other manifestation of the Godhead does.
In tattva, Balarama is the Godhead himself, but emotionally speaking he experiences himself as Krsna’s friend whose sakhya-rati is grouped together with dasya and vatsalya-rati.
That is, within the context of his sakhya-rati, Balarama sometimes expresses himself in service to Krsna and at other times acts as Krsna’s well-wisher.
In other words, in his emotional life Balarama’s sakkya-rati mediates between two otherwise incompatible emotions, servile and paternal love. And Rama also presides over all three of these relationships with Krsna——dasya, sakhya, and vatsalya.
Of these three, in Vraja his sakhya predominates, although examples of his dasya and vatsalya are not lacking. Outside of Vraja in Mathura and Dvaraka his vatsalya is more dominant, and outside of Krsna lila itself his dasya is prominent in his seva rendered to countless avataras of the Godhead.
Regarding the four unique qualities of Krsna, I would not say they also belong to Balarama, nor has this be stated anywhere else. Yes, Rama bears a flute in Vraja, as do many if not all cowherd boys.
But Krsna's flute is especially sweet because it alone can attract Radha. The same holds true for his form. And lila madhurya is said to refer to his rasa-lila, which is of a different order than that of Rama's rasa- lila with his gopis—raga as opposed to maryada respectively.
And Krsna's prema madhurya is such because it also reaches the hight of his intimate dealing with Radha.
ANSWER part three
Learned scholars in transcendental subjects have carefully analyzed the summum bonum Krsna to have sixty-four principal attributes.
All the expansions or categories of the Lord possess only some percentages of these attributes. But Sri Krsna is the possessor of the attributes cent percent.
And His personal expansions such as svayam-prakasa, tad-ekatma up to the categories of the avataras who are all visnu-tattva, possess up to ninety-three percent of these transcendental attributes.
Balarama and Krishna present different viewpoints, with Krishna's wisdom establishing Krishna to be the ultimate divinity. Balarama's constant association with Krishna makes him the protector and supporter of dharma.
Balarama is depicted as light skinned, in contrast to his brother, Krishna, who is dark skinned, Krishna in Sanskrit means dark. His ayudha or weapons are the plough hala and the gadā.
The plough is usually called Balachita. He often wears blue garments and a garland of forest flowers. His hair is tied in a topknot and he has earrings, bracelets and armlets and he is known for his strength, the reason for his name.
In the Jagannath tradition, one particularly popular in eastern and central regions of India, he is more often called Balabhadra or Baladeva. Balarama is one in the triad, wherein Balarama is shown together with his brother Jagannath (Krishna) and sister Subhadra (Lakshmi).
Jagannath is identifiable from his circular eyes compared to oval of Subhadra and almond shaped eyes of the abstract icon for Balarama. Further, Balarama's face is white, Jagannath's icon is dark, and Subhadra icon is yellow.
The third difference is the flat head of Jagannath icon, compared to semi-circular carved head of abstract Balarama. The shape of Balabhadra's head, also called Balarama or Baladeva in these regions, varies in some temples between somewhat flat and semi-circular
Lord Siva, who is neither avatara nor avesa nor in between them, possesses almost eighty-four percent of the attributes.
But the jivas, or the individual living beings in different statuses of life, possess up to the limit of seventy-eight percent of the attributes.
In the conditioned state of material existence, the living being possesses these attributes in very minute quantity, varying in terms of the pious life of the living being.
The most perfect of living beings is Brahma, the supreme administrator of one universe. He possesses seventy-eight percent of the attributes in full.
All other demigods have the same attributes in less quantity, whereas human beings possess the attributes in very minute quantity.
The standard of perfection for a human being is to develop the attributes up to seventy-eight percent in full. The living being can never possess attributes like Siva, Visnu or Lord Krsna.
A living being can become godly by developing the seventy-eight-percent transcendental attributes in fullness, but he can never become a God like Siva, Visnu or Krsna.
He can become a Brahma in due course.
The godly living beings who are all residents of the planets in the spiritual sky are eternal associates of God in different spiritual planets called Hari-dhama and Mahesa-dhama.
The abode of Lord Krsna above all spiritual planets is called Krsnaloka or Goloka Vrndavana, and the perfected living being, by developing seventy-eight percent of the above attributes in fullness, can enter the planet of Krsnaloka after leaving the present material body.
Lord Krishna. 64 qualities or 100%
Vishnu Tattva. 60 qualities or ~93%
Shiva Tattva. 54 qualities or ~84%
Jiva Tattva. 50 qualities or ~78%
The Supreme Personality of Godhead / Krishna has all these fifty transcendental qualities in fullness as deep as the ocean.
In other words, the extent of His qualities is inconceivable.
(1) Beautiful features of the entire body
(2) Marked with all auspicious characteristics
(3) Extremely pleasing
(4) Effulgent
(5) Strong
(6) Ever youthful
(7) Wonderful linguist
(8) Truthful
(9) Talks pleasingly
(10) Fluent
(11) Highly learned
(12) Highly intelligent
(13) Genius
(14) Artistic
(15) Extremely clever
(16) Expert
(17) Grateful
(18) Firmly determined
(19) An expert judge of time and circumstances
(20) Sees and speaks on the authority of Vedas, or scriptures
(21) Pure
(22) Self-controlled
(23) Steadfast
(24) Forbearing
(25) Forgiving
(26) Grave
(27) Self-satisfied
(28) Possessing equilibrium
(29) Magnanimous
(30) Religious
(31) Heroic
(32) Compassionate
(33) Respectful
(34) Gentle
(35) Liberal
(36) Shy
(37) The protector of surrendered souls
(38) Happy
(39) The well-wisher of devotees
(40) Controlled by love
(41) all-auspicious
(42) Most powerful
(43) all-famous
(44) Popular
(45) Partial to devotees
(46) Very attractive to all women
(47) all-worship able
(48) all-opulent
(49) all-honourable
(50) The supreme controller.
Besides all of the above-mentioned fifty qualities, Lord Krishna possesses five more, which are sometimes partially manifested in Lord Brahma or Lord Shiva. These transcendental qualities are as follows:
(51) Changeless
(52) all-cognizant
(53) Ever fresh
(54) sac-cid-ananda (possessing an eternal blissful body)
(55) Possessing all mystic perfections.
Krishna also possesses five other qualities, which are manifest in the body of Narayana / Vishnu, and they are listed as follows:
(56) He has inconceivable potency.
(57) Uncountable universes generate from His body.
(58) He is the original source of all incarnations.
(59) He is the giver of salvation to the enemies whom He kills.
(60) He is the attractor of liberated souls.
Besides these sixty transcendental qualities, Krishna has four more, which are not manifested even in the Vishnu / Narayana form of Godhead, what to speak of the demigods or living entities. They are as follows:
(61) He is the performer of wonderful varieties of pastimes (especially His childhood pastimes).
(62) He is surrounded by devotees endowed with wonderful love of Godhead.
(63) He can attract all living entities all over the universes by playing on His flute.
(64) He has a wonderful excellence of beauty which cannot be rivaled anywhere in the creation.
The Absolute Truth is anandamaya (desiring to increase His joy), hence from His original form He expands and becomes many.
These emanations from the Supreme Person are of two categories: full expansions and partially manifested expansions.
The Lord's various full and partial expansions and the Lord Himself simultaneously co-exist, only appearing to manifest under the influence of time.
These expansions of the Supreme Being are known as Vishnu-tattva, and they are also Supreme Absolute Truth. While non-different from the Lord, the Vishnu-tattvas all accept their own role as Godhead in the mood of Servitor to the "original" Supreme Being.
This relationship is the foundation of Vedic monotheism, which encompasses the inconceivable, absolute personal nature of the original Godhead.
The Supreme Being possesses two other expansive qualities known as Shiva-tattva and jiva-tattva. Together with Vishnu-tattva, these three qualities are representative of the Absolute Person's internal, external and marginal energies.
The Lord has expanded Himself as Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma, and we, the living entities, are also expansions. Like us, Lord Brahma is also jiva-tattva.
Lord Siva is between Vishnu-tattva and jiva-tattva. And Lord Visnu is Vishnu-tattva. Vishnu-tattva, via media, and jiva-tattva - they are all expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Krsna.
Conclusion.
Brahmananda das - "Prabhupada designed the Krishna and Balarama Deities, the mudra. He made a drawing and gave it to Baradraj to have it made in Jaipur.
There is no Krishna Balarama Deity like this with Balarama resting His arm on Krishna’s shoulders. There is no Deity like that, Prabhupada made that design.
And then he would joke about it, “Who is stronger, Krishna or Balarama?” Bala means strength, He is the strong one. And everyone would say “Balarama.”
Then Prabhupada said, “Then why Balarama is resting on Krishna? This means Krishna is stronger.”
(From the "Following Srila Prabhupada" DVD series)
Compiled by Gauragopala dasa Acbsp.
