LORDBALARAMA- PART 3 Continuedfrom Part 2
Dear friends, This is a posting about Lord Balarama, half-brother of LordSrikrishna. All information is compiled from websites and Google QA. This is THIRD part of theposting. Hope an interesting reading. As I intimated earlier to the groups, I ignore all negativecomments about my postings by any member. Positive comments and suggestions will be replied and acknowledgedby me. Hopean interesting reading. Gopalakrishnan, 15-06-2026 How Balarama andKrishna functioned at Dwaraka Sage Narada once visited Dwaraka specifically towitness how Krishna managed his massive household and observed that each palaceoperated as an independent, fully functioning estate. The Yadava GovernanceSystem: The Yadavasdid not follow a standard absolute monarchy; they functioned as an oligarchy ora confederacy of clans (the Vrishnis, Bhojas, and Andhakas) led by King Ugrasena. Because Balarama and Krishna were leaders of differentsegments of the family and managed vast administrative responsibilities, havingindependent palatialestates was practical for hosting councils and managing theirrespective military and civic duties. Drinking wine byBalarama and Revati(Yadavaculture) Revati and Balarama used to drink wine, but they brought upthe children to be away from wine. In Hindu Puranic texts, LordBalarama is famously associated with Varuni (the goddess of wine/liquor), andboth he and Revati routinely consumed it. However, recognizing its destructive potential, they deliberately structured their household to raise their childrenentirely away from intoxication. In theBhagavata Purana and Harivamsa Purana, wine is not treated as a mundane vicefor Balarama. Thebeverage Varuni flowed directly from the hollows of Kadamba trees specificallyfor his pleasure. Puranic lore notes that Revati regularly drank alongsideBalarama. However, textsexplicitly emphasize that they never lost their senses, dignity, ormoral clarity while doing so. In traditional Hindu art,Balarama and Revati are frequently depictedtogether with a cup and a pot of wine. Revati proposed that while they could handle the divinebeverage safely, theirchildren must not be allowed to touch it.: Balarama agreedcompletely, stating that their sons must focus strictly on spiritualmeditation, rigorous sports, warfare training, and scriptural studies to growup physically and mentally resilient. This strict parenting created a powerful contrastwith the rest of the Yadava clan, contributing to the ultimate tragedyof Dwarka: While Balarama kepthis immediate household disciplined, the rest of the Yadava youth (including Krishna'sson Samba) grew highly frivolous, arrogant, and hedonistic over decadesof peace. The Liquor Bans: As the society began showing signsof moral decay, bothKing Ugrasena and Lord Krishna issued severe decrees completely banning themanufacture and consumption of wine in Dwarka to curb the youth's behaviour. Drinking wine was alsowith Lord Krishna and their sister Subhadra In the UdyogaParva (Section 58) of the Mahabharata via Sacred-Texts, Sanjaya describes a private visit toKrishna's palace: Sanjaya reports seeing Lord Krishnaand Arjuna sitting together, comfortably relaxed.In the Company of Wives: They were joined by Krishna'schief queen, Satyabhama, and Arjuna’s wife, Draupadi. Text explicitly notesthat both Krishna and Arjuna were happily intoxicated or exhilarated bydrinking Madhu (a type of wine made from sweet wild flowers or grapes, distinctfrom grain-based hard liquors Subhadra’s participation in drinking is most famouslydocumented during a massive celebration hosted by the Yadavas at RaivatakaMountain, right before she was abducted by Arjuna. Balarama’s neverintervened with Pandavas and Kouravas We have read Krishna often saved Pandavas. But Balarama never intervened to"save" the Pandavas or Kauravas during the war because he maintained strictmilitary neutrality. However,before the war, he stepped in as a powerful protector and savior for both sidesat different times,though his actions heavilyleaned toward helping and favouring the Kauravas. How Balarama Saved theKauravas (From Total Destruction) Balarama's most famous intervention saved the Kauravas fromliteral obliteration when his own family, the Yadavas, were ready to wage waragainst them. The Incident of Samba: Krishna’s son, Samba, fell in lovewith Duryodhana’s daughter, Lakshmanaa. Samba tried to abduct her from her Swayamvara,but the Kaurava warriors caught him, bound him, and threw him inprison. The Yadava Rage: When the Yadavas found out, they werefurious and began mobilizing a massive army to march on Hastinapur and wipe outthe Kauravas. Balarama Steps In: Wanting to preserve peace and savehis favourite student Duryodhana's clan, Balarama volunteered to go alone as a diplomat to negotiateSamba's release. Dragging Hastinapur: When Balaramaarrived, the Kauravas insultingly rejected his peace proposal. Enraged, Balarama struck his mightyplough (Hal) into the ground and began dragging the entire city of Hastinapur into the GangesRiver. Saving the Clan: Terrified as their city literallytilted into the river, the Kauravas rushed out, apologized,surrendered Samba, and begged for mercy. By controlling his rage and accepting their apology, Balaramaeffectively saved the Kauravas from being destroyed by his weapon and theimpending Yadava army. My note-Mostof us may be interested to know- How Lord Krishna reacted when Samba wasimprisoned? Whether Krishna desired the marriage ofSamba with Lakshmanaa. Hence the following isincluded Lord Krishna did not desire the marriage of Samba and Lakshmanaa, nor did he rush to rescue Samba whenhe was captured. He viewed his son's forceful abduction of Duryodhana'sdaughter as an unethical act and initially refused to intervene against the Kauravas. The detailed dynamics of Krishna's reaction and hisperspective on the alliance reveal a stark contrast to Balarama's approach: Lord Krishna's NeutralReaction to the Imprisonment When news reached Dwarka that Samba had been brutallyoverpowered and thrown into a Hastinapur dungeon, the Yadava warriors flew intoa rage and demanded a full-scale war. Krishna, however, remainedremarkably calm and detached: Refusing to Fightfor a Crime: Krishnadid not support his son's reckless behaviour. Samba had disrupteda sacred Swayamvara and abducted a princess against her clearwill.Krishna believed that Samba had committed a crime, and therefore theKauravas were entirely justified in defending their princess and punishing theculprit. Prioritizing Cosmic Law OverFamily: True to hisdivine nature, Krishnaplaced dharma (righteousness) above parental attachment. He knewthat waging war against the Kauravas to protect an unlawful act would underminemoral law. He refused to mobilize the army for Samba. Balarama's Intervention: It was Balarama, deeply affectionate toward Samba andprotective of the Yadava honour, who stepped in. Balarama insisted onresolving the crisis through diplomacy first, which ultimately escalated intohim pulling Hastinapur with his plough until the Kauravas surrendered Samba andLakshmanaa as we already read Why Krishna Did NotDesire the Alliance Krishna had multiple strategic, moral, and divine reasons fornot wanting this marriage to happen: Lack of Consent: Krishnachampioned the rights and choices of women (as seen when he helped Rukmini escape her forcedmarriage). Because Lakshmanaa had not chosen Samba, Krishna stronglydisapproved of a relationship built on a forced abduction. Foreseeing Cosmic Destruction: Krishna possessed supremeforesight. He knew that Samba was born with the destructive energy ofLord Shiva specifically to bring about the end of the Yadava clan.Uniting Samba with the unrighteous Kauravas would only accelerate familycorruption, a reality that later manifested when Samba openly resented Krishnafor destroying his Kaurava in-laws during the war. Avoiding PoliticalComplications: Krishna was systematically layingthe groundwork to support the Pandavas against the Kauravas. Adirect marital alliance between his own household and Duryodhana's householdstructurally complicated his geopolitical alignments. Ultimately, Krishna only accepted the marriage afterBalarama brought the couple back to Dwarka as a done deal to maintain familialpeace. Troubled relationship of Sambaand Krishna The troubled relationship between Lord Krishna and Sambastems from a fundamental conflict between Samba's chaotic, arrogant nature and Krishna's role as thecosmic upholder of dharma. Samba was born with the destructive energy of Lord Shivaspecifically to act as the catalyst for the destruction of the Yadava dynasty,materializing the curse ofQueen Gandhari. This destined friction manifested through severepersonal clashes, a shocking paternal curse, and the ultimate downfall of theirentire clan. The UltimateResemblance and Impersonation Pranks of Samba According to the Padma Purana, Samba bore an uncanny physical resemblance to his father.Instead of treating this with respect, Samba frequently abused hislooks by dressing like Krishna to play highly inappropriate and arrogant pranksaround the royal palace of Dwarka. Texts like the Skanda Purana and Varaha Purana narrate that some of Krishna’sjunior wives were infatuated with Samba’s extreme beauty. In one account, SageNarada pranked or lured Samba to behave uncultured with some junior mothers. The Leprosy Curse: Mortified and furious by this grossbreach of familial ethics, Krishna directly cursed his own son withleprosy so his body would become disfigured and easilydistinguishable from Krishna's. The Aftermath: Even though Krishna later relented upondiscovering Narada's trickery and guided Samba to worship the Sun God (Surya) for a cure, thepsychological damage and resentment between father and son remained permanent. Aftermath of Sambaabducting Lakshmanaa Following Samba's forceful abduction of Duryodhana'sdaughter, Lakshmanaa, created a massive political mess. I will continue in nextposting -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/939650895.63714.1781506076395%40mail.yahoo.com.
