Balarama | |
---|---|
God of Agriculture and Strength[1] | |
Member of Dashavatara[2][3][4] | |
![]() 17th century depiction of Balarama from a wall hanging in an Indian temple | |
Affiliation | Avatar of Shesha in Bhagavata Vaishnavism; eighth avatar of Vishnu in some Vaishnava traditions[5] |
Abode | Vaikuntha, Patala, Vrindavan |
Weapon | Plough, Mace |
Festivals | Balarama Jayanti, Ratha Yatra |
Genealogy | |
Born | |
Parents | |
Siblings | Krishna, Subhadra |
Consort | Revati |
Children | Nishatha and Ulmuka (sons)[6] |
Dynasty | Yaduvamsha – Chandravamsha |
Balarama (Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: Balarāma) is a Hindu god, and the elder brother of Krishna.[7][8] He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities.[9] He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Baladeva, Balabhadra, and Sankarshana.
The first two epithets associate him with hala (langala, "plough")[10] from his strong associations with farming and farmers, as the deity who used farm equipment as weapons when needed, and the next two refer to his strength.[9][11]
Originally an agri-cultural deity, Balarama is mostly described as an incarnation of Adi Shesha, the serpent associated with the deity Vishnu[9][5] while some Vaishnava traditions regard him as the eighth avatar of Vishnu,[5] with Jayadeva’s Gitagovinda (c.1200) "incorporat[ing] Balarama into the pantheon" as the ninth of the 10 principal avatars of Vishnu.[9]
Balarama's significance in Indian culture has ancient roots. His image in artwork is dated to around the start of the common era, and in coins dated to the second-century BCE.[12] In Jainism, he is known as Baladeva, and has been a historically significant farmer-related deity.[13][14]
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