Q. The Srimad Bhagavatam describes Krishna's pastimes with the cowherd
girls (gopis) and in one place says that Krishna's brother Balarama was
romantic with the gopis as well. The text reads as though Krishna and
Balarama were involved with the same gopis but the commentary to verse
10.65.17, which cites Sridhara Swami, Jiva Goswami, and Visvanatha
Cakravarti Thakura, states that this was not the case.
The question I have is why couldn't Balarama, being an expansion of
Krishna and thus the same divine person (God), also enjoy pastimes with
Krishna's gopis? Krishna and Balarama are one, so what could be wrong
with this? Couldn't the acaryas have commented as they did simply
because an uninitiated reader of the Bhagavatam might consider it
improper for Krishna and Balarama to be romantic with the same gopis?
A. Balarama is an expansion of Krishna, so in this sense they are one,
but this does not override the fact that the two are emotionally
different. Their emotional difference is vital, as Krishna's play
(lila), fueled as it is by divine love/bhava, thrives on difference.
The bheda, or difference, in Sri Caitanya's metanarrative of acintya
bhedabheda (inconceivably simultaneously one and different) gives rise
to lila. Thus Balarama is not one with Krishna in the sense that in his
absence Balarama can substitute for him as Radha's lover. Indeed,
Balarama is respected by Radha as Krishna's elder brother so she is not
even romantic with Krishna in Balarama's presence out of deference to
him. Thus knowing the truths that govern rasananda--rasa-tattva--the
Goswamis have pointed out how the Bhagavatam does not say what it may
appear to say on its surface. The Goswamis are revealing the feeling of
the text as they understand its implications even better than its
author Vyasa did--vyaso vetti na vetti va.
However, the text of the Bhagavatam itself depicts the relationship
between Balarama and Krishna's gopis as mutually reverential,
rama-sandarsanadrtah. This is quite different from the spirit of their
relationship with Krishna, and it prohibits the possibility of an
intimate relationship between Balarama and Krishna's gopis, who by
love's law were already married to Krishna. As for the paramour nature
of their relationship with Krishna, there is no question of
complicating it further by putting Balarama in the mix!
Earlier Krishna sent Uddhava to represent him and deliver a message to
the gopis, but Uddhava had no experience of Vraja-bhakti. Thus he could
not convey Krishna's heart to the Vraja-sundaris. He explained
philosophy to them and became bewildered by their bhava, srutibhir
vimrigyam. As they unpacked the actual significance of Krishna message that Uddhava delivered, he himself became unglued by its implications.
Thus after seeing what happened to Uddhava, Krishna sent Balarama to
speak to the gopis to make sure that his heart message was conveyed.
Balarama is most faithful to Krishna, and Balarama knows Krishna's
heart much better than Uddhava does. Balarama is a Vrajavasi, and
therefore he knows what Vraja-bhava is.
Thus Balarama expressed Krishna's heart to the gopis and pacified them
with the assurance that Krishna would return in a week's time. His
relationship with Krishna's gopis is one of representing his brother
faithfully, as Lakshman represented Ramachandra and never imagined
enjoying Sita himself. After delivering Krishna's message and pacifying
the gopis to an extent, Balarama, following Krishna's order to him
before he left Dvaraka, pursued the marriage of another group of
younger gopis who did not participate in rasa-lila with Krishna. After
getting the permission of the elders, Balarama married them without an
overt celebration due to Krishna not being present to participate, his
greatest joy being the pleasure of his younger brother, in separation
from whom Balarama is not entirely himself. Balarama's gopis are the
gopis Krishna refers to in his eulogy of Balarama in the Bhagavatam's
tenth canto, kurvanti gopya iva te priyam iksanena. Balarama danced
with these gopis earlier in the springtime during Holi celebrations
when Krishna killed Sankhachuda.
Balarama's relationship with his gopis is one of maryada, not raga. The
raga of Balarama is his sakhya reality, his friendly love for Krishna.
He is Krishna's best friend, and it is this higher aspect of Balarama
that the Goswamis have focused on and opened a window to for all of us
to view. This view shows Balarama in the best possible light. If we are
to pursue love of Balarama, we shall pursue love of Krishna-Balarama,
sambandhanuga raganuga bhakti.
There is no kamanuga with Balarama as there is with Krishna. He does
not directly participate in parakiya-bhava. The secrets of his marriage
to other gopis related above aside, his principal wives known to all
are Revati and Vasudha in Dvaraka. He is well known for his marriage to
these two. And again, this is not parakiya or kamanuga. It is ruled by
maryada.
While it is true that Balarama manfests his sakti as Ananga-manjari,
the younger sister of Radha, Ananga-manjari is not Balarama's consort
in Vraja. He is one with her in tattva in as much as sakti and its
source saktiman are one, but the two are very different in bhava. Radha
and Krishna are also one in this sense, but they are more importantly
different. If they were not different but rather one in all
respects--if Krishna as Radha (his sakti) fully tasted the mahabhava of
parakiya--there would be no need for Sri Caitanya. Therefore, in
Nityananda Rama's lineage it is only Jahnava, a representation of
Ananga-manjari in Gaura-lila, who distributes parakiya-bhava, while
Nityananda Rama himself distributes sakhya rasa. That said, it is of
course also a fact that no one can taste parakiya-bhava without the
blessing of Nityananda Rama--ara kabe nitaicand karuna karibe samsara
vasana mora kabe tuccha ha'be.
HH Tripurari Swami acbssp
Q. What is the connection between Krishna's consort Srimati Radharani
and Vrinda devi (Tulasi)?
A. Sri Jiva Goswami describes Vrinda devi as a forest nymph named
Vrindarika, known by the nickname "Vrinda." Purnamasi introduced her
and Madhumangala to Krishna one after the other. As she placed
Madhumangala's hand in Krishna's hand, Purnamasi told Krishna to keep
the company of Madhumangala and thus make his life auspicious.
Understanding that Madhumangala would bring the essence of joy to his
lila, Krishna looked carefully at him and then embraced him sealing
their eternal friendship. Vrinda was introduced and ordered by
Purnamasi from that day forward to move about in service to Krishna at
all times with great attention. Krishna then garlanded Vrinda and felt
greatly encouraged by the prospect of her participation in his life.
Vrinda is possessed of affection and love for both Radha and Krishna,
but Sri Rupa Goswami describes her as one of Krishna's gopi messengers.
She is well acquainted with the sacred geography of Vraja and overall
her service is similar and related to that of Yogamaya. She is
sometimes referred to as Krishna's "lila sakti."
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