Sri BALADEVA
All Glory to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! Hare Krishna! Hari bol!
‘These two Lords, Krsna and Balarama, are each the seed and womb of the universe, the creator and His creative Potency. They enter the hearts of living being and control their Conditioned awareness. They are the primeval Supreme’
Lord Baladeva and Krsna, Lords and Source of The Seed and Womb of the Universes
“Sri Baladeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He is equal in supremacy to the Supreme Godhead, yet wherever Krsna appears, Sri Baladeva appears as Krsna’s brother, sometimes elder, sometimes younger”(SB 10.1.24p). “In His vaibhava-prakasa feature, Lord Krsna manifests Himself as Balarama. The Balarama feature is as good as Krsna Himself, the Only difference being that the bodily hue of Krsna is dark and that of Balarama is fair” (TLC Chap.7). ‘These two Lords, Krsna and Balarama, are each the seed and womb of the universe, the creator and His creative Potency. They enter the hearts of living being and control their Conditioned awareness. They are the primeval Supreme’ (SB10.46.31v.).
The perfection of life is to attain pure, loving devotional service to the Lord. This is the real goal of all living entities."O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows...."Bhagavad-gita 7.26
The same Baladeva appears in this Kaliyuga as the associate of Lord Caintanya, the merciful and blissful Lord Nityananda Rama, Nitai. He is the very fountainhead of Sri Gurudeva, and is the original spiritual master.
Lord Nityananda Rama
By the mercy of Lord Nityananda, one can get the mercy of Sri Caitanya also.
"Sri Rama, or Balarama, is the protector of the devotees of the Lord. Baladeva acts as the spiritual master of all devotees, and by His causeless mercy the fallen souls are delivered. Sri Baladeva appeared as Sri Nityananda Prabhu during the advent of Lord Caitanya, and the great Lord Nityananda Prabhu exhibited His causeless mercy by delivering a pair of extremely fallen souls, namely Jagai and Madhai. Therefore it is particularly mentioned herein that Balarama is the protector of the devotees of the Lord. By His divine grace only one can approach the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna, and thus Sri Balarama is the mercy incarnation of the Lord, manifested as the spiritual master, the savior of the pure devotees."
Srilla Prabhupada Purport on Srimad Bhagavatam1.14.28-29
Comments
By the mercy of Lord Nityananda, one can get the mercy of Sri Caitanya also.
Sri Nityananda
The Fifth Jewel of Gaudiya Kanthahara, entitled Nityananda-tattva, in honor of of Sri Nityananda.
Nityananda and Advaita
Two Main Branches of the Caitanya Tree
advaita acarya, nityananda, dui anga
dui-jana lana prabhura yata kichu ranga
Nityananda Prabhu and Advaitacarya are the two expansions of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu who assist His transcendental pastimes. (Cc. Adi 5.146)
sankarsanah karana-toya-sayi
garbhoda-sayi ca payobdhi-sayi
sesas ca yasyamsa-kalah sa nitya-
nandakhya-ramah saranam mamastu
May Sri Nityananda Prabhu be the object of my constant remembrance. Sankarsana, Mahavisnu, Garbhodaksayi Visnu, and Ksirodaksayi Visnu, as well as Sesa are His expansions and the expansions of His expansions. That same Nityananda Prabhu, is none other than Balarama. (Cc. Adi 1.7)
mayatite vyapi-vaikuntha-loke
purnaisvarye sri-catur-vyuha-madhye
rupam yasyodbhati sankarsanakhyam
tam sri-nityananda-ramam prapadye
I surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, who is known as Sankarsana in the midst of the catur-vyuha. He has full opulences and resides in Vaikunthaloka far beyond the material creation. (Cc. Adi 1.8)
maya-bhartajanda-sanghasrayangah
sete saksat karanambhodhi-madhye
yasyaikamsah sri-puman adi-devas
tam sri-nityananda-ramam prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, whose partial representation called Karanodakasayi Visnu, lying on the Karana ocean, is the original Purusa, the master of the illusory energy and the shelter of all the universes. (Cc. Adi 1.9)
yasyamsamsah srila-garbhoda-sayi
yan-nabhy-abjam loka-sanghata-nalam
loka-srastuh sutika-dhama dhatus
tam sri-nityananda-ramam prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, a partial part of whom is Garbhodaksayi Visnu. From the navel of Garbhodaksayi Visnu sprouts the lotus stem that is the birthplace of Brahma, the engineer of the Universe. The stem of that lotus is the resting place of the multitude of planets. (Cc. Adi 1.10)
yasyamsamsamsah paratmakhilanam
posta visnur bhati dugdhabdhi-sayi
ksauni-bharta yat-kala so 'py anantas
tam sri-nityananda-ramam prapadye
I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, whose secondary part is the Visnu lying in the ocean of milk. That Ksirodakasayi Visnu is the Supersoul of all living entities and the maintainer of all the universe. Sesa Naga is His further sub-part. (Cc. Adi 1.11)
sri-balarama gosani mula-sankarsana
panca-rupa dhari' karena krsnera sevana
apane karena krsna-lilara sahaya
srsti-lila-karya kare dhari' cari kaya
Lord Balarama is the original Sankarsana. He assumes five other forms to serve Lord Krsna. He helps in the pastimes of Lord Krsna, and He does the work of creation in four other forms. (Cc. Adi 5.8,9)
prema-pracarana ara pasanda-dalana
dui-karye avadhuta karena bhramana
For two purposes to spread the cult of bhakti and to defeat and sub- due the atheists Lord Nityananda, the most dedicated devotee of the Lord, moved throughout the country. (Cc. Antya 3.149)
jagat mataya nitai premera malasate
palaya durdanta kali padiya vibhrate
ki sukhe bhasila jiva gauracandera nate
dekhiya suniya pasandira buk phate
[All glories to Nityananda Prabhu!] Maddened by ecstatic love of Godhead, he overwhelmed the universe with ecstasy. He slapped his hands together like a warrior who is about to attack, and upon seeing this, the wicked Kali fled in terror, fearing for his life. All souls were drowned in happiness because of the dancing of Sri Gauranga [and Nityananda]. Seeing such dancing, or even hearing of it, melts the hearts even of great atheists. (Gitavali, Nagara-kirtana, 8)
jaya jaya nityananda, nityananda-rama
yanhara krpate painu vrndavana-dhama
jaya jaya nityananda, jaya krpa-maya
yanha haite painu rupa-sanatanasraya
yanha haite painu raghunatha-mahasaya
yanha haite painu sri-svarupa-asraya
sanatana-krpaya painu bhaktira siddhanta
sri-rupa-krpaya painu bhakti-rasa-pranta
jaya jaya nityananda-caranaravinda
yanha haite painu sri-radha-govinda
All glory, all glory to Lord Nityananda Balarama, by whose mercy I have attained shelter in the transcendental abode of Vrndavana. All glory, all glory to the merciful Lord Nityananda, by whose mercy I have attained shelter of Sri Rupa and Sanatana. By His mercy, I have attained the shelter of the great Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, and by His mercy I have found the refuge of Sri Svarupa Damodara. By the mercy of Sanatana Gosvami I have learned the final conclusions of devotional service, and by the grace of Sri Rupa Gosvami I have tasted the highest nectar of devotional service. All glory, all glory to the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, by whose mercy I have attained Sri Radha-Govinda. (Cc. Adi. 5.200-204)
jagai madhai haite muni se papistha
purisera kita haite muni se laghistha
mora nama sune yei tara punya ksaya
mora nama laya yei tara papa haya
emana nirghrna more keba krpa kare
eka nityananda vinu jagat bhitare
preme matta nityananda krpa-avatara
uttama, adhama, kichu na kare vicara
ye age padaye, tare karaye nistara
ataeva nistarila mo-hena duracara
I am more sinful than Jagai and Madhai and even lower than the worms in stool. Anyone who hears my name loses the results of his pious activities. Whoever utters my name becomes sinful. Who in this world but Nityananda could show His mercy to such an abominable person as me? Because He is intoxicated by ecstatic love and is an incarnation of mercy, He does not dis- tinguish between the good and the bad. He delivers all those who fall down before Him. Therefore He has delivered such a sinful and fallen person as me. (Cc. Adi 5.205-209)
is Strengthened by the Mercy of Nitai
samsarera para hai' bhaktira sagare
ye dubibe se bhajuk nitai-candere
One who would cross over the ocean of material existence and swim in the bhakti ocean should worship the lotus feet of Nityananda. (Cb. Adi 1.77)
caitanyera adi-bhakta nityananda-raya
caitanyera yaso vaise yanhara jihvaya
aharnisa caitanyera katha prabhu kaya
tan're bhajile se caitanye bhakti haya
Lord Caitanya's first and foremost devotee is Nityananda Raya. The glories of Lord Caitanya are always on his tongue. Day and night Lord Nityananda speaks only of Lord Caitanya. Whoever worships Him is a real devotee of Sri Caitanya. (C.Bhag. Adi 9.217-218)
nityananda avadhuta sabate agala
caitanyera dasya-preme ha-ila pagala
Nityananda, the wandering mendicant, is the foremost of all the ser- vants of Lord Caitanya. He is like the gateway through which all service to Lord Caitanya must pass. He became mad in the ecstasy of service to Lord Caitanya. (Cc. Adi 6.48)
are Inseparable are Offenders and Atheists
dui bhai eka-tanu samana-prakasa
nityananda na mana, tomara habe sarva-nasa
ekete visvasa, anye na kara sammana
"ardha-kukkuti-nyaya" tomara pramana
These two brothers (Gaura and Nitai) are like one body; they are iden- tical manifestations. If you do not believe in Lord Nityananda, you will down. If you have faith in one, but disrespect the other, your logic is like the logic of accepting half a hen. (Cc. Adi 5.175,176)
is Flickering Faith and in Opposition to Pure Devotional Service
kimva, dooha na manina hao ta' pasanda
eke mani' are na mani, ei-mata bhanda
It would be better to be an atheist by slighting both brothers than a hypocrite by believing in one and slighting the other. (Cc. Adi 5.177)
Thus ends the Fifth Jewel of Gaudiya Kanthahara, entitled Nityananda-tattva.