Balarama
Krishna's Mighty Elder Brother
Krishna's strong, fair-skinned elder brother, whose weapon was a farmer's plough. In many tellings he is the incarnation of Adishesha, Vishnu's thousand-headed serpent.
- Sanskrit/Telugu name: బలరాముడు
- Also known as: Baladeva, Balabhadra, Halayudha, Sankarshana
- Vehicle (vahana): Chariot drawn by white horses
- Weapons: Hala (plough), Gada (mace)
- Symbols: Plough, Palm tree banner, White complexion
Story
Balarama was Krishna's big brother and lifelong companion — as white as Krishna is dark, as straightforward as Krishna is clever. His birth was itself a miracle: to save him from the wicked Kamsa, the divine baby was transferred from Devaki's womb to Rohini's, which is why he is called Sankarshana, "the one who was drawn across." The brothers grew up together among the cowherds of Gokula, and Balarama's childhood adventures match Krishna's — he slew the donkey demon Dhenuka and, with his bare strength, defeated mighty foes that whole armies feared. His chosen weapon says everything about him: not a sword but a hala, a farmer's plough, and in one famous story he even dragged the entire Yamuna river closer with it when she would not come to him! He was the greatest mace teacher of the age, training both Bhima and Duryodhana — and because he loved both students, he refused to fight in the Kurukshetra war at all, leaving on a pilgrimage instead. When he returned to find Bhima striking Duryodhana below the waist, he raised his plough in fury until Krishna calmed him. In many tellings Balarama is the avatar of Adishesha, the cosmic serpent on whom Vishnu rests, and at the Puri Jagannath temple he stands on the altar beside Krishna and Subhadra, honored as Balabhadra.
Fun fact
Balarama's weapon of choice was a plough — the epic's way of saying that the strength that feeds people is as heroic as the strength that fights.