Lord Balarama

[Guest guest]

Balarama Kills Romaharsana Suta

With a Blade of Grass

http://www.harekrsna.com/philosophy/associates/demons/balarama/romahar

sana.gif

 

 

 

"This holy place, Naimisaranya, is still existing in India, and in

ancient times it was especially used for the meetings of great sages

and saintly persons with the aim of understanding spiritual life and

self-realization. When Lord Balarama visited that place there was a

great sacrifice being performed by a great assembly of

transcendentalists. Such meetings were planned to last thousands of

years. When Lord Balarama arrived, all the participants of the

meeting--great sages, ascetics, brahmanas and learned scholars--

immediately arose from their seats and welcomed Him with great honor

and respect. Some offered Him respectful obeisances, and those who

were elderly great sages and brahmanas offered Him blessings by

standing up. After this formality, Lord Balarama was offered a

suitable seat, and everyone present worshiped Him. Everyone in the

assembly stood up in the presence of Balarama because they knew Him

to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Education or learning means

to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore, although

Lord Balarama appeared on the earth as a ksatriya, all the brahmanas

and sages stood up because they knew who Lord Balarama was.

 

 

Unfortunately, after being worshiped and seated at His place, Lord

Balarama saw Romaharsana, the disciple of Vyasadeva (the literary

incarnation of Godhead), still sitting on the vyasasana. He had

neither gotten up from his seat nor offered Him respects. Because he

was seated on the vyasasana, he foolishly thought himself greater

than the Lord; therefore he did not get down from the seat or bow

down before the Lord. Lord Balarama then considered the history of

Romaharsana: he was born in a suta family, or a mixed family, born of

a brahmana woman and a ksatriya man. Therefore although Romaharsana

considered Balarama a ksatriya, he should not have remained sitting

on a higher seat. Lord Balarama considered that Romaharsana,

according to his position by birth, should not have accepted the

higher sitting position, because there were many learned brahmanas

and sages present. He also observed that Romaharsana not only did not

come down from his exalted seat, but he did not even stand up and

offer his respects when Balaramaji entered the assembly. Lord

Balarama did not like the audacity of Romaharsana, and He became very

angry with him. When a person is seated on the vyasasana, he does not

generally have to stand to receive a particular person entering the

assembly, but in this case the situation was different because Lord

Baladeva is not an ordinary human being. Therefore, although

Romaharsana Suta was voted to the vyasasana by all the brahmanas, he

should have followed the behavior of other learned sages and

brahmanas who were present and should have known that Lord Balarama

is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Respects are always due Him,

even though such respects can be avoided in the case of an ordinary

man. The appearance of Krsna and Balarama is especially meant for

reestablishment of the religious principles. As stated in the

Bhagavad-gita, the highest religious principle is to surrender unto

the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is also confirmed in the

Srimad-Bhagavatam that the topmost perfection of religiousness is to

be engaged in the devotional service of the Lord.

 

 

When Lord Balarama saw that Romaharsana Suta did not understand the

highest principle of religion in spite of his having studied all the

Vedas, He certainly could not support his position. Romaharsana Suta

had been given the chance to become a perfect brahmana, but because

of his ill behavior in his relationship with the Supreme Personality

of Godhead, his low birth was immediately remembered. Romaharsana

Suta had been given the position of a brahmana, but he had not been

born in the family of a brahmana; he had been born in a pratiloma

family. According to the Vedic concept, there are two kinds of mixed

family heritage. They are called anuloma and pratiloma. When a male

is united with a female of a lower caste, the offspring is called

anuloma; but when a male unites with a woman of a higher caste, the

offspring is called pratiloma. Romaharsana Suta belonged to a

pratiloma family because his father was a ksatriya and his mother a

brahmana. Because Romaharsana's transcendental realization was not

perfect, Lord Balarama remembered his pratiloma heritage. The idea is

that any man can be given the chance to become a brahmana, but if he

improperly uses the position of a brahmana without actual

realization, then his elevation to the brahminical position is not

valid.

 

 

After seeing the deficiency of realization in Romaharsana Suta, Lord

Balarama decided to chastise him for being puffed up. Lord Balarama

therefore said, "This man is liable to be awarded the death

punishment because, although he has the good qualification of being a

disciple of Lord Vyasadeva, and although he has studied all the Vedic

literature from this exalted personality, he was not submissive in

the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." As stated in the

Bhagavad-gita, a person who is actually a brahmana and is very

learned must automatically become very gentle also. In the case of

Romaharsana Suta, although he was very learned and had been given the

chance to become a brahmana, he had not become gentle. From this we

can understand that when one is puffed up by material acquisition, he

cannot acquire the gentle behavior befitting a brahmana. The learning

of such a person is as good as a valuable jewel decorating the hood

of a serpent. Despite the valuable jewel on the hood, a serpent is

still a serpent and is as fearful as an ordinary serpent. If a person

does not become meek and humble, all his studies of the Vedas and

Puranas and his vast knowledge in the sastras become simply outward

dress, like the costume of a theatrical artist dancing on the stage.

Lord Balarama began to consider thus, "I have appeared in order to

chastise false persons who are internally impure but externally pose

themselves to be very learned and religious. My killing of such

persons is proper, to check them from further sinful activity."

 

 

Lord Balarama had avoided taking part in the Battle of Kuruksetra,

and yet because of His position, the reestablishment of religious

principles was His prime duty. Considering these points, He killed

Romaharsana Suta simply by striking him with a kusa straw, which was

nothing but a blade of grass. If someone questions how Lord Balarama

could kill Romaharsana Suta simply by striking him with a blade of

kusa grass, the answer is given in Srimad-Bhagavatam by the use of

the word prabhu (master). The Lord's position is always

transcendental, and because He is omnipotent He can act as He likes

without being obliged to the material laws and principles. Thus it

was possible for Him to kill Romaharsana Suta simply by striking him

with a blade of kusa grass.

 

 

At the death of Romaharsana Suta, everyone present became much

aggrieved, and there was roaring crying. Although all the brahmanas

and sages present there knew Lord Balarama to be the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, they did not hesitate to protest the Lord's

action, and they humbly submitted, "Our dear Lord, we think that Your

action is not in line with the religious principles. Dear Lord

Yadunandana, we may inform You that we brahmanas posted Romaharsana

Suta on that exalted position for the duration of this great

sacrifice. He was seated on the vyasasana by our election, and when

one is seated on the vyasasana, it is improper for him to stand up to

receive a person. Moreover, we awarded Romaharsana Suta an

undisturbed duration of life. Under the circumstances, since Your

Lordship has killed him without knowing all these facts, we think

that Your action has been equal to that of killing a brahmana. Dear

Lord, deliverer of all fallen souls, we know certainly that You are

the knower of all Vedic principles. You are the master of all mystic

powers; therefore ordinarily the Vedic injunctions cannot be applied

to Your personality. But we request that You show Your causeless

mercy upon others by kindly atoning for this killing of Romaharsana

Suta. We do not, however, suggest what kind of act You should perform

to atone for killing him; we simply suggest that some method of

atonement be adopted by You so that others may follow Your action.

What is done by a great personality is followed by the ordinary man."

 

 

The Lord replied, "Yes, I must atone for this action, which may have

been proper for Me, but is improper for others; therefore, I think it

is My duty to execute a suitable act of atonement enjoined in the

authorized scriptures. Simultaneously I can also give this

Romaharsana Suta life again, with a span of long duration, sufficient

strength, and full power of the senses. Not only this, if you desire

I shall be glad to award him anything else which you may ask. I shall

be very glad to grant all these boons in order to fulfill your

desires."

 

 

This statement of Lord Balarama definitely confirms that the Supreme

Personality of Godhead is free to act in any way. Although it may be

considered that His killing of Romaharsana Suta was improper, He

could immediately counteract the action with greater profit to all.

Therefore, one should not imitate the actions of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead; one should simply follow the instructions of

the Lord. All the great learned sages present realized that although

they considered the action of Lord Balarama to be improper, the Lord

was immediately able to compensate with greater profits. Not wanting

to detract from the mission of the Lord in killing Romaharsana Suta,

all of them prayed, "Our dear Lord, the uncommon use of Your kusa

weapon to kill Romaharsana Suta may remain as it is; because of Your

desire to kill him, he should not be brought to life again. At the

same time Your Lordship may remember that we sages and brahmanas

voluntarily gave him long life; therefore, such a benediction should

not be nullified." Thus the request of all the learned brahmanas in

the assembly was ambiguous because they wanted to keep intact the

benediction given by them that Romaharsana Suta would continue to

live until the end of the great sacrifice, but at the same time they

did not want to nullify Balarama's killing him.

 

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead therefore solved the problem in a

manner befitting His exalted position, and said, "Because the son is

produced from the body of the father, it is the injunction of the

Vedas that the son is the father's representative. Therefore I say

that Ugrasrava Suta, the son of Romaharsana Suta, should henceforth

take his father's position and continue the discourses on the

Puranas, and because you wanted Romaharsana to have a long duration

of life, this benediction will be transferred to his son. The son,

Ugrasrava, will therefore have all the facilities you offered--long

duration of life in a good and healthy body, without any disturbances

and full strength of all the senses."

 

 

Lord Balarama then implored all the sages and brahmanas that aside

from the benediction offered to the son of Romaharsana, they should

ask from Him any other benediction, and He would be prepared to

fulfill it immediately. The Lord thus placed Himself in the position

of an ordinary ksatriya and informed the sages that He did not know

in what way He could atone for His killing of Romaharsana, but

whatever they would suggest He would be glad to accept.

 

 

The brahmanas could understand the purpose of the Lord, and thus,

they suggested that He atone for His actions in a manner which would

be beneficial to them. They said, "Our dear Lord, there is a demon of

the name Balvala. He is the son of Ilvala, but he is a very powerful

demon, and he visits this sacred place of sacrifice every fortnight

on the full moon and moonless days and creates a great disturbance to

the discharge of our duties in the sacrifice. O descendant of the

Dasarha family, we all request You to kill this demon. We think that

if You kindly kill him, that will be Your atonement on our behalf.

The demon occasionally comes here and profusely throws upon us

contaminated, impure things like pus, blood, stool, urine and wine,

and he pollutes this sacred place by showering such filth upon us.

After killing Balvala, You may continue touring all the sacred places

of pilgrimage for twelve months, and in that way You will be

completely freed from all contamination. That is our prescription."

 

Krsna Book, Chapter 77

 

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Excerpted from text and purport of HDG

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.