SB 10.2.13

TEXT 13

TEXT

gABaRs$aÆlSaRNAAÔaM vaE
'aAd": s$aÆlSaRNAM Bauiva
r"Amaeita laAek(r"maNAAa,"
balaBa‰M" balaAecC)$yaAta,

garbha-saṅkarsanat tam vai

prahuh saṅkarsanam bhuvi

rameti loka-ramanad

balabhadram balocchrayat

garbha-saṅkarsanat-because He will be taken from the womb of Devaki to that of Rohini; tam-Him (Rohini-nandana, the son of Rohini); vai-indeed; prahuh-people will call; saṅkarsanam-by the name Saṅkarsana; bhuvi-in the world; rama iti-He will also be called Rama; loka-ramanat-because of His special mercy in enabling people in general to become devotees; balabhadram-He will also be called Balabhadra; bala-ucchrayat-because of extensive bodily strength.

TRANSLATION

The son of Rohini will also be celebrated as Saṅkarsana because of being sent from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini. He will be called Rama because of His ability to please all the inhabitants of Gokula, and He will be known as Balabhadra because of His extensive physical strength.

PURPORT

These are some of the reasons why Balarama is known as Saṅkarsana, Balarama or sometimes Rama. In the maha-mantra-Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare-people sometimes object when Rama is accepted as Balarama. But although devotees of Lord Rama may object, they should know that there is no difference between Balarama and Lord Rama. Here Srimad-Bhagavatam clearly states that Balarama is also known as Rama (rameti). Therefore, it is not artificial for us to speak of Lord Balarama as Lord Rama. Jayadeva Gosvami also speaks of three Ramas: Parasurama, Raghupati Rama and Balarama. All of them are Ramas.