Advent of Sree Baladeva

Advent of Sree Baladeva

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda

(First published in The Harmonist, Vol. 30, Issue no. 3, December 1932, 446 Caitanya era.)

Sree Krishna is Godhead Himself. His Appearance, in the enlightened cognition of the jīva soul, is preceded by that of the plenary cognitive essence himself. The plenary, cognitive potency, that is the support of all secondary cognitions, belongs to Sree Krishna. As a matter of fact the jīva souls emanate from the marginal portion of this plenary potency.

All manifestation of cognitive existences as distinctive entities that serve Sree Krishna in all diverse offices, has got as its source the substantive aspect of the plenary cognition. Sree Baladeva is that Face of the Divinity Whose Will is obeyed by the aspect of the plenary cognition which brings about the manifestation of the substantive existence of all spiritual entities.

The manifestation of the material stuff of all mundane entities is brought about by the operation of the deluding aspect of the same Face of the plenary cognitive potency under the controlling direction of the Divine Will exercised by Sree Baladeva. Sree Baladeva is, therefore, the Manifestive Centre of the Divine Personality, Who guides the operations of His plenary potency in providing the substantive existence of all spiritual and mundane entities who are the reciprocal personalities in the Pastimes of Sree Krishna.

The Manifestive Facsimile of Sree Krishna, Sree Baladeva, is realisable by the constituents of his power as the Sole Wielder of all compelling Force of the Divinity. Sree Baladeva is the Object of worship of his constituents by the process of reverential awe and homage. It is never possible for any entity to serve Sree Baladeva on a footing of equality, still less of superiority. Such behaviour would be in direct contradiction to the very nature of their reciprocal situation. Sree Baladeva is the Elder Brother of Sree Krishna.

Both of Them are the Sons of Sree Vasudeva, Their Father, and Sree Devakī Devī, Their Mother. In the case of Sree Baladeva Sree Rohiṇī Devī, the co-spouse of Sree Vasudeva, is the proper Mother. Sree Baladeva is conceived by Sree Devakī Devī as her Son but is subsequently transferred to the womb of Sree Rohiṇī Devī by that Face of the plenary cognitive potency who provides the dynamics of all Activities of Sree Krishna. In other words Sree Baladeva manifests His appearance initially in the pure cognitive principle in order to make it fit to receive Sree Krishna.

Sree Baladeva continues in the womb of Devakī as the abode of Sree Krishna. He leaves behind in the womb of Devakī His serving portion when He is transferred to the womb of Sree Rohiṇī Devī. Thereupon, in due course, he is born as the son of Sree Rohiṇī Devī. Sree Baladeva is the manifestive extension of the Personality of Sree Krishna. The birth of Sree Krishna implies the pre-intervention of Himself for manifesting the particular activity. This intervention is not itself the activity for which it prepares the way.

But Sree Baladeva requires to be served by the pure cognition, if it is to be enabled to conceive Sree Krishna. The personality of Sree Baladeva is, however, conceived by Sree Devakī Devī for being transferred to the co-spouse of Sree Vasudeva to be the object of the latter’s specific motherly affection. In the case of Sree Rohiṇī Devī, Sree Baladeva is a transferred conception which does not lead to the birth of Sree Krishna. But, instead, it is Sree Baladeva Himself who fills the position of her son in the manner that corresponds to the birth of Sree Krishna from the womb of Sree Devakī.

The conception of Sree Baladeva by Sree Devakī therefore, issues out in the appearance of Sree Balarāma as the son of Sree Rohiṇī Devī. The receptive function, that is directed to the manifestive facsimile of Sree Krishna as a final object of devotion, has also an eternal situation in the pastimes of Sree Krishna, second only to that of the similar function directed to Sree Krishna Himself.

The manifestive facsimile of Sree Krishna has his corresponding pastimes with His respective reciprocals. These pastimes are also eternally enacted on the identical plane on which Sree Krishna manifests His activity. The service of Sree Baladeva is a distinct, but integral part of the pastimes of Sree Krishna. The servitors of Sree Krishna are also servitors of Sree Baladeva, with the sole exception of Sree Rādhikā and Her constituents.

This reservation makes the service of Sree Rādhikā the specific service which is exclusively directed to Sree Krishna without being shared by Sree Baladeva as the co-object of Her worship. On the other hand it is Sree Baladeva who has to serve the wishes of Sree Rādhikā as Her junior associate in Her service of Sree Krishna. As the elder brother of Sree Krishna, having a prior and superior claim to the service of all the servants of Sree Krishna, Sree Baladeva has no locus standi in the sphere of the service of Krishna by Sree Rādhikā.

It is now possible to deduce the nature of the relationship of the jīva soul to Sree Baladeva. The jīva soul in his eternal position, is a constituent reciprocal of the personality of Sree Baladeva. Sree Baladeva has a double personality. He is the Wielder of the compelling Will of Sree Krishna. The Will of Sree Baladeva is carried out by that face of the plenary potency who manifests the substance of spiritual entities. The substantive principle of the jīva soul is manifested in the same way and is controlled by and owes allegiance to, Sree Baladeva.

It is never possible for the jīva to forego His constitutional dependence on the power of Sree Baladeva. But the service of Sree Baladeva, as the ultimate object of worship, cannot also lead by itself to the confidential service of Sree Krishna under the direction of Sree Rādhikā. In other words, there is an eternal distinction between a constituent, and, therefore, unavoidable and a freely elected, and, therefore, also, freely avoidable function.

In the service of Sree Krishna by the jīva soul, under the direction of Sree Rādhikā, the significance of the one is merged in the other by way of subordination which seems at first sight to be wholly impracticable.

The mercy of Sree Baladeva can alone enable the jīva soul to attain the service of Krishna. This need not be construed as implying that the service of Sree Baladeva is identical with that of Sree Krishna. The service of Sree Baladeva is characterised by awe and reverence. The service of Krishna is marked by unbounded confidence on the part of His servitors. But as a matter of fact the service of Krishna includes the principle of service that is due to Sree Baladeva.

Confidence in Krishna is the result not of the absence but the abeyance of awe and reverence due to the predominance of His attractive sweetness which disarms all fear and hesitation. Those psilanthropists, who think that it is possible for a worldly person to be on terms of familiarity with Sree Krishna, commit a sacrilegious blunder. Sree Baladeva keeps all such persons at a long distance from the neighbourhood of Sree Krishna and even from himself.

The conditioned soul commits an offence against Sree Baladeva the moment he is inclined to worldliness. The taint of worldliness can be got rid of only by the mercy of Sree Baladeva.

The soul, purified by the mercy of Sree Baladeva, is permitted access to the transcendental realm of Sree Baladeva for serving Sree Baladeva by the faculties of the pure soul on the plane of the Absolute where the Divine Majesty is fully manifested to the view of the serving soul in Sree Vaikuṇṭha, the eternal realm where Sree Baladeva, in his form of Sree Nārāyaṇa attended upon by Sree Lakṣmī Devī, is served by the infinity of the associated extended particles of his plenary power.

By mere reading of descriptions of the realm of Vaikuṇṭha, that are found in the Scriptures, the conditioned soul does not attain to the realm of Vaikuṇṭha. The mercy of Sree Baladeva is never shown to deliberate offenders. It is this fact which makes even souls, who are free from all worldly hankerings, afraid of Sree Baladeva.

It is Sree Baladeva whose secondary potency manifests herself by the will of Sree Baladeva as this mundane world in which no offender against her iron laws is treated with the slightest consideration. In such circumstances it becomes impossible for the offending jīva to expect any help from Sree Baladeva. This is really so.

But both Sree Krishna and Sree Baladeva possess the quality of causeless mercy and supreme magnanimity. Sree Baladeva is identical with Sree Nityānanda in the same manner that Sree Krishna is identical with Sree Gaurasundara. Sree Nityānanda is the magnanimous Self of Sree Baladeva. He is the Dispenser of the manifestive magnanimity of Sree Gaurasundara, as Sree Baladeva is the Wielder of the manifestive substantive power of Sree Krishna. Sree Krishna and Sree Baladeva are Autocrats.

All entities are compelled by Sree Baladeva to render unconditional obedience to Sree Krishna. There is no question of persuasion. Sree Gaurasundara and Sree Nityānanda support all entities by giving them the power as well as the inclination for rendering service to Sree Krishna. In other words, the inclination and power to serve Krishna are as much the gifts of Krishna as the penalties by which that obedience is absolutely enforced. Sree Baladeva is the centre of all force realisable as compelling energy. As Nityānanda, he is also the centre of all force realisable as persuading and helping energy.

The jīva soul is related to Sree Baladeva as servant to master. The jīva soul is not a subjective portion of Sree Baladeva. Sree Baladeva is the subjective facsimile of Sree Krishna. Neither is jīva the plenary counterwhole of Sree Baladeva. The jīva soul is an infinitesimally dissociable counterpart or potency of Sree Baladeva. The Bhāgavata contains the narrative of the circular amorous dance of Sree Baladeva in the company of his associated counterparts, the milkmaids of Braja.

The Rāsa Pastime of Sree Baladeva in Braja is distinct from that of Sree Krishna, although it corresponds to the same as regards its substantive quality. The highest service of the jīva, as jīva, is that of Sree Baladeva in Braja. When the jīva attains to the service of Sree Krishna, his reciprocal position to Krishna involves his continuation in the reciprocal relationship to Sree Baladeva.

This subordination does not interfere with his unconditional obedience to Sree Krishna. This is true only in the case of the service of Sree Baladeva. The service of Sree Krishna, therefore, does not preclude the equally real and independent simultaneous service of Sree Baladeva on the part of the jīva soul.