SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Garga Samhita
Chapter Nine Text Eleven
ittham kauravendra yaadavendrasya raamatah sarvaa vaasantikir nishaa vyatitaa babhuvuh. bhagavato balabhadrasya hastinaapuram iva viryam sucayativa hy adyaapi ca krishta-vartmanaa yamunaa vahati. imam raamasya raasa-kathaam yah shrinoti shraavayati ca sa sarva-paapa-patalam chittvaa tasya parasparam aananda-padam pratiyaati. kim bhuyah shrotum icchasi.

ittham-thus; kauravendra-O king of the Kauravas; yaadavendrasya-of the king of the Yaadavas; raamatah-from Lord Balaraama; sarvaa-all; vaasantikih-springtime; nishaa-night; vyatitaa-passed; babhuvuh.-became; bhagavatah-of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; balabhadrasya-Lord Balaraama; hastinaapuram-to Hastinaapura; iva-like; viryam-power; sucayati-shows; iva-like; hy-indeed; adyaapi-even today; ca-and; krishta-vartmanaa-by the dragged path; yamunaa-the Yamunaa; vahati-flows; imam-this; raamasya-of Lord Balaraama; raasa-ofd the raasa dance; kathaam-the narration; yah-one who; shrinoti-hears; shraavayati-recounts; ca-and; sa-he; sarva-paapa-patalam-the entirety of a great host of sins; chittvaa-destroying; tasya-of him; parasparam-mutual; aananda-padam-the abode of bliss; pratiyaati-goes; kim-what?; bhuyah-more; shrotum-to hear; icchasi-do you wish.

TRANSLATION

O king of the Kauravas, in this way Lord Balaraama, the king of the Yaadavas, spent that springtime night with the gopis. Even today the Yamuna' flows in many divided streams at that place, a testimony to the great strength, equal to that of a host of elephants, of Lord Balaraama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A person who hears or recounts these pastimes of Lord Balaraama destroys the entirety of a great host of sins and attains transcendental bliss. What more do you wish to hear?"

[Thus ends Chapter Nine of the Garga Samhita also known as Shri Raama-raasa-kridaa (Lord Balaraama's Raasa Dance).]

JOURNAL:

My closest family connection is with my older brother. He is a great guy, well to do, with a quiet Christian attitude. He supports my lifestyle and sometimes helps financially.

Back on March 31 I read Srila Prabupada's purport on SB10.2.13 where he explains how Balarama is in the Maha-mantra (see post March 31, 2014).  I also read an article online (see post April 14) which said; Balarama, who has the same original form of Krsna, is Himself a cowherd boy in Vrndavana, and He also considers Himself to belong to the ksatriya race in Dvaraka. Thus His color and dress are different, and He is called a pastime form of Krsna. I found it odd that Krishna was the younger brother instead of the older. The fact was that I had never

considered Lord Balarama and his activities.

This thought led me to thoughts of all the love I have for my older brother so, I decided to make Krishna/Balarama a focus of my meditations with the hope that I might more fully understand this rasa that both Krishna and I enjoy. I went online and found a beautiful photo of the deities in Vrndavana and, for the last few months, I have been saying my japa in front of it.

Of course, there have been many benefits to saying  japa. Since adding the photo of Krishna/Balarama, one of the more noticeable benefits has been increased feelings of thankfulness and protection, stemming from a "brotherly" love.