Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.14.28-29

kaccid rājāhuko jīvaty

asat-putro 'sya cānujah

hridīkah sasuto 'krūro

jayanta-gada-sāranāh

āsate kuśalam kaccid

ye ca śatrujid-ādayah

kaccid āste sukham rāmo

bhagavān sātvatām prabhuh

SYNONYMS

kaccit — whether; rājā — the King; āhukah — another name of Ugrasena; jīvati — still living; asat — mischievous; putrah — son; asya — his; ca — also; anujah — younger brother; hridīkah — Hridīka; sa-sutah — along with son, Kritavarmā; akrūrah — Akrūra; jayanta — Jayanta; gada — Gada; sāranāh — Sārana; āsate — are they all; kuśalam — in happiness; kaccit — whether; ye — they; ca — also; śatrujit — Śatrujit; ādayah — headed by; kaccit — whether; āste — are they; sukham — all right; rāmah — Balarāma; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; sātvatām — of the devotees; prabhuh — protector.

TRANSLATION

Are Ugrasena, whose son was the mischievous Kamsa, and his younger brother still living? Are Hridīka and his son Kritavarmā happy? Are Akrūra, Jayanta, Gada, Sārana and Śatrujit all happy? How is Balarāma, the Personality of Godhead and the protector of devotees?

PURPORT

Hastināpura, the capital of the Pāndavas, was situated somewhere near present New Delhi, and the kingdom of Ugrasena was situated in Mathurā. While returning to Delhi from Dvārakā, Arjuna must have visited the city of Mathurā, and therefore the inquiry about the King of Mathurā is valid. Amongst various names of the relatives, the name of Rāma or Balarāma, eldest brother of Lord Krishna, is added with the words "the Personality of Godhead" because Lord Balarāma is the immediate expansion of vishnu-tattva as prakāśa-vigraha of Lord Krishna. The Supreme Lord, although one without a second, expands Himself as many other living beings. The vishnu-tattva living beings are expansions of the Supreme Lord, and all of them are qualitatively and quantitatively equal with the Lord. But expansions of the jīva-śakti, the category of the ordinary living beings, are not at all equal with the Lord. One who considers the jīva-śakti and the vishnu-tattva to be on an equal level is considered a condemned soul of the world. Śrī Rāma, or Balarāma, is the protector of the devotees of the Lord. Baladeva acts as the spiritual master of all devotees, and by His causeless mercy the fallen souls are delivered. Śrī Baladeva appeared as Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu during the advent of Lord Caitanya, and the great Lord Nityānanda Prabhu exhibited His causeless mercy by delivering a pair of extremely fallen souls, namely Jagāi and Mādhāi. Therefore it is particularly mentioned herein that Balarāma is the protector of the devotees of the Lord. By His divine grace only one can approach the Supreme Lord Śrī Krishna, and thus Śrī Balarāma is the mercy incarnation of the Lord, manifested as the spiritual master, the savior of the pure devotees.

<<< >>>

Copyright ©r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness