Krishna and Balarama

Krishna and Balarama from an 18th century manuscript. Krishna’s advice to the warrior Arjuna on duty before the final battle became a key text of the ‘right way’ in Indian society. Even the secularist Nehru had a well-thumbed copy by his bedside

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Dinesh ^club

7 months ago.

Dinesh ^club

. . . .Practically all scholars have identified the Indian Heracles with Krsna, worshipped bySurasenas in Mathura of the Yamuna river. An exception was Jemes Tod, who in 1835 identified Heracles with Bala-Deva, the god of strength (bala). Strength is of course a characteristic of Greek Heracles; and there is other evidence suggesting that Tod was right. Cicero, while discussing the six appearances of Heracles, states that in India he was called Belus (Cicero: De natura deorum 3,42) . Bala-Rama’s strength is mentioned in the old Tamil poems of the first centuries CE:
In Pur[ananuru] 56, Krishna is invoked for his fame, Balarama for his strength. Krishna is described as having body like blue sapphire, having bird (presumably Garuda) on his flag, and being accompanied by Balarama, who has a body the colour of a conch, a plow for his weapon, and a palmyra for his banner” ~ Page 154

. . . The mightiest warrior of the Pandavas is Arjuna, whose name means “white”. Arjuna’s chariot is the wise crafty Krsna, whose name means “black” Originally Krsna’s teammate was undoubtedly the elder brother, the strong Balarama, who is white in colour. When the Vedic king at the royal consecration as a warrior (ksatriya) ascends his chariot, he calls himself Arjuna in the mantra that he thereby utters where Arjuna is said tobe Indra’s secret name) ~ 155

6 months ago.

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