Balram Jayanti

On the sixth day (Shashti Tithi) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada, Lord Krishna's elder brother, Balarama, was born. This birth anniversary is celebrated each year on the sixth day of the Krishna Paksha in Bhadrapada as Balarama Jayanti. It is also known as Hal Shashti or Hal Chhath.

How Did the Birth of Lord Balram Happen?

When Devaki married Vasudeva, Kansa, delighted, began driving the chariot with his sister Devaki and brother-in-law Vasudeva seated in it. At that moment, a divine voice declared, "Fool! The eighth child born to the couple you are driving will be the cause of your death."

Upon hearing this, Kansa imprisoned his sister Devaki and brother-in-law Vasudeva. He then killed the six children born to Devaki.

In the seventh month of Devaki's womb, the deity Sheshnag, a part of Lord Vishnu, arrived. When Sheshnag entered Devaki’s womb, she was very happy, but she was also filled with sorrow due to her fear that Kansa might kill this child too. Seeing that my devotees were suffering greatly due to Kansa, the deity ordered Yogamaya, "O auspicious one! Go to Vraj, where Rohini, the wife of Vasudev, resides. Right now, a part of me, known as Shesh, is in Devaki’s womb. Transfer this Shesh from Devaki’s womb to Rohini’s womb. Then, I will take birth as Devaki’s son, and you will take birth from the womb of Nand’s wife, Yashoda."

Yogamaya followed Vishnu’s orders and did as instructed. Thus, Rohini gave birth to Balram, the incarnation of Vishnu’s part, on the sixth day of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada. Due to the transfer of the womb, he was named ‘Sankarsan’. Since he was born in Bhadrapada, he was also named ‘Balbhadra’. Given his immense strength, he was popularly known as ‘Balram’.

The Love Between Balram and Sri Krishna

Balram and Sri Krishna shared a deep bond of love. Although Sheshnag is a great devotee of Sri Krishna, in this incarnation, Balram was born as Sri Krishna’s elder brother and always fulfilled the responsibilities of an elder sibling with immense love. Despite being the elder brother, he never ignored Sri Krishna's words throughout his life. Even when he disagreed with Sri Krishna’s decisions during the Mahabharata, he never disregarded them. Balram was always by Sri Krishna’s side, fully aware of the divine pastimes of Sri Krishna and doing exactly what Sri Krishna desired.

Sri Krishna, the divine playmaker, was born to establish dharma (righteousness). He always conveyed the principles of dharma through his divine actions. Even during the entire Mahabharata war, Sri Krishna acted in accordance with dharma.

The love between Balram and Sri Krishna can be understood through a well-known story. While many stories are popular, this particular one is significant because Sri Krishna performed a divine act contrary to Balram’s opinion, and although Balram understood this, he was not upset with Sri Krishna. His love for Sri Krishna remained unwavering and steadfast.

Balram was the teacher of Duryodhan and had instructed him in the art of mace fighting. Because of this, he was also known as ‘Duryodhan’s Guru’. Among all his students, Duryodhan was especially dear to Balram. Due to this affection, Balram had arranged for his sister Subhadra to marry Duryodhan. Subhadra was the daughter of Vasudev and Rohini, and the sister of Sri Krishna.

When Sri Krishna learned of this arrangement, he asked his sister Subhadra whom she loved. Subhadra replied that she wished to marry Arjun. At Sri Krishna’s suggestion, Arjun abducted Subhadra. This angered Balram and other warriors greatly, leading them to prepare to attack Arjun.

Sri Krishna then explained the situation by narrating the story of Subhadra and Arjun’s love, as well as the tale of Rukmini’s abduction. Balram realized that Sri Krishna played a central role in Subhadra’s abduction. Despite his anger, he did not harbor any malice towards Sri Krishna.

At the end of the Mahabharata war, when Bhima broke Duryodhan’s thighs, which was against the rules of mace combat, Balram became enraged and prepared to attack Bhima. Sri Krishna, however, intervened by describing the adharma (unrighteous actions) committed by Duryodhan. Hearing this, Balram understood Sri Krishna's divine play and left without any anger. Even at that moment, he harbored no ill will towards Sri Krishna. Balram was an incarnation of Sheshnag.

The Impact of Balram Jayanti on Society

Balram Jayanti exemplifies the unique love between Sri Krishna and Balram. We should learn from Krishna and Balram that, in the current age, where brothers often become enemies of each other, they should draw inspiration from the fraternal love of Krishna and Balram. By fostering love and unity, families can remain cohesive and harmonious.

Related Jayanti topics

• Hanuman Jayanti
• Hanuman Jayanti Telugu
• Gandhi Jayanti
• Tulsidas Jayanti
• Varaha Jayanti
• Vamana Jayanti
• Shani Jayanti
• Hayagriva Jayanti
• Ramakrishna Jayanti
• Mahavir Swami Jayanti
• Vallabhacharya Jayanti
• Kabir das Jayanti
• Surdas Jayanti
• Narad Jayanti
• Valmiki Jayanti
• Nehru Jayanti
• Ravindra Nath Tagore Jayanti
• Tailang Swami Jayanti
• Madhvacharya Jayanti
• Gayatri Jayanti
• Narasimha Jayanti
• Lakshami Jayanti
• Ramanuja Jayanti
• Ambedkar Jayanti
• Kurma Jayanti
•  Parashuram Jayanti
• Shankracharya Jayanti
• Matsya Jayanti
• Jhulelal Jayanti
• Shivaji Jayanti
• Chaitanya Maha Prabhu Jayanti
• Janaki Jayanti
• Guru Ravidas Jayanti
• Yashoda Jayanti
• Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti
• Geeta Jayanti
• Balarama Jayanti
• Meera Bai Jayanti
• Guru Nanak Jayanti
• Maharana Pratap Jayanti
• Vaman Jayanti
• Dattatreya Jayanti
• Shabari Jayanti
• Kalashtami Jayanti
• Annapurna Jayanti