<b>I praise Sri Baladeva, the enemy of Dhenuksura, whose body shines brightly

white like millions of rising moons, even a whiff of whose bodily fragrance easily
destroys the false pride of his indomitable turbulent enemies, who out of great
affection does not leave his naughty little brother Krishna out of his sight for even a
moment when they go out into the woods, and who treats Krishna with this affection
despite knowing about his divine prowess.</b>
<hr />
<center>VERSE 12:</center>

<center><i>udyac-chubhru-koi-dyuti-nikara-tiraskra-kry ujjvala-rr
durvroddma-dhma-prakara-ripu-ghaonmda-vidhvasi gandha
snehd apy unnimea nijam anujam ito'raya-bh mau sva-vta
tad vryajo'pi yo na kaam upanayate staumi ta dhenukrim</center></i>

<i>Stavmta Ka Vykhy:</i>
Sripad Raghunath Das is having a stream of transcendental visions of the ecstatic
activities of the Vraja-companions, who are as grave as millions of oceans. The selfmanifest forms and attributes of the Vraja-companions automatically arise in Sri
Raghunath Das's heart, which is illuminated by <i>viuddha sattva</i>
(transcendence). In this verse he mentions and praises some of the forms and
qualities of Sri Sri Baladeva, whose body is non-different from Sri Krishna's.
First of all he says:
<i>udyac-chubhru-koi-dyuti-nikara-tiraskra-kry-ujjavala-r</i>
<b>"His body has a white luster that puts to shame the effulgence of a million
rising moons." </b>

By comparing his body to millions of moons he has revealed its elegance and
beauty. Sri Rupa Goswami has also described it as follows:
<center><i>ubhra sphaika-varhyo balarmo mahbala; nla-vastraparidhno vanaml-virjita
drgha-kea sulvaya c-crur manohar; ratna-kuala-yugma ca karayugme virjitam

nn-pupa-mai-hra kaha-dee suobhita; keyra-valayau yugmau bhuyugme virjitau

ratna-npura-yugma ca pda-yugme suobhitam; vasudeva pit tasya mt ca
rohi bhavet</center></i>
<blockquote>Sri Balaram's bodily luster is white like crystal and because of his
great physical strength he is named Balaram. He wears a blue dhot, he is beautified
by a garland of forest flowers, he has long hair, he is filled with beauty and
elegance, his crown is beautiful and enchanting, both his ears are beautified by
jeweled earrings, his neck is adorned with different flower garlands and jewel
strings, his arms are beautified by bangles and bracelets and his lotus feet are
decorated with jeweled anklebells. His father's name is Vasudeva and his mother's
name is Rohi.</blockquote>
When Sri Gargcrya performed the name-giving ceremony he also mentioned Sri
Baladeva's forms, qualities and strength:

<center><i>aya hi rohi putro ramayan suhdo guai

khysyate rma iti baldhikyd bala vidu
yadnm apthag bhvt sakaraam uantyapi</center></i>
<blockquote>"This son of Rohi has three names, Rma, Baladeva and
Sakaraa. Because he delights his relatives with his different attributes he is
named Rma, because of his extraordinary strength he is named Bala, and because
he manages to keep the Ydavas united in heart and mind he is called Sakaraa."
</blockquote>

Hence Sri Baladeva is an ocean of beauty, attributes and strength.

Sri Raghunath Das said:

<center><i>durvroddma-dhma-prakara-ripu-ghaonmda-vidhvasi-gandha
</center></i>
<center>" even a whiff of whose bodily fragrance easily destroys the false pride of
his indomitable, turbulent enemies." </center>
In Vraja Sri Krishna is <i>ll puruottama</i>, who descended primarily to relish
the flavors of his own pastimes with his Vraja-companions, which are free from even
the slightest hint of majesty and prowess. The killing of demons and the

unburdening of the earth is not the duty of the Original Personality of Godhead, Sri
Krishna. If Sri Krishna is still seen killing demons then it is done by Sri Vishnu
residing within him as a portion of his fullness.
<center><i>svaya bhagavnera karma nahe bhra haraa; sthiti kart viu kore
jagata plana
kintu kera yei hoy avatra kla; bhra haraa kla tte hoilo mila
pra bhagavn avatare yei kle; ra saba avatra tte si mile
nryaa catur-vyha matsydyavatra; yuga-manvantarvatra yoto che ra
sabhe si ka age hon avatra; aiche avatare ka bhagavn pra
ataeva viu tokhon kera arre; viu-dvre kore ka asura
sahre</center></i>
<blockquote>"The duty of the Original Lord is not to relieve the burden of the
earth, for it is the maintainer Viu who protects the universe. But when it was
Krishna's time to descend, the time to relieve the burden of the earth had also
come. When the complete Personality of Godhead descends, all the other
descenscions appear in and with him. Thus Narayana, the quadruple phalanx
(Vsudeva, Sankarshan, Pradyumna and Aniruddha), the ten descents beginning
with Matsya, the Yuga-avatars (scheduled descents) and the Manvantaras all
descended along within Sri Krishna's transcendental body. In this way the Krishna
avatar is the avatari, the Complete God. Therefore it was through Vishnu that
Krishna killed all the demons (during his Vraja-pastimes)." (Caitanya Caritmta di
4)</center></i>
Just as Krishna destroys the demons through Lord Viu, similarly he arranges for
the manifestation of his elder brother Baladeva's glories by making him destroy all
kinds of turbulent and powerful demons. Thus in the course of his playful sports Sri
Baladeva easily killed demons like Dhenuka and Pralamba, who were so powerful
that even the demigods could not defeat them. In this connection Sri uka Muni has
said:
<center><i>naitac citra bhagavati hy ananta-jagad-vare;
ota protam ida yasmis tantuv aga yath paa</center></i>
<blockquote>O King! This killing of Dhenukasura was no miracle for the almighty
Balaram, for he is the Lord of the Universe, in whom this universe is woven, warp
and woof, as a piece of cloth in the threads!" (Bhgavata 10.15.36)</blockquote>
The purport of this verse is that Sri Balaram is the Lord of all the universes, he is the
second form of the Original Lord Sri Krishna and the root manifestation of
Sakaraa; hence he is essentially nondifferent from Sri Krishna. The fragment of

this Sakaraa is the first puruvatra, Mahviu, from whom the innumerable
universes and the innumerable divine descensions like Matsya and Krma emanate.
The fragment of the fragment of this Sakaraa is the the purua that oversees all
the living entities; hence he is the controller and regulator of the whole creation.
Nothing is impossible for him to accomplish. During the Great Dissolution he
retracts innumerable universal globes, that all dissolve into him. Is it so miraculous
for him to destroy a few insignificant demons? Therefore, in the terms of human(like) pastimes this power to destroy demons is described as being verily miraculous,
but considering the majestic pastimes of the Lord, this is just a trifling matter.
<i>nara-llayaiva ktam itycaryatvena varyate na tu aivarya-llayetyha naitad
iti</i> (<i>Vaiava Toa</i>).

Finally Sri Raghunath Das says:

<center><i>snehd apyunnimea nijam anujam ito'raya-bhmau sva-vta tad
vrya-jo'pi yo na kaam upanayate</center></i>
...who, out of great affection, does not leave his naughty little brother Krishna out of
his sight for even a moment when They go out into the woods, and who treats
Krishna with this affection despite knowing about his divine prowess.
Baladeva's rasa is one of pure friendship mixed with parental concern. <i>yra
bhva - uddha sakhya vtsalydimaya</i> (C.C.)
Baladeva shows such affection for Sri Krishna on the strength of his feelings of
friendship mixed with great parental love. According to the amount of his devotee's
love the Lord reveals his quality of being subdued by the devotee, and thus Sri
Krishna also displays the utmost devotion to his elder brother Baladeva. In Srimad
Bhgavata it is described that Krishna once went into the woods of Vraja and
praised his brother there as follows:
<center><i>aho am deva-varmarrcita pdmbujam te sumana phalarhanam;
namantyupdya ikhbhirtmanas tamo'pahatyai taru-janma yat ktam
ete'khilanas tava yao'khila loka trtha gyanta di-purunupada bhajante;
pryo am muniga bhavadya mukhy gha vane'pi na jahatyanaghtma
daivam
ntyantyam ikhina ya mud hariya kurvanti gopya iva te priyam kaena;
suktai ca kokila ga gham gatya dhany vanaukasa iyn hi sat nisarga
dhanyeyam adya dhara ta vrudhas tvat pda-spo druma lat
karajbhim;

nadyo'draya khaga-mg padayvalokair gopyo'ntarea bhujayor api yat sph

r</center></i>

<blockquote>O best of the gods! Those trees that took their low birth because of
offenses committed in their previous lives are taking fruits and flowers onto their
branch-like heads and offer obeisances to Your lotusfeet to become freed from these
offenses. You are concealing Your real form here in Vndvana to become carried
away by childhood games, but still the great devotee-saints have discovered You
and like bumblebees they wander around singing Your glories, that sanctify the
world. When the peacocks see you they dance in topmost bliss and the doe lovingly
gaze at you just like the gops do. The cuckoos respectfully address you with their
sweet songs, because it is the nature of the saints to greet guests who come to
their houses. The earth and its grass and bulbs have become blessed by the touch
of your feet, the trees and vines have become blessed by the touch of your fingers
when you pick their flowers, and the gops have become blessed by the touch of
your chest, which is coveted even by the goddess of fortune!" (Srimad Bhgavata
10.15.5-8)</blockquote>
Sri Baladeva shows similar affection towards his younger brother Sri Krishna. He
won't let Krishna out of his sight for even a moment when they ramble in the woods.
Mother Yaomati also places Sri Krishna in the hands of Baladeva before they enter
into the woods to keep her Gopla protected.
<center><i>rdma sudma dma, uno ore Balaram,
minati koriye to sabre
vana gata ati dra, nava ta kukura
gopla loiy n yiho dre.</center></i>
<blockquote>Listen, O Sridma, Sudma, Dma and Balaram! I beg you all: Don't
take Gopla too deep into the forest, where there are new Kua-sprouts and fresh
grass!</blockquote>
<center><i>sakh-gaa ge pche, gopla koriy mjhe,
dhre dhre koriho gamana.
nava tkura ge, rg pya nhi lge,
prabodha n mne myera mana</center></i>
<blockquote>Keep Gopla always in between the cowherdboys, who should walk
before and behind him, and walk slowly. Take care that his reddish lotusfeet are not

injured by fresh grass and sprouts! Don't you care about mother's worries?
</blockquote>
............................
<center><i>gopla mra para putal
tomre sapiy rma, kichui sandeha ni
tamu pra koroye vykul</center></i>
<blockquote>O Gopla, puppet of my heart! I place You in Balaram's care, so there
is nothing to worry about, but still my heart is filled with anxiety!</blockquote>
Although Baladeva is aware of all of Sri Krishna's divine prowess, out of great
affection he is still always worried about him in the sweet human-like pastimes. This
is the nature of pure love, therefore such worries about the beloved's welfare and
safety are in place in the sweet Vraja-pastimes. Sri Raghunath Das says: <i>staumi
ta dhenukrim</i> -- "I praise this Baladeva, the killer of Dhenuksura."
<center><i>koi-candra jini aga-kntira vaibhava;
durdnta pratpa-ripu mne parbhava
araya pradee uddha sneha anugata;
cacala govinda sage vihare satata
r kera bala vrya parijta hoiy;
sad ik dena jini anuja boliy
sei dhenukri vra r baladeve;
sad stuti kori mi pan odhite</center></i>
<blockquote>"Just to purify myself I always praise the heroic killer of Dhenuksura,
Sri Baladeva, whose bodily luster defeats the shining of millions of moons, who
destroys the pride of his turbulent and powerful enemies, who always plays with
pure affection with naughty Govinda in the woods, who is aware of Sri Krishna's
power and potency, but who still gives him instructions, considering him his
younger brother."</blockquote>