THE SOURCE OF ALL POWERS BALARAM PURNIMA SPECIAL | HG AMITASANA DAS | GITA LIFE LIVE | HKM MUMBAI

The auspicious appearance day of Lord Balarama, the elder brother of Lord Sri Krishna, is celebrated on the full moon day of Shravana (August). Lord Balarama appeared as the son of Rohini and Vasudeva. He is also known as Baladeva and Sankarshana. He gives us the required spiritual strength to cross over the hurdles in our journey of self-realization. Devotees fast till noon and pray to Lord Balarama to bestow the spiritual strength needed to practice spiritual life. Lord Balaram carries a plow, the reason for which is to cultivate the hearts of the devotees so that it becomes fertile and suitable for the seed of Bhakti to grow nicely. Being the Adi guru tattva, he guides the devotees on their spiritual path so that they can go back home back to godhead. This day is also celebrated as Raksha Bandhan when sisters tie an auspicious rakhi to their brothers for protection. Many devotees, keeping the lord in the center, offer rakhi to Lord Balaram or Shyamsundar, and pray for their protection from the material energy so that they can one-pointedly be fixed in the service of the lord and attain the ultimate goal of life, which is the eternal service of the lord in the spiritual world.