BABHRU-VAHANA Son of Arjuna by his wife Chitrangadi. He was adopted as the son of his maternal grandfather, and reigned at Manipura as his successor. He dwelt there in a palace of great splendour, surrounded with wealth and signs of power. When Arjuna went to Manipura with the horse intended for the Aswa-medha, there was a quarrel between Arjuna and King Babhru-vahana, and the latter killed his father with an arrow. Repenting of his deed, he determined to kill himself, but he obtained from his stepmother, the Naga princess Ulupi, a gem which restored Arjuna to life. He returned with his father to Hastinapura. The description of this combat has been translated from the Maha-bharata by Troyer in his Raja Tarangini, tome i. p. 578.

BADARAYANA A name of Veda Vyasa especially used for him as the reputed author of the Vedanta philosophy. He was the author of the Brahma Sutras, published in the Bibliotheca Indica.

BADARI, BADARIKASRAMA - A place sacred to Vishnu, near the Ganges in the Himalayas, particularly in Vishnu's dual form of Nara-Narayana. Thus, in the Maha-bharata, Siva, addressing Arjuna, Bays, " Thou wast Nara in a former body, and, with Narayana for thy companion, didst perform dreadful austerity at Badari for many myriads of years. " It is now known as Badari-natha, though this is properly a title of Vishnu as lord of Badari. 

BADAVA 'A mare, the submarine fire.' In mythology it is a flame with the head of a horse, called also Haya-siras, `horse-head.' See Aurva. 

BAHIKAS People of the Panjab, so called in Panini and the Maha-bharata. They are spoken of as being impure and out of the law.  

BAHU, BAHUKA A king of the Solar race. who was vanquished and driven out of his country by the tribes of Haihayas and TaIajanghas. He was father of Sagara. 

BAHUKA The name of Nala when he was transformed into a dwarf.  

BAHULAS The Krittikas or Pleiades.  

BAHV RICHA A priest or theologian of the Rig-veda. 

BALA-BHADRA See Bala-rama.  

BALA-GOPALA The boy Krishna. 

BALA-RAMA (Bala-bhadra and Bala. -deva are other forms of this name.) The elder brother of Krishna. When Krishna is regarded as a full manifestation of Vishnu, Bala-rama is recognized as the seventh Avatara or incarnation in his place. According to this view, which is the favorite one of the Vaishnavas, Krishna is a full divinity and Bala-rama an incarnation; but the story of their birth, as told in the Maha-bharata, places them more upon an equality. It says that Vishnu took two hairs, a white and a black one, and that these became Bala- Rama and Krishna, the children of Devaki. Bala-rama was of fair complexion, Krishna was very dark. As Boon as Bala-rama was born, he was carried away to Gokula to preserve his life from the tyrant Kansa, and he was there nurtured by Nanda as a child of Rohini. He and Krishna grew up together, and he took part in many of Krishna's boyish freaks and adventures. His earliest exploit was the killing of the great Asura Dhenuka, who had the form of an ass. This demon attacked him, but Bala-rama seized his assailant, whirled him round by his legs till he was dead, and cast his carcase into a tree. Another Asura attempted to carry off Bala-rama -on his shoulders, but the boy beat out the demon's brains with his fists. When Krishna went to Mathura, Bala-rama accompanied him, and manfully supported- him till Kansa was killed. Once, when Bala-rama was intoxicated, he called upon the Yamuna river to come to him, that he might bathe; but his command not being heeded, he plunged his ploughshare into the river, and dragged the waters whithersoever he went, until they were obliged to assume a human form and beseech his forgiveness. This action gained for him the title Yamuna-bhid and KaIindi -karshana, breaker or dragger of the Yamuna. He killed Rukmin in a gambling brawl. When Samba, son of Krishna, was detained as a prisoner at Hastinapura by Dur-yodhana, Bala-rama demanded his release, and, being refused, he thrust his ploughshare under the ramparts of the city, and drew them towards him, thus compelling the Kauravas to give up their prisoner. Lastly, he killed the great ape Dwivida, who had stolen his weapons and derided him.

Such are some of the chief incidents of the life of Bala-rama, as related in the Puranas, and as popular among the votaries of Krishna. In the Maha-bharata he has more of a human character. He taught both Dur-yodhana and Bhima the use of the mace. Though inclining to the side of the Pandavas, he refused to take an active part either with them or the Kauravas. He witnessed the combat between Dur-yodhana and Bhima, and beheld the foul blow struck by the latter, which made him so indignant that he seized his weapons, and was with difficulty restrained by Krishna from falling upon the Pandavas. He died just before Krishna, as he sat under a banyan tree in the outskirts of Dwaraka.

Another view is held as to the origin of Bala-rama. According to this he was an incarnation of the great serpent Sesha, and when he died the serpent is said to have issued from his mouth.

The " wine-loving " Bala-rama (Madhu-priya or Priya-madhu) was as much addicted to wine as his brother Krishna was devoted to the fair sex. He was also irascible in temper, and sometimes quarrelled even with Krishna: the Puranas represent them as having a serious difference about the Syamantaka jewel He had but one wife, Revati, daughter of King Raivata, and was faithful to her. By her he had two songs, Nisatha and U1muka. He is represented as of fair complexion, and, as Nilavastra, `clad in a dark-blue vest.’ His especial weapons are a club (khetaka or saunanda), the ploughshare (hala), and the pestle (musala), from which he is called Phala and Hala, also Hala-yudha, plough-armed; Hala-bhrit, 'plough-bearer;’ Langali and Sankarshana, ploughman; I and Musali, `pestle-holder.’ As he has a palm for a banner, he is called Tala-dhwaja. Other of his appellations are Gupta-chara, who goes secretly; 'Kampala and Samvartaka.  

BALA-RAMAYANA A drama by Raja-sekhara. It has been printed.

BALEYA A descendant of Bali, a Daitya. 

BALHI A northern country, Balkh. Said in the Maha-bharata to be famous for its horses, as Balkh is to the present time. 

BALHIKAS, BAHLIKAS Always associated with the people of the north, west, and ultra-Indian provinces, and usually considered to represent the Bactrians or people of Balkh. "-Wilson. 

BALI A good and virtuous Daitya king. He was son of Virochana, son of Prahlada, son of Hiranya-kasipu. His wife was Vindhyavali. Through his devotion and penance he defeated Indra, humbled the gods, and extended his authority over the three worlds. The gods appealed to Vishnu for protection, and he be- came manifest in his Dwarf Avatara for the purpose of restraining Bali. The dwarf craved from Bali the boon of three steps of ground, and, having obtained it, he stepped over heaven and earth in two strides; but then, out of respect to Bali's kindness and his grandson Prahlada's virtues, he stopped short, and left to him patala, the infernal region& Bali is also called Maha-bali, and his capital was Maha-bali-pura. The germ of the legend of the three steps is found in the Rig-veda, where Vishnu is represented as taking three steps over earth, heaven, and the lower regions, typifying perhaps the rising, culmination, and setting of the sun. 

BALI, BALIN The monkey king of Kishkindhya, who was slain by Rams, and whose kingdom was given to his brother Sugriva, the friend and ally of Rama. He was supposed to be the son of Indra, and to have been born from the hair (bala) of his mother, whence his name. His wife's name was Tara, and his sons Angada and Tara. 

BANA A Daitya, eldest son of Bali, who had a thousand arms. He was a friend of Siva and enemy of Vishnu. His daughter Usha fell in love with Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna, and had him conveyed to her by magic art. Krishna, Bala-rama, and Pradyumna went to the rescue, and were resisted by Bana, who was assisted by Siva and Skanda, god of war. Siva was overpowered by Krishna; Skanda was wounded; and the many arms of Bana were cut off by the missile weapons of Krishna. Siva then interceded for the life of Bana, and Krishna granted it. He is called also Vairochi.  

BANGA Bengal, but not in the modem application. In ancient times Banga meant the districts north of the Bhagirathi -Jessore, Krishnagar, &c. See Anu.  

BARBARAS Name of a people. "The analogy to ' bar-barians' is not in sound only, but in all the authorities these are classed with borderers and foreigners and nations not Hindu.  –Wilson.  

BARHISHADS A class of Pitris, who, when alive, kept up the household flame, and presented offerings with fire. Some authorities identify them with the months. Their dwelling is Vaibhraja, -loka. See Pitris.  

BAUDHAYANA A writer on Dharma-sastra or law. He was also the author of a Sutra work.  

BHADRA Wife of Utathya (q.v.).  

BHADRACHARU A son of Krishna and Rukmini. 

BHADRA-KALI  Name of a goddess. In modern times it applies to Durga.

BHADRASWA 1. A region lying to the east of Meru. 2. A celebrated horse, son of Uchchaih-sravas. 

BHAGA A deity mentioned in the Vedas, but of very indistinct personality and powers. He is supposed to bestow wealth and to preside over marriage, and he is classed among the Adityas and Viswedevas. 

BHAGA-NETRA-GHNA (or -HAN) 'Destroyer of the eyes of Bhaga.’ An appellation of Siva.  

BHAGAVAD-GITA'The song of the Divine One.' A celebrated episode of the Maha-bharata, in the form of a metrical dialogue, in which the divine Krishna is the chief speaker, and expounds to Arjuna his philosophical doctrines. The author of the work is unknown, but he "was probably a Brahman, and nominally a Vaishnava, but really a philosopher and thinker, whose mind was cast in a broad mould." This poem has been interpolated in the Maha-bharata, for it is of much later date than the body of that epic; it is later also than the six Darsanas or philosophical schools, for it has received inspiration from them all, especially from the Sankhya, Yoga, and Vedanta. The second or third century A.D. has been proposed as the probable time of its appearance. Krishna, as a god, is a manifestation of Vishnu; but in this song, and in other places, he is held to be the Supreme Being. As man, he was related to both the Pandavas and the Kauravas, and in the Great War between these two families he refused to take up arms on either side. But he consented to act as the Pandava Arjuna's charioteer. When the opposing hosts were drawn up in array against each other, Arjuna, touched with compunction for the approaching slaughter of kindred and friends, appeals to Krishna for guidance. This gives the occasion for the philosophical teaching. " The poem is divided into three sections, each containing six chapters, the philosophical teaching in each being somewhat distinct, " but " undoubtedly the main design of the poem, the sentiments expressed in which have exerted a powerful influence throughout India for the last 1600 years, is to inculcate the doctrine of Bhakti (faith), and to exalt the duties of caste above all other obligations, including those of friendship and kindred. " So Arjuna is told to do his duty as a soldier without heeding the slaughter of friends. " In the second division of the poem the Pantheistic doctrines of the Vedanta are more directly inculcated than in the other section& Krishna here, in the plainest language, claims adoration as one with the great universal spirit pervading and constituting the universe". The language of this poem is exceedingly beautiful, and its tone and sentiment of a very lofty character, so that they have a striking effect even in the prose translation. It was one of the earliest Sanskrit works translated into English by Wilkins; but a much more perfect translation, with an excellent introduction, has since been published by Mr. J. Cockburn Thompson, from which much of the above has been borrowed. There are several other translations in French,German.

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