Today we should remember, Lord Baladeva, by whose mercy we can get emancipation from this world and can get the service of the lotus feet of Sri Krishna. He is non-different from Krishna Himself. He is Krishna’s potency. It is written in the shloka by Rupa Goswami,

viṣṇos tu trīṇi rūpāṇi
puruṣākhyāny atho viduḥ
ekaṁ tu mahataḥ sraṣṭṛ
dvitīyaṁ tv aṇḍa-saṁsthitam
tṛtīyaṁ sarva-bhūta-sthaṁ
tāni gyātvā vimucyate
(Laghu-bhagavatamrita Purva 2.9, Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi. 5.77)

Vishnu has three forms called puruṣa. The first, Karanodakasayi, is the creator of the total material energy (mahat), the second is Garbhodakasayi, who is situated within each universe, and the third is Kshirodakasayi, who lives in the heart of every living being. He who knows these three becomes liberated from the clutches of Māyā.

Mahatattva, the principles of creations manifested from Karanodakasayi Mahavishnu. All living entities are created from the fleeting glance of Karanodakasayi Mahavishnu Who is an amsha-avatara of Sri Baladeva Prabhu. Nothing can be possible with inert material energy. When a conscious principle enters into it then the whole creation manifests. Karanodakasayi Mahavishnu thought, “Ekoham bahu syām: I am one, I shall become many.” Then He glanced upon the inert matter and infinite brahmandas become manifested. And the cause of Karanodakasayi Mahavishnu is Maha-sankarshan.

Sri Baladeva—the original Sankarshan (Mula-Sankarshan), has the form of a cowherd boy in Vraja and that of a kshatriya in Dwarka-puri. Sankarshan of the first catur-vyuha (quadruple expansion) in Dwarka is an aṁśa-āvatāra of Mula-Sankarshan (cowherd Baladeva). Sankarshan, who is in the second catur-vyūha of Narayaṇa in Vaikuntha, is Mahā-Sankarshan—an aṁśa-avatāra of Mula-Sankarshan in the form of a kshatriya belonging to the first catur-vyuha in Dwarka. Karanodakasayi Mahavishnu, the first puruṣa-avatāra, is the aṁśa-avatāra of Maha-Sankarshan and the Supersoul of Māyā-Prakṛti . Karanodakasayi Mahavishnu’s expansion as Garbhodakasayi Vishnu—the second puruṣa-avatāra (Pradyumna), enters into all the universes.

Krishna is also in aiswarya-bhava in Dwarka. Krishna as Dwarkadhisa, the King of Dwarka, came to Kurukshetra with all His opulences on the occasion of solar eclipse. Kurukshetra is near to Vraja-dham. So after being requested by all Vraja-vasis, Nanda Maharaj and Yashoda Devi agreed to come to Kurukshetra and they came there with all residents of Vraja-dham to get the darshan of Krishna.

Narad has complained to Krishna, “You invited the whole world but You did not invite Vraja-vasis. Why so?” Actually Nandanandan Krishna is in Vrindavan only. From outside, He showed to the Vraja-vasis that He is not in Vrindavan to enhance their mood of separation. In Prem (loving relation), union and separation, both are necessary. Therefore, He showed this pastime. In separation of their son, Nanda Maharaj and Yashoda Devi used to cry incessantly. They have deep affection for Krishna, as their son. When Krishna came to Kurukshetra, first they did not want to go there to meet Him, thinking, “He is a great King now. He has so much grandeur, and He had left us long back, maybe, He would have forgotten us by now. Why would He meet us?” But then, all the cowherd boys and gopis were requesting them to go with them to see Krishna. Then they went with them. They went to all gates. They requested to enter. But they were not allowed in. Then they requested to open the gate a little so that they can see Him from a distance. But still gate keeper did not allow them. They all became very disheartened. Then they thought, there is no hope to meet. They became ready to leave their body. They started crying and while crying called out loudly, “Gopal! Gopal!”

The King was sitting in the arena of sacrifice, and all the brahmins were performing the rituals. When He heard the sound of Mother Yashoda calling, 'Gopal! Gopal!' He stood up immediately, removed and threw all His clothes and became a small naked child and ran towards her calling ‘Maa! Maa!’ He came running and embraced His mother Yashoda. Mother Yashoda had tears in her eyes, and out of motherly affection milk started coming out from her breasts for her child.

Now, I would come to the point, here Nanda Maharaj and Mother Yashoda Devi see Krishna and Balaram as their beloved children. Up to the age of five, as small children they were grazing the calves but when they entered in adolescence, now they are allowed to graze cows. I am going to narrate the pastimes of that time period. Those pastimes happened in Tala-vana and Bhandir-vana. As I told before, from Baladeva, Karanodakasayi Vishnu appears and after Him Garbodakasayi Vishnu, who is the antaryami of all the Brahamands, manifests and from Him all the avataras came. From Garbodakasayi Vishnu, Kshirodakasayi Vishnu comes, who is the antaryami of one brahmand, He is situated in heart of every one. Ontologically all are same, Supreme Lord is one, He is not thousands. Chindast api vidayati shirasah krishna svarup... The master of Lakshmi, Narayan, and Krishna are same ontologically, but They differ in Their pastimes. One is in aiswarya-bhava and other one is in madhurya-bhava and Mahaprabhu is in audarya-bhava (in the mood of magnanimity). They differ in Their pastimes, but ontologically all are the same.

To whom do we call Bhagavan? 'Bhaga' means opulences and 'van' means one who possesses them. There are infinite opulences of the Lord, but six are the main. Supreme Lord is infinite and unlimited and there cannot be separate existence of even a small particle. Is there any difference between Rama and Krishna, and Baladeva and Krishna? Ontologically there is no difference. There is difference in pastimes. Lord Rama is Maryada Purusottam (the Lord upholding ethical principles). When the rishis of Dandakaranya expressed their desire in front of Him to serve Him as their husband, then He replied it is not possible in these pastimes. He has taken a wow to keep one wife only. Only Sita Devi has right to serve Him as her husband no one else have that right. When they requested Him again, He told that they would get Him as their husbands in Krishna-lila and will be able to serve Him in the loving guidance of gopis. By the words of Lord Rama, the rishis got Him as their husband in Krishna-lila, but in the form of Rama, He could not fulfil their desire as He is Maryada Purusottam. Is there any difference ontologically? There is no difference. Only pastimes are different.

We sing ‘jay jagdish hare...’, Dasavatar hymn. It is written by Jayadeva Goswami, who is established in top-most madhurya-rasa (in conjugal loving relation with Krishna). He has narrated ten avataras with their respective pastimes and he is offering obeisances to them in his poem. Baladeva is the eighth avatara amongst the ten avataras and twenty-second amongst the twenty five avataras. Supreme Lord is infinite and there are infinite avataras of Him. We think that the names described in the scriptures, those are the only avataras, but it is not like that. There is no limit. Amongst the all avataras, we have direct relation with Dauji, Baladeva. He has affection for all the conditioned souls. At the same time He regulates also. Now, how does He advent? Today is His advent anniversary, so we should hear about Him briefly.

This earth has got a consciousness behind it called ‘Prithvi Devi. If there is no consciousness behind any object then it cannot survive. If the conscious principle present in my body leaves then my body will perish. Similarly as there is no consciousness behind this building, it will be destroyed in due course of time maybe after one thousand or two thousand years. This body is non-eternal. Conscious principle, Lord Baladeva is purna sat-chit-ananda. His appearance is also a pastime. When there were severe oppressions by the sinful persons and demons, Prithvi Devi, the mother earth started crying and went to Brahmaji. She told, “I do not want to live anymore, I suffer so many oppressions upon me.” Then Brahmaji replied, “I have to go to kshira-sagar (ocean of milk) and mediate upon Lord Vishnu and worship Him.” He and all demigods meditated at the shore of kshira-sagar. When he was meditating, a transcendental sound came from the sky. That sound has informed Brahmaji that soon the Lord would appear and asked him to order all the demigods to appear in the Pandava and Yadava dynasty with their potencies. Then Brahmaji followed the order of that transcendental sound and he ordered all the demigods to take birth in these dynasties.

Now, Devaki, who is the daughter of King Ugrasen and sister of Kansa, got married with Vasudeva. Kansa became very much pleased with the marriage of his sister and he desired to drive his sister and her husband's chariot. He was driving the chariot very happily and that time again a transcendental sound came from the sky, “So happily you are driving the chariot of your sister, but you will be killed by her eighth son.” As soon as he heard this sound he became ready to kill her sister and he took hold of her hair. What type of love is it? Vasudeva pleaded to him, “Please do not kill her. She is like your daughter; by killing her you would acquire a great sin.” But he was not ready to listen anything, Then Vasudeva again said, “According to the transcendental sound, Devaki will not kill you but her eighth child will kill you. I give you my word that I will hand over her eighth child to you, whenever he takes birth.” Vasudeva was a righteous person, Kansa had faith upon him so he agreed to him and he left Devaki. When the first child took birth, Vasudeva took him to Kansa, but Kansa told Vasudeva, “I do not have any fear of him. I need only eighth child. You can take him back with you.” Vasudeva thought,

dhurtasya vachene kvastha
kvacit satyam kvachid mrisha
kvachid raudram kvachid vrishtih
shravanasya ghano yatha

“How can one have faith in the words of a rascal? He sometimes tells the truth and sometimes falsehoods. Just as with the clouds of Shravan-sometimes there is sunshine and sometimes rain.”

Vasudeva took him back. Narad visits various places. He is liked by everyone, by demons as well as by demigods. He reveals secrets of others to everyone. One day Narad met Kansa. Kansa shared everything with him. Narad told him, “How will you count the eighth child, from the beginning or from the end? It is possible to count from both the sides.” Thus Narad sowed a seed of doubt in his heart. Narad further told to him, “I heard all the demigods have taken birth in Yadava and Pandava dynasties and Supreme Lord is going to appear to kill you.” By saying this Narad left that place. Immediately, Kansa ordered to bring Devaki's first child to him. He killed the child in front of everyone. Would any mother be happy by the murder of his son? Like that he killed the first six sons. Apparently, it looks like he killed the six sons of Devaki and Vasudeva but actually he killed his own sons.

Perhaps many people do not know but there is one past story behind it. There was a demon under the shelter of Hiranyakasipu, he had six sons. He sent his six sons for meditation without taking permission from Hiranyakasipu. But there was a rule that everyone must take permission from him before doing anything. So Hiranyakasipu became enraged and cursed the demon that he would kill his own sons in his next life. So now he took his birth as Kansa and those six children were his own sons in his past life. Everything is done by Supreme Lord's potencies. Mahamaya and Yogamaya are the two potencies of the Lord. If Kansa would have known that those were his own sons from his past life then would he have killed them? But by the influence of Yogamaya, he could not know that. Actually he was killing his own sons. This material world is like this only. Have you heard it before? All the material relations of this world are very dangerous. We do not have intelligence so we do not believe that they are not good.

Now, the Supreme Lord ordered Yogamaya to transfer the seventh womb of Devaki to Rohini in Gokul. Therefore, Balaram is known as Rohini-Nandan. In this material world Mahamaya makes us all forget everything, like that in transcendental world, Yogamaya, to fulfill the pastimes, makes everyone forget everything. Nobody can know. By the influence of Yogamaya, everyone thought that Devaki had a miscarriage, but it was not a miscarriage, it was a transfer of womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini.