The Holy Places of Jaiva Dharma: Simantadvipa

BY: SUN STAFF - 17.3 2020

Lord Balarama
Orissan Patachitra

A serial presentation of the holy places mentioned in the Jaiva Dharma of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur - Part 145.

In his Audarya Dhama, Padmalochan dasa summarizes the Garga Samhita narration of Lord Balarama's pastime, dispatching the Kolasura at Rama Tirtha, which is in Rukunpur, Simanta dvipa:

"My dear Balarama, You are the most powerful person and You are pleasing to everyone. Unfortunately, I forgot Your glorious, exalted position, but now I have come to my senses and I remember that You hold all the planetary systems on your head merely by Your partial expansion as Sesa. You are the sustainer of the whole universe.

My dear Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are full of six opulences. Because I forgot Your omnipotence, I have mistakenly disobeyed Your order and thus I have become a great offender. But, My dear Lord, please know that I am a surrendered soul unto You. You are very much affectionate to Your devotees, therefore please excuse my impudence and mistakes, and by Your causeless mercy may You now release me." (Krsna Book)

When Lord Balarama was touring the holy places He came to this place to bathe in the Ganga. Anyone who comes here in the month of Kartik, on the full moon day, and takes bath will get the same benefit as visiting Haridwar and taking bath a hundred times.

The following story is narrated in the Garga Samhita: The great Kol demon who lives in this area was keeping the people here under his control by his mystic powers. When the people saw Balarama coming they requested Him to kindly dispose of the Kol demon. They said, "In Mathura, You have killed Kamsa and every one is very happy, but for us Kamsa is still alive in the shape of the Kol demon."

When the Kol demon heard that Balarama had arrived there, he came before Him with many thousands of elephants and chariots and surrounded Balarama on all four sides, who immediately took up a large club and started to smash the elephants, chariots, and infantry in the same way as king Indra used to cut off the wings of the mountains.

When Balarama had destroyed the Kolasura's army, He caught hold of Kolasura and started to beat him. When the demon lay dead, the demon's maya lifted and everybody felt great relief. Thereafter the people offered worship to Balarama's lotus feet.

This is one of the borders of the Navadvipa Dhama."