BALARAMA

in Hindu mythology, the elder half-brother of Krishna, with whom he shared many adventures. Sometimes Balarama is considered one of the 10 avatars (incarnations) of the god Vishnu, particularly among those members of Vaisnava sects who elevate Krishna to the rank of a principal god. Other legends identify him as the incarnation in human form of the serpent Sesa, and he may originally have been an agricultural deity. As early as the 2nd1st century BC he is depicted holding a plowshare and a pestle with a snake canopy above his head and may be among the earliest Brahmanic gods to be given sculptural representation. In painting he is always shown with fair skin, in contrast to Krishna's blue complexion. The stories associated with him emphasize his love of wine and his enormous strength. He was rarely worshiped independently.