The Transcendental Pastimes of God's Plow

Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the Supreme Lord's weapons are completely spiritual and eternally part of His divine pastimes. By studying his instructions, we can understand the significance of Lord Balarāma's plow, how He uses it to chastise those who disobey Him, and how it serves as a transcendental instrument to annihilate demons.

The Divine Weapon of Balarāma

Lord Balarāma, the first expansion of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is eternally associated with His signature weapons. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while Kṛṣṇa tends the cows and plays a flute, Balarāma carries a plow and a club, perfectly representing the divine protection of agriculture and the means to smash all demonic forces.

• Balarama represents plowing the land for agriculture and therefore always carries in His hand a plow, whereas Krsna tends cows and therefore carries a flute in His hand. Thus the two brothers represent krsi-raksya and go-raksya.
• Lord Balarama has two weapons, a plow and a club, from which He takes service when they are required.
• As soon as He (Balarama) saw the demon, Lord Balarama prepared to attack him. He first considered how He could smash the great demon to pieces. Lord Balarama then called for His plow and club, and they immediately appeared before Him.
• At that time Baladeva took up His plow weapon and gazed upon Jarasandha with colored eyes.

Chastising the Yamunā River

The Supreme Lord expects perfect obedience from His subordinate energies. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights the famous līlā where Lord Balarāma, intoxicated with ecstatic love, ordered the Yamunā River to come to Him; when she refused, He angrily took up His plow to drag her by force.

• Balarama said to Yamuna, "You wretched river! You didn't care for My order. Now I shall teach you a lesson! You didn't come to Me voluntarily. Now with the help of My plow I shall force you to come. I shall divide you into hundreds of scattered streams."
• It is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.65.25-30, 33) that Lord Baladeva asked the Yamuna to come near, and when the river disobeyed the order of the Lord, He became angry and thus wanted to snatch her near to Him with His plow.
• He (Balarama) immediately wanted to scratch the land near the river with His plowshare (because Yamuna neglected His order).
• This time He (Balarama) wanted to bring the Yamuna by force, and He took the help of His plow. He wanted to punish the Yamuna because she did not come in obedience to His order.

Annihilating the Demons and Enemies

God's plow is a terrifying sight for the atheists and miscreants of the world. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how Lord Balarāma expertly utilized His plow to drag flying demons like Balvala out of the sky, and even used it to threaten the entire city of Hastināpura when the Kauravas offended His family.

• The demon Balvala was flying in the sky, and at the first opportunity Lord Balarama dragged him down with His plow and angrily smashed the demon's head with His club.
• The gorilla was striking Him with his (Dvivida's) hands, Balarama would not strike him back with His own weapons, club or plow.
• Since the gorilla was striking Him with his hands, Lord Balarama would not strike him back with His own weapons, the club or the plow. Simply with His fists He struck the collarbone of the gorilla.
• He (Balarama) stood up steadily and, taking His plow in His hand, began striking the earth with it, separating the whole city of Hastinapura from the earth, and then He began to drag the city toward the flowing water of the river Ganges.

The Transcendental Carrier of the Plow

Lord Balarāma's identity as the bearer of the plow is celebrated throughout Vedic literature. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that great authorities like Jayadeva Gosvāmī offer profound prayers to this specific feature of the Lord, recognizing Him as the ultimate source of spiritual strength and the supreme protector of the devotees.

• Jayadeva Gosvami sung as follows: "He (Krsna) has annihilated all the dynasties of the ksatriyas in the form of Parasurama. He has killed all the demons in the form of Lord Rama. He has accepted the great plow in the form of Balarama."
• The Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (11-16) declares that although Sri Nityananda Prabhu appeared as Lord Caitanya’s assistant, He is none other than Baladeva, the carrier of the plow. Advaita Acarya is the incarnation of Sadasiva from the spiritual world.
• He pleases His personal associates, the heads of the demigods, by the sweet vibrations emanating from His mouth. Dressed in bluish garments and wearing a single earring, He holds a plow on His back with His two beautiful and well-constructed hands.
• Yawning so hard as to make ripples on His abdomen, Lord Baladeva, the bearer of the plow, returned to His deep sleep. This is an instance of sleepiness in ecstatic love.

Conclusion

Śrīla Prabhupāda beautifully reveals the profound spiritual significance behind God's plow. Far from being a mundane agricultural tool, the plow carried by Lord Balarāma is a completely transcendental weapon that serves the Supreme Lord in His eternal pastimes. It represents the divine principles of kṛṣi-rakṣya—protecting the earth and cultivating the field of spiritual life. Through dramatic historical events, such as the dragging of the disobedient Yamunā River and the near-destruction of Hastināpura, Lord Balarāma demonstrates that His plow commands absolute authority over all material elements. Furthermore, it serves as an instrument of supreme justice, used to forcefully eliminate demonic forces like Balvala. Ultimately, the bearer of the plow, Lord Balarāma, is glorified by all great Vaiṣṇavas as the original spiritual master who clears away the hard, rocky obstacles of material conditioning from the heart, preparing it for the blissful cultivation of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God's Plow. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

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