Editing Balarama (section)

===Childhood and marriage===
[[File:Krishna and Balarama Studying with the Brahman Sandipani (1525-1550 CE).jpg|thumb|''[[Krishna]] and Balarama Studying with the Brahman [[Sandipani]]'' (''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'', 1525-1550 CE print).]]
[[File:Balarama with Consort LACMA AC1999.127.33.jpg|thumb|Balarama with his consort Revati (right), [[Nathdwara Painting]].]]

One day, Nanda requested the presence of Sage [[Gargamuni]], his priest, to name the newborn [[Krishna]] and Balarama. When the Garga arrived, Nanda received him well and requested the naming ceremony. Gargamuni then reminded Nanda that Kamsa was looking for the son of Devaki and if he performed the ceremony in opulence, it would come to his attention. Nanda, therefore, asked Garga to perform the ceremony in secret and Garga did so:

{{blockquote|Because Balarama, the son of Rohini, increases the [[transcendence (religion)|transcendental]] bliss of others, his name is Rama and because of his extraordinary strength, he is called Baladeva. He attracts the Yadus to follow his instructions and therefore his name is Sankarshana.|Bhagavata Purana, 10.8.12<ref>{{cite web |title=ŚB 10.8.12 |url=https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/8/12/ |website=vedabase.io |access-date=3 November 2020 |language=en}}</ref>}}

{{blockquote|When his elder brother, fatigued from playing, would lie down with his head upon the lap of a cowherd boy, Lord Kṛiṣṇa would help him relax by personally massaging his feet and offering other services|source=Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 15, Verse 14<ref>{{cite web |title=ŚB 10.15.14 |url=https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/15/14/ |website=vedabase.io |access-date=24 February 2020 |language=en}}</ref>}}
Balarama spent his childhood as a cow herder with his brother Krishna. He killed [[Dhenuka]], an [[Asura (Hinduism)|asura]] sent by Kamsa, as well as [[Pralamba]] and Mushtika wrestlers sent by the king. When Krishna was killing Kamsa, Balarama slew his mighty commander, [[List of characters in the Mahabharata#Kaalvakra|Kalavakra]]. After the evil king was slain, Balarama and Krishna went to the ashrama of sage [[Sandipani]] at [[Ujjain]] for their education. Balarama married [[Revati]], the daughter of King [[Kakudmi]].<ref name=pargiter135>Pargiter, F.E. (1922, reprint 1972). ''Ancient Indian Historical Tradition'', New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, p. 135</ref> He had two sons - Nishatha and Ulmuka, and a daughter - Shashirekha also known as Vatsala.

Balarama is the celebrated tiller, one of the embodiments of agriculture along with livestock with whom Krishna is associated with. The plough is Balarama's weapon. In the ''Bhagavata Purana'', he uses it to fight asuras, dig a way for [[Yamuna]] river to bring it closer to [[Vrindavan]], and he also availed it to drag the entire capital of [[Hastinapura]] into the Ganga river.<ref name="Hudson2008p99">{{cite book|author=D Dennis Hudson|title=The Body of God: An Emperor's Palace for Krishna in Eighth-Century Kanchipuram|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IMCxbOezDi4C |year=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-970902-1|pages=97–101}}</ref>