Sri Balabhadra Sahasra Nama (A Thousand Names of Lord Balarama)

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These thousand names of Lord Balarama were recited by the sage, Pradvipaka, to Duryodhana, who had requested him in this regard, as they conversed at Hastinapura. The sage then informed Duryodhana that these names had originally been spoken by Garga Muni to the gap "is on the banks of the River Yamuna.

These thousand names of Lord Balarama are certainly not as well-known as the Visnu-sahasra-nama and the thousand names of child Krsna and the thousand names of Radha that were taken in 1895, from the Narada- pancaratra, by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and edited and published, knowing that many devotees would like to chant these verses as a regular daily practice.

From the scriptures we have learned that a single chanting of the holy name of Lord Ramacandra is as potent as the chanting of the Visnu-sahasra-nama, and that a single chanting of the holy name of Lord Krsna is as potent as chanting the Visnu-sahasra-nama three times. There is no mention, to my knowledge, of the relative value of chanting the holy names of Lord Balarama, however.

In the Kali-yuga, Lord Krsna appeared as SrI Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Balarama appeared as Nityananada Prabhu. It is said that in this incarnation, the chanting of the holy name of Lord Nityananada is more beneficial than chanting the holy name of Lord Caitanya, because He is extremely merciful to the fallen conditioned souls. From this we can guess that the chanting of these thousand names of Lord Balabhadra are exceedingly beneficial for the devotees.

When one reads or chants these thousand names of Balabhadra, within a short space of time he remembers many of His pastimes and qualities, as well as numerous bodily characteristics. It's like going on a quick guided tour of the name, fame, form, and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This translation by Kusakratha Prabhu provides us with his trademark poetic genius so that our reading will be nothing short of pure pleasure.