Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.8.12
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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rohiṇī - putraḥ
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the son of Rohiṇī
Rohiṇī, Vasudeva's senior wife, is Balarāma's birth-mother. The name preserves Balarāma's distinct identity even within Vraja-līlā — Yaśodā raises Him with Kṛṣṇa, but Rohiṇī is His mātṛ. Gauḍīyas honor Rohiṇī as nitya-siddha companion.
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ramayan
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pleasing
Causative participle of √ram — 'causing to delight'. The verbal root that gives both Rāma and rasa. Balarāma is named Rāma because His very nature is to make others ramaṇa — to taste joy. Distinct from Kṛṣṇa, who is ākarṣaka (attractive); Balarāma is ramaṇa-kartṛ.
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suhṛdaḥ
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His friends and relatives
Su (well-) + hṛd (heart) — 'one whose heart is well-disposed without expectation'. The Vaiṣṇava category of friendship-without-motive; Kṛṣṇa later self-describes as suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29).
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rāmaḥ
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by the name Rāma, the supreme enjoyer
From √ram (to delight, to rest in). Same name as Daśarathi-Rāma; here applied to Balarāma. Gauḍīyas note: Balarāma is the original Saṅkarṣaṇa-Viṣṇu, prior to Rāmacandra's avatāra, yet shares the name's essential meaning.
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balam viduḥ
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they know (Him) as Bala
Bala (strength) + viduḥ (they know). His infinite strength is a designation, not a description; the wise know-Him-as-strength itself. Gauḍīya: Balarāma is ādi-guru, the original tattva-śakti supporting all spiritual strength in the devotee.
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saṅkarṣaṇam
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by the name Saṅkarṣaṇa (uniter)
Sam (together) + karṣaṇam (drawing). Two senses: (1) He was 'drawn together' from Devakī's womb to Rohiṇī's by Yoga-māyā; (2) He unites Vasudeva's and Nanda's families, kṣatriya and gopa. The compound holds the entire mystery of His displacement-birth.
Baladeva was actually the son of Devakī, but He was transferred from Devakī’s womb to that of Rohiṇī. This fact was not disclosed. According to a statement in the Hari-vaṁśa: pratyuvāca tato rāmaḥ sarvāṁs tān abhitaḥ sthitān yādaveṣv api sarveṣu bhavanto mama vallabhāḥ Garga Muni did disclose to Nanda Mahārāja that Balarāma would be known as Saṅkarṣaṇa because of uniting two families — the yadu-vaṁśa and the vaṁśa of Nanda Mahārāja — one of which was known as kṣatriya and the other as vaiśya. Both families had the same original forefather, the only difference being that Nanda Mahārāja was born of a vaiśya wife whereas Vasudeva was born of a kṣatriya wife. Later, Nanda Mahārāja married a vaiśya wife, and Vasudeva married a kṣatriya wife. So although the families of Nanda Mahārāja and Vasudeva both came from the same father, they were divided as kṣatriya and vaiśya. Now Baladeva united them, and therefore He was known as Saṅkarṣaṇa.
Gargamuni speaks. "O Nanda, because Vasudevas’s and your linage are the same, and Balarama will unite your two families, he will be called Sankarsana. The Hari vamsa says, "Amongst all the Yadus you are most dear to me." Garga did not reveal here that Balarama was transfered (akarsana) from the womb of Devaki to Rohini and thus given the name Sankarsana for that reason.
Some versions had vai instead of hi. Pointing out the child with his finger or touching him, Garga said, “This child (ayam), known as the son of Rohiṇī, will give joy to his friends.” The word asya to indicate Kṛṣṇa is used in the same context. He will be known as “son of Rohiṇī.” He will give joy to friends like Vasudeva and you, Nanda. My giving him the name Rāma is only a pretense. He will spontaneously be known by this name in the future. Giving the other names also is only a pretense. The present tense viduḥ (know) is in the present tense, since the act of knowing will be very soon. They will know him as Bala because of his strength. Because of having fathers in Vasudeva and Nanda (yadūnām), he will be known as Saṅkarṣaṇa because of being pulled into two families. That Vasudeva and Nanda are called Yadus is stated by Balarāma when he went from Dvārakā to Vraja. pratyuvāca tato rāmaḥ sarvān tan abhitaḥ sthitān yadaveṣvapi sarveṣu bhavanto mama bāndahvāḥ Balarāma then replied to Nanda and others standing around him, “Among all the Yadavas, you are my friends.” Hari-vaṁśa Garga said “I am the priest among the Yadus (including Nanda).” The word api at the end of the verse indicates that Balarāma would be known by other names also. Sometimes uta (certainly) is seen instead of api. The meaning is as follows. Because he will give pleasure to the ātmārāmas (suhṛdaḥ--persons with pure hearts) he will be called Rāma. Viduḥ in the present can also indicate that the name is eternal. People will always know him as Balarāma. From the word api, it is suggested that there is another meaning for the name Saṅkarṣaṇa (he who was transferred from the womb).
Pointing out Balarāma with his finger or touching him with his hand (ayam—this child), he speaks. That is also indicated in the next verse when the word asya is used for Kṛṣṇa. He will give happiness by qualities like kindness and honesty. Hi or vai indicates it is well known from scripture. He will be called Rāma by friends or the public because he gives happiness by his qualities. By showing the derivation of the name he shows that he is not arbitrarily making a name on his own. That is understood for naming Kṛṣṇa also. Because he has exceptional power or more power than other people, he is called Bala. Because he is raised by you he is your son. It is said vrajeśa-sutayoḥ: the two sons of Nanda. It is also said in this verse that Balarāma is the son of Rohiṇī (rohiṇyāḥ putraḥ), not the son of Vasudeva. At the same time, by birth they are Yadus. Thus Balarāma draws the two families together: saṅkarṣaṇa.
- Name one relationship in your life fractured by 'kṣatriya vs vaiśya' style divisions of class, role, or temperament, and take one concrete step today to draw the two sides together.
- Before a hard task today, silently invoke Bala — Balarāma's strength — and refuse the modern reflex of relying solely on your own ahaṅkāra-fueled effort.
- Bring genuine ramayan suhṛdo guṇaiḥ joy to your suhṛds today by serving one family member or friend in a way that uplifts their soul, not merely flatters their body.
A single sun reflected in three different pools — each pool truly holds the sun, yet there is only one sun. Balarāma is Rāma (the rejoicer), Bala (the strong), and Saṅkarṣaṇa (the unifier); three names, one Person, refracted through the three relations He must hold.
Throughout the Mahābhārata, Balarāma walked the line between the warring cousins — teacher to both Duryodhana and Bhīma, embracing both sides as His own. When the war was unavoidable, He withdrew to pilgrimage rather than fight on either front (MB, Śalya Parva).
Garga's etymology saṅkarṣaṇam — 'one who unites (apparently separated) families' — is enacted across Balarāma's whole life. Whatever divides, His embrace draws back together.
My note
Source: vedabase.io