Edit:
As of 12:39 AM May 9th, 2022 my opinion of Balram has completely changed.
Here is my new post on him - https://logicastra.blogspot.com/2022/05/useless-warrior-balarama.html in my opinion he was just a joker.
End of edit.
{Note}: I myself do not agree with everything that is stated in this post, but i am writing it all only to bring highlight to feats of Balarama. And how he is portrayed as a strong warrior in the texts.
Meaning of his name (he was mostly called "Rama"):
"Rama means someone who is highly resplendent, an ablest archer among all archers, one who is endowed with divine missiles and divine attributes, and he is the one who conducts warfare with a supreme conduct." [3-31-15]
http://www.valmikiramayan.net/utf8/aranya/sarga31/aranya_31_frame.htm This indicates that Balaram would be a great archer, knows astras, divine astras etc.
{Note}: I myself do not agree with everything that is stated in this post, but i am writing it all only to bring highlight to feats of Balarama. And how he is portrayed as a strong warrior in the texts.
Meaning of his name (he was mostly called "Rama"):
"Rama means someone who is highly resplendent, an ablest archer among all archers, one who is endowed with divine missiles and divine attributes, and he is the one who conducts warfare with a supreme conduct." [3-31-15]
http://www.valmikiramayan.net/utf8/aranya/sarga31/aranya_31_frame.htm This indicates that Balaram would be a great archer, knows astras, divine astras etc.
- Killed Hansa. Quote from Sabha Parva.
- He hath two
friends that are like unto the immortals, and in point of strength the foremost of all men endued with might. They are called Hansa and Dimvaka who are both incapable of being slain by weapons. The mighty Jarasandha, being united with them, becomes incapable, I think, of being vanquished by even the three worlds. O thou foremost of all intelligent men, this is not our opinion alone but all other kings also are of the same mind. There lived, O monarch, a king of the name of Hansa, who was slain by Rama (Valadeva) after a battle of eighteen days. But, O Bharata,hearing people say that Hansa had been killed, Dimvaka, O king, thought that he could not live without Hansa. [http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m02/m02014.htm] - This also proves Balarama's stamina, he fought continuously for eighteen days straight.
- Killed Jara, quote from Drona Parva is below.
- Each of them, O Partha, could fight in battle with the whole celestial host protected by the Regents of the world. (On one occasion), assailed by Valadeva, Jarasandha, excited with wrath, hurled for our destruction a mace capable of slaying all creatures. Endued with the splendour of fire, that mace coursed towards us dividing the welkin like the line on the head that parts the tresses of a woman, and with the impetuosity of the thunder hurled by Sakra. Beholding that mace thus coursing towards us the son of Rohini hurled the weapon called Sthunakarna for baffling it. Its force destroyed by the energy of Valadeva's weapon, that mace fell down on the earth, splitting her (with its might) and making the very mountains tremble. There was a terrible Rakshasa of the name Jara, endued with great prowess. She, O prince, had united that slayer of foes, and, therefore, was the latter called Jarasandha. Jarasandha had been made up of two halves of one child. And because it was Jara that had united those two halves, it was for this that he came to be called Jarasandha. 1 That Rakshasa woman, O Partha, who was there within the earth, was slain with her son and kinsmen by means-of that mace and the weapon of Sthunakarna. [http://sacred-texts.com/hin/m07/m07178.htm]
- This also proves that Balarama was a master of the Sthunakarna weapon.
- According to Vishnu Purana. He (Balarama) defeated Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Bhima, Duryodhana, Arjuna, Yudhishthira etc.
Ugrasena shall be the undisputed king of kings; for I will not return to his capital until I have rid the world wholly of the sons of Kuru. I will destroy Karńa, Duryodhana, Drońa, Bhíshma, Báhlíka, Duhsáśana, Bhúrisravas, Somadatta, Śalya, Bhíma, Arjuna, Yudhisht́hira, the twins, and all the other vile descendants of Kuru, with their horses, elephants, and chariots. I will rescue the hero Śámba from captivity, and carry him, along with his wife, to Dwáraká, where I shall again behold Ugrasena p. 603 and the rest of my kin. Or, authorized by the king of the gods to remove the burdens of the earth, I will take this capital of the Kauravas, with all the sons of Kuru, and cast the city of the elephant into the Bhágírathí."
Quote 2:
So saying, the wielder of the club, Baladeva, his eyes red with rage, plunged the blade of his ploughshare downwards, beneath the ramparts of the city, and drew them towards him. When the Kauravas beheld Hastinápura tottering, they were much alarmed, and called loudly on Ráma, saying, "Ráma, Ráma! hold, hold! suppress your wrath! have mercy upon us! Here is Śámba, and his wife also, delivered up to thee. Forgive our sins, committed in ignorance of thy wondrous power." Accordingly, issuing hurriedly from the city, the Kauravas delivered Śámba and his bride to the mighty Balaráma, who, bowing to Bhíshma, Drońa, and Kripa, who addressed him in conciliatory language, said, "I am satisfied;" and so desisted. The city bears the marks of the shock it received, even to the present day--such was the might of Ráma--proving both his strength and prowess.
Analysis: The text says that the Kouravas wanted pleaded with Balarama and begged for forgiveness because they saw their city (Hastinapore) getting submerged. But they could have stopped Balarama from submerging their city through the use of force.
The presence of Arjuna, Bhurisravas, Bhima & Yudhishthira (etc) seems to be an interpolation over here. And they are only mentioned once (when Balarama makes a vow) and Arjuna himself was the husband of Balarama's sister (Subhadra) so why would he have decided to kill his own brother-in-law? Arjuna did not even threaten Balarama, the Pandavas being mute spectators over here seems to be unbelievable and highly unlikely. Anyways Karna is mentioned three times in the whole chapter (when he fights Samba, when Rama vows to kill him, and when everyone hears Rama's words.) So Karna had to be present here.
Other feats: Other than this Balarama also has other accomplishments.
He defeated Dwividha - http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp153.htm
Killing Rukmin - http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp145.htm
Fights random warrior's - http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp143.htm
Uprooted a whole river (called Yamuna) - http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp142.htm
Balarama defeats Jarasandha 18 (eighteen) times - http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp139.htm But here Jarasandh was called a "prince" not a king or lord or Emperor like he truely was. Indicating the man who was defeated by Balram is a prince and not actually Jarasandh rather one of Jarasandh's sons or grandsons.
If we consider all of these as facts then he is superior to Bhishma, Drona, Karna etc, as a warrior.
