Aug 10, 2017 — WATFORD, ENGLAND (SUN) —
The term "Balarama Jayanti" is commonly used among devotees to describe the Appearance day of Lord Balarama. Posters advertise Balarama Jayanti, and the GBC issues Balarama Jayanti messages.
However, Srila Prabhupada did not use this term as far as I am aware. Also, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati said that Jayanti refers exclusively to Lord Krsna's birth, or to Gaura's birth due to Him being nondifferent from Krsna. So how can Balarama Purnima be legitimately referred to as Jayanti?
If anyone can justify the term, please enlighten us. If not, then let us stick to Balarama Purnima.
"Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī opposed employing the word jayantī for birthdays of eminent national figures, for according to several śāstrīya references given in chapter fifteen of Haribhakti-vilāsa, jayantī indicates the specific time when the star Rohiṇī is conjoined with the moon on the kṛṣṇa-pakṣa aṣṭamī of the month of Bhādra, and thus exclusively refers to the āvirbhāva-tithi of Kṛṣṇa. However, Gaura being nondifferent from the original Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī also approved and employed the term Gaura-jayantī for the āvirbhāva-tithi of Gaura."
(Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava)
viṣṇu-dharme
rohiṇī ca yadā kṛṣṇa-
pakṣe 'ṣṭamyāṁ dvijottama
jayantī nāma sā proktā
sarva-pāpa-harā tithiḥ
In the Viṣṇu-dharma Purāṇa it is said:
O best of brāhmaṇas, when the star Rohiṇī is conjoined with the moon on the aṣtamī of the dark fortnight, that day is called Jayantī, a day that removes all sins. (Hari-bhakti-vilasa, 15.297)
somāhni budha-vāre vā
cāṣṭamī rohiṇī-yutā
jayantī nāma sā khyātā
taṁ labhet puṇya-sañcayaiḥ
When the aṣṭamī falls on a Monday or Wednesday when the star Rohiṇī is conjoined with the moon, that day is called Jayantī. That day brings great piety." (Hari-bhakti-vilasa, 15.380)
