Balarama

Lord Balarama is the first expansion of Lord Sri Krishna. The Supreme Lord, although one without a second, expands Himself in many forms. The vishnu-tattva forms are expansions of the Supreme Lord, and all of them are qualitatively and quantitatively equal with the Lord. This is described in Brahma Samhita as follows:

diparcir eva hi dasantaram abhyupetya
dipayate vivrta-hetu-samana-dharma
yas tadrg eva hi ca visnutaya vibhati
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

The light of one candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various manifestations. 

Lord Balarama is as good as Krishna Himself, the only difference being that the bodily hue of Krishna is dark and that of Balarama is fair. Although Balarama is non-different from Lord Sri Krishna, He expands Himself in various other forms to render service to the Supreme Lord. In His form as Sesha Naga (Ananta Sesha) He supports unlimited number of universes on His hoods. He constantly glorifies the Supreme Lord with His thousand tongues. Sesha is also called Ananta, or unlimited, because He assists the Personality of Godhead in His unlimited expansions by performing an unlimited variety of services.

Srila Yamunacharya (the spiritual master of Sri Ramanujacharya) describes this: nivasa-sayyasana-padukamsuko-padhana-varsatapa-varanadibhih [Stotra Ratna 37] Although Lord Balaram is the transcendental personal expansion of the Supreme Lord, He has accepted the service of the Supreme Lord in the form of nivasa (residence), shayya (bed), asana (seat), paduka (slippers), amshuka (garments), padhana (pillow) and varshatapa (umbrella). Therefore He is appropriately known by people as Sesha.

Lord Balarama is the mercy incarnation of Lord Sri Krishna. He is described as the protector of the devotees of the Lord. He acts as the spiritual master of all devotees. In the Mundaka Upanisha (3.2.4) it is said: nayam atma bala-hinena labhyo. One cannot attain the goal of life without the mercy of Balarama. In this Kali-yuga, He appeared as Nityananda Prabhu, an associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and delivered the conditioned souls.