Life
Various narratives related to Balarama are found in the Mahabharata, the Harivamsha, the Bhagavata Purana and several other Puranas. This summary is based on these narratives.
The above quote from Bhagavata Purana with the conclusion that therefore Balarama is supposed to be an incarnation of Vishnu, is obviously a misleading interpretation, as it only says that God appeared as Krishna and Balarama. The Bhagavata Purana never mentions that Vishnu is the origin of Krishna or Balarama. A little later, it is clearly mentioned in the same chapter of the Bhagavata Purana, that all other incarnations of God are emanations originating in Krishna - and that Krishna, not Vishnu, is the origin of all other forms of God (ete camsah kalah pumsah krishna stu bhagavan svayam). While Balarama is God's first direct and complete expansion, from whole all other avataras, including Vishnu, emanate. This is the proper understanding, according to authorised Puranic Hindu literature. It is emphasized right from the first verse of the quoted Bhagavata Purana (om namo bhagavate vasudevaya = "I bow to God, Krishna, who appeared as the son of Vasudeva." SB 1.1.1)
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