164
Krṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Balarāma then considered the history of Romaharṣaṇa: he was born in a  sūta  family or a mixed family, born of a  brāhmaṇa  woman and  kṣatriya  man. Therefore although Romaharṣaṇa considered Balarāma a  kṣatriya , he should not have remained sitting on a higher seat. Lord Balarāma considered that Romaharṣaṇa, according to his position by birth, should not have accepted the higher sitting position, because there were many learned  brāhmaṇas  and sages present. He also observed that Romaharṣaṇa not only did not come down from his exalted seat, but he did not even stand up and offer his respects when Balarāmajī entered the assembly. Lord Balarāma did not like the audacity of Romaharṣaṇa, and he became very angry with him.
When a person is seated on the Vyāsāsana, he does not generally have to stand up to receive a particular person entering the assembly, but in this case the situation was different because Lord Baladeva is not an ordinary human being. Therefore, although Romaharṣaṇa Sūta was voted to the Vyāsāsana by all the  brāhmaṇas , he should have followed the behavior of other learned sages and  brāhmaṇas  who were present and should have known that Lord Balarāma is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Respects are always due to Him, even though such respects can be avoided in the case of an ordinary man. The appearances of Krṣṇa and Balarāma are especially meant for reestablishment of the religious principles. As stated in the  Bhagavad-gītā , the highest religious principle is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is also confirmed in the  Śrīmad-Bhagavatam  that the topmost perfection of religiousness is to be engaged in the devotional service of the Lord.
When Lord Balarāma saw that Romaharṣaṇa Sūta did not understand the highest principle of religiousness in spite of having studied all the  Vedas , He certainly could not support his position. Romaharṣaṇa Sūta had been given a chance to become a perfect  brāhmaṇa , but because of his ill behavior in his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his low birth was immediately remembered. Romaharṣaṇa Sūta had been given the position of a  brāhmaṇa , but he had not been born in the family of a  brāhmaṇa ; he had been born in a  pratiloma  family. According to the Vedic concept, there are two kinds of mixed family heritage. They are called  anuloma  and  pratiloma . When a male is united with a female of a lower caste, the offspring is called  anuloma ; but when a male unites with a woman of a higher caste, the offspring is called  pratiloma . Romaharṣaṇa Sūta belonged to the  pratiloma  family because his father was a  kṣatriya  and his mother a  brāhmaṇa . Because Romaharṣaṇa's transcendental realization was not perfect, Lord Balarāma remembered his  pratiloma  heritage. The idea is that any man can be given the chance to become a