Prayer circle
NHJ
3 intentions — you're not alone
The chant
करारविन्देन पदारविन्दं
मुखारविन्दे विनिवेशयन्तम् ।
वटस्य पत्रस्य पुटे शयानं
बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि || 1 ||
संहृत्य लोकान् वटपत्रमध्ये
शयानमाद्यन्तविहीनरूपम् ।
सर्वेश्वरं सर्वहितावतारं
बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि || 2 ||
इन्दीवरश्यामलकोमलाङ्गं
इन्द्रादिदेवार्चितपादपद्मम् ।
सन्तानकल्पद्रुममाश्रितानां
बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि || 3 ||
लंबालकं लंवितहारयष्टिं
शृङ्गारलीलाङ्कितदन्तपङ्क्तिम् ।
बिंबाधरं चारुविशालनेत्रं
बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि || 4 ||
शिक्ये निधायाद्य पयोदधीनि
बहिर्गतायां व्रजनायिकायाम् ।
भुक्त्वा यथेष्टं कपटेन सुप्तं
बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि || 5 ||
कलिन्दजान्तस्थितकालियस्य
फणाग्ररङ्गे नटनप्रियन्तम् ।
तत्पुच्छहस्तं शरदिन्दुवक्त्रं
बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि || 6 ||
उलुखले बद्धमुदारशौर्यं
उत्तुङ्गयुग्मार्जुनमङ्गलीलम् ।
उत्फुल्लपद्मायतचारुनेत्रं
बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि || 7 ||
आलोक्य मातुर्मुखमादरेण
स्तन्यं पिबन्तं सरसीरुहाक्षम् ।
सच्चिन्मयं देवमनन्तरूपं
बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि || 8 ||
इति बालमुकुन्दशतकम् सम्पूर्णम् ||
kararavindena padaravindam
mukharavinde viniveshayantam |
vatasya patrasya pute shayanam
balam mukundam manasa smarami || 1 ||
His hands, lotus-like, his feet, lotus-like,
samhritya lokan vatapatramadhye
shayanamadyantavihinarupam |
sarveshvaram sarvahitavataram
balam mukundam manasa smarami || 2 ||
indivarashyamalakomalangam
indradidevarchitapadapadmam |
santanakalpadrumamashritanam
balam mukundam manasa smarami || 3 ||
lambalakam lamvitaharayashtim
shringaralilankitadantapanktim |
bimbadharam charuvishalanetram
balam mukundam manasa smarami || 4 ||
shikye nidhayadya payodadhini
bahirgatayam vrajanayikayam |
bhuktva yatheshtam kapatena suptam
balam mukundam manasa smarami || 5 ||
kalindajantasthitakaliyasya
phanagrarange natanapriyantam |
tatpuchchhahastam sharadinduvaktram
balam mukundam manasa smarami || 6 ||
ulukhale baddhamudarashauryam
uttungayugmarjunabhangalilam |
utphullapadmayatacharunetram
balam mukundam manasa smarami || 7 ||
He even playfully uprooted two mighty Arjuna trees,
alokya maturmukhamadarena
stanyam pibantam sarasiruhaksham |
sachchinmayam devamanantarupam
balam mukundam manasa smarami || 8 ||
He looks at his mother's face,
iti balamukundashatakam sampuranm ||
He puts his toe in his lotus-like mouth,
Lying on the fold of a banyan leaf,
That little Krishna is etched in my mind. || 1 ||
He sketches the whole world in a small banyan leaf,
He rests formless in it, without beginning or end,
The God of all, the well-being of all,
That little Krishna is etched in my mind. || 2 ||
As tender and divine as a dark-blue lotus,
His lotus-feet revered by Lord Indra and other gods,
I rest under the infinite wish-fulfilling tree that is him,
That little Krishna is etched in my mind. || 3 ||
His hair, long and curly, encircled in a flower garland,
His teeth aglow with the his playful loving smile,
His shapely eyes bright and wide,
That little Krishna is etched in my mind. || 4 ||
He steals away milk and curd from raised swinging pots
Just when the cowherdesses of Vraja step away,
He eats to his heart's content, then pretends to sleep,
That little Krishna is etched in my mind. || 5 ||
On the back of serpent Kaliya, who lived in the Kalinda-born river Yamuna
He danced playfully on that serpent's hood,
Holding its enormous tail in his hand, his face shone like the moon,
That little Krishna is etched in my mind. || 6 ||
Tied to the mortar by his helpless mother, his face still heroic and radiant,
With his eyes that open like lotus petals, he looks,
That little Krishna is etched in my mind. || 7 ||
Drinking from her breast, his eyes serene as a lotus on a lake,
His form is pure infinite consciousness,
That little Krishna is etched in my mind. || 8 ||
Thus ends the Balamukundashtakam.
Why it works
- Cultivates Madhura Bhava: Awakens heart-centered devotion and intimate, loving relationship with the divine.
- Eases emotional turbulence: The tender imagery of divine childhood dissolves harsh thoughts and restlessness into gentleness.
- Protects children and caregivers: Recitation invokes Krishna's protective grace over the young and vulnerable.
- Deepens meditation focus: The eight narrative verses provide structure for sustained visualization and mental clarity.
- Dissolves ego-attachment: Channeling devotion through childlike innocence removes barriers to self-surrender.
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