Bala Mukundashtakam in Sanskrit, English with Meaning

Bala Mukundashtakam

करारविन्देन पदारविन्दं मुखारविन्दे विनिवेशयन्तम् ।
वटस्य पत्रस्य पुटे शयानं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ १॥

karāravindena padāravindaṃ mukhāravinde viniveśayantam .
vaṭasya patrasya puṭe śayānaṃ bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi .. 1..

(My mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam) who with his lotus like hands holds his lotus like feet, …
and puts the toe in his lotus like mouth,
he rests on the fold of the banyan leaf (vata),
my mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam.

संहृत्य लोकान्वटपत्रमध्ये शयानमाद्यन्तविहीनरूपम् ।
सर्वेश्वरं सर्वहितावतारं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ २॥

saṃhṛtya lokānvaṭapatramadhye śayānamādyantavihīnarūpam .
sarveśvaraṃ sarvahitāvatāraṃ bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi .. 2..

(My mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam) who draws the entire world in that banyan leaf (vata), …
on which he rests with his divine form which is beginningless and endless,
he is the lord of all, his incarnation is for the welfare of all,
my mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam.

इन्दीवरश्यामलकोमलाङ्गं इन्द्रादिदेवार्चितपादपद्मम् ।
सन्तानकल्पद्रुममाश्रितानां बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ ३॥

indīvaraśyāmalakomalāṅgaṃ indrādidevārcitapādapadmam .
santānakalpadrumamāśritānāṃ bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi .. 3..

(My mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam) who is like a dark-blue lotus with tender and soft body,
whose lotus feet are worshipped by Indra and other devas,
by taking refuge in that never ending wish fulfilling tree, …
my mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam.

लम्बालकं लम्बितहारयष्टिं श‍ृङ्गारलीलाङ्कितदन्तपङ्क्तिम् ।
बिंबाधरं चारुविशालनेत्रं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ ४॥

lambālakaṃ lambitahārayaṣṭiṃ śṛṅgāralīlāṅkitadantapaṅktim .
bimbādharaṃ cāruviśālanetraṃ bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi .. 4..

(My mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam) who has long curly hair and wears a long garland,
on whose rows of teeth are marked the enchainting smile of love play,
whose lips are like bimba fruits and eyes are wide and lovely,
my mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam.

शिक्ये निधायाद्यपयोदधीनि बहिर्गतायां व्रजनायिकायाम् ।
भुक्त्वा यथेष्टं कपटेन सुप्तं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ ५॥

śikye nidhāyādyapayodadhīni bahirgatāyāṃ vrajanāyikāyām .
bhuktvā yatheṣṭaṃ kapaṭena suptaṃ bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi .. 5..

(My mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam) who steals the milk and curd from the pots fixed on the swing,…
when the cowherd girls of vraja goes out,
and having eaten them according to his wish, he pretends to be sleeping,
my mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam.

कलिन्दजान्तस्थितकालियस्य फणाग्ररङ्गे नटनप्रियन्तम् ।
तत्पुच्छहस्तं शरदिन्दुवक्त्रं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ ६॥

kalindajāntasthitakāliyasya phaṇāgraraṅge naṭanapriyantam .
tatpucchahastaṃ śaradinduvaktraṃ bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi .. 6..

(My mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam) who on the Kaliya snake situated inside river Yamuna, the river which originated from mount Kalinda,…
danced joyfully over the top of its hood …
holding its tail with his hand; his face shining like the autumn moon,
my mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam.

उलूखले बद्धमुदारशौर्यं उत्तुङ्गयुग्मार्जुन भङ्गलीलम् ।
उत्फुल्लपद्मायत चारुनेत्रं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ ७॥

ulūkhale baddhamudāraśauryaṃ uttuṅgayugmārjuna bhaṅgalīlam .
utphullapadmāyata cārunetraṃ bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi .. 7..

(My mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam) who was tied to the mortar (by his mother), but his face radiating unperplexed heroism,…
he played the divine play of uprooting the pair of lofty Arjuna trees (Arjuna) with his body,
he looks out with wide open eyes which stretches like the beautiful lotus petals,
my mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam.

आलोक्य मातुर्मुखमादरेण स्तन्यं पिबन्तं सरसीरुहाक्षम् ।
सच्चिन्मयं देवमनन्तरूपं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ ८॥

ālokya māturmukhamādareṇa stanyaṃ pibantaṃ sarasīruhākṣam .
saccinmayaṃ devamanantarūpaṃ bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi .. 8..

(My mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam) who looks at the face of his mother while …
drinking milk from her breast, his eyes like a lotus situated over a lake,
his divine form reflects the infinite pure consciousness,
my mind remembers that beautiful Bala Mukundam.

॥ इति बालमुकुन्दाष्टकम् सम्पूर्णम् ॥

.. iti bālamukundāṣṭakam sampūrṇam ..

Description

The poem is inspired by the episode of Sage Mārkaṇḍeya’s vision of the lord as an infant lying in the fold of a banyan-leaf, in the midst of the primordial ocean. The venerable sage gets sucked into the mouth of this infant and is surprized to find the entire world arrayed safely inside him, while the deluge seemed to have destroyed everything, on the outside.

Other Krishna Shlokams

Bala Mukundashtakam – Krishna – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Translation and Meaning. Commentary for selected Shlokams.