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Bāla Mukundāṣṭakam

The Bāla Mukundāṣṭakam is a revered Sanskrit hymn comprising eight stanzas, composed by the 9th-century saint Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura from southern India. It glorifies Bāla Mukunda, a form of Lord Kṛṣṇa as a divine baby resting on a banyan leaf, known as Vaṭapatraśāyī. This imagery is connected to His cosmic pastime with the sage Mārkaṇḍeya, detailed in the 12th Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The hymn is both a prayer and adoration of Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental beauty, portraying Him as the Supreme Being and ultimate refuge. It also celebrates His playful, loving interactions with the residents of Vṛndāvana.

VERSE 1

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

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

SYNONYMS

kara-aravindena: with His lotus-like hand | pada-aravindam: His lotus-like foot | mukha-aravinde: in His lotus-like mouth | viniveśayantam: placing | vaṭasya: of the banyan tree | patrasya: of the leaf | puṭe: in the fold | śayānam: sleeping | bālam: the infant | mukundam: Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa) | manasā: with the mind | smarāmi: I remember, meditate upon |

TRANSLATION

I meditate on that infant Mukunda (Krishna) who is sleeping on the leaf of a banyan tree with his the lotus-like foot placed in His lotus-like mouth with His lotus-like hand.

VERSE 2

संहृत्य लोकान्वटपत्रमध्ये शयानमाद्यन्तविहीनरूपम्
सर्वेश्वरं सर्वहितावतारं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि

saṃhṛtya lokān vaṭa-patramadhye
śayānam-ādyanta-vihīna-rūpam
sarveśvaraṃ sarvahitāvatāraṃ
bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi

SYNONYMS

saṁhṛtya: having withdrawn | lokān: all the worlds | vaṭa-patra-madhye: within the banyan leaf | śayānam: sleeping | ādi-anta-vihīna-rūpam: whose form has no beginning or end | sarva-īśvaram: the Lord of all | sarva-hita-avatāram: who incarnated for the welfare of all | bālam: the infant | mukundam: Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa) | manasā: with the mind | smarāmi: I remember, meditate upon |

TRANSLATION

I meditate on that infant Mukunda who is sleeping, holding all the worlds together on the leaf of a banyan tree in such form, which has no beginning or no end. He is the incarnation of God for the welfare of all mankind and the Lord of all.

VERSE 3

इन्दीवरश्यामलकोमलाङ्गं इन्द्रादिदेवार्चितपादपद्मम्
सन्तानकल्पद्रुममाश्रितानां बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि

indīvaraśyāmala-komalāṅgaṃ
indrādidevārcita-pādapadmam
santānakalpadrumamāśritānāṃ
bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi

SYNONYMS

indīvara-śyāmala: dark blue like a blue lotus | komala-aṅgam: having a delicate body | indra-ādi-deva-arcita: worshipped by Indra and other gods | pāda-padmam: whose lotus feet | santāna-kalpa-drumam: the wish-fulfilling tree | āśritānām: for those who take refuge | bālam: the infant | mukundam: Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa) | manasā: with the mind | smarāmi: I remember, meditate upon |

TRANSLATION

I meditate on Bala Mukunda in my heart, who has a delicate body like a blue lotus and whose foot is worshipped by all the gods and Indra, etc. He is the wish-fulfilling tree for those who take refuge in Him.

VERSE 4

लम्बालकं लम्बितहारयष्टिं शृङ्गारलीलाङ्कितदन्तपङ्क्तिं
बिम्बाधरं चारुविशालनेत्रं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि

lambālakaṃ lambita-hārayaṣṭiṃ
śṛṅgāra-līlāṅkita-danta-paṅktiṃ
bimbādharaṃ cāru-viśāla-netraṃ
bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi

SYNONYMS

lamba-alakam: having hanging curls | lambita-hāra-yaṣṭim: having hanging necklaces | śṛṅgāra-līlā-aṅkita: marked by loving pastimes | danta-paṅktim: a row of teeth | bimba-adharam: having lips like a bimba fruit | cāru: beautiful | viśāla-netram: having wide eyes | bālam: the infant | mukundam: Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa) | manasā: with the mind | smarāmi: I remember, meditate upon |

TRANSLATION

I meditate on that Bala Mukunda in my heart, who has hanging curls and hanging necklaces, a beautiful row of teeth which are shown playfully. His lower lip is as red as a bimba fruit, and has beautiful wide eyes.

VERSE 5

शिक्ये निधायाध्य पयोदधीनि बहिर्गताय व्रजनायिकायाम्
भुक्त्वायथेष्टं कपटेन सुप्तं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि

śikye nidhāyādhya payodadhīni
bahir-gatāya vraja-nāyikāyām
bhuktvāyatheṣṭaṃ kapaṭena suptaṃ
bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi

SYNONYMS

śikye: in a hanging pot | nidhāya: having placed | adhya: now | payaḥ-dadhīni: milk and yogurt | bahiḥ-gatāya: when she had gone outside | vraja-nāyikāyām: the gopi of Vraja | bhuktvā: having eaten | yatheṣṭam: as much as desired | kapaṭena: deceptively | suptam: asleep | bālam: the infant | mukundam: Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa) | manasā: with the mind | smarāmi: I remember, meditate upon |

TRANSLATION

I meditate on that Bala Mukunda in my heart, who pretended as if He was sleeping, having eaten the yoghurt to His contentment from the hanging pots of the gopis when they had gone out.

VERSE 6

कालिन्दिजान्तस्थित कालियस्य फनाग्ररङ्गे नटनप्रियन्तम्
तत्पुच्छहस्तं शरदिन्दुवक्त्रं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि

kālindijānta-sthita kāliyasya
phanāgra-raṅge naṭana-priyantam
tat-puccha-hastaṃ śaradindu-vaktraṃ
bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi

SYNONYMS

kālindī-ja-anta-sthita: standing in the waters of the Yamunā (Kālindī) | kāliyasya: of Kāliya | phaṇā-agra-raṅge: on the stage of the hoods | naṭana-priyantam: who loves to dance | tat-puccha-hastam: holding its tail with His hand | śarat-indu-vaktram: whose face is like the autumnal moon | bālam: the infant | mukundam: Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa) | manasā: with the mind | smarāmi: I remember, meditate upon |

TRANSLATION

I meditate on Bala Mukunda, whose beautiful face resembles the autumnal moon and is dancing happily on the hood of the serpent Kaliya, holding its tail with His hand in the Kalinda pond.

VERSE 7

उलूखले बद्धमुदारशौर्यमुत्तुङ्गयुग्मार्जुन भङ्गलीलाम्
उत्फुल्लपद्मायत चारुनेत्रं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि

ulūkhale baddhamudāra-śauryam
uttuṅga-yugmārjuna bhaṅga-līlām
utphulla-padmāyata cāru-netraṃ
bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi

SYNONYMS

ulūkhale: to a mortar | baddham: bound | udāra-śauryam: of great valor | uttuṅga-yugma-arjuna: the pair of tall Arjuna trees | bhaṅga-līlām: whose pastime is breaking | utphulla-padma-āyata: like full-bloomed lotus petals | cāru-netram: having beautiful eyes | bālam: the infant | mukundam: Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa) | manasā: with the mind | smarāmi: I remember, meditate upon |

TRANSLATION

I meditate on Bala Mukunda with beautiful eyes like the petals of a full-bloomed lotus and who, with great valour, broke the pair of tall yamala-arjuna trees even though He was tied to a mortar (a large, heavy stone bowl for pounding grain).

VERSE 8

आलोक्य मातुर्मुखमादरेण स्तन्यं पिबन्तं सरसीरुहाक्षम्
सच्चिन्मयं देवमनन्तरूपं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि

ālokya mātur-mukhamādareṇa
stanyaṃ pibantaṃ sarasīruhākṣam
saccin-mayaṃ devam-ananta-rūpaṃ
bālaṃ mukundaṃ manasā smarāmi

SYNONYMS

ālokya: looking at | mātuḥ-mukham: His mother's face | ādareṇa: with affection | stanyam: breast milk | pibantam: drinking | sarasīruha-akṣam: lotus-eyed | sat-cit-mayam: filled with eternity and knowledge | devam: the God | ananta-rūpam: of infinite forms | bālam: the infant | mukundam: Mukunda (Kṛṣṇa) | manasā: with the mind | smarāmi: I remember, meditate upon |

TRANSLATION

I meditate on Bala Mukunda, God filled with sat and cit, i.e., infinite consciousness, of pure goodness form, the lotus-eyed one who cast his looks at his mother’s face with affection while drinking milk from her breast.