Bala Mukundashtakam
Bala Mukundashtakam
बाल मुकुन्दाष्टकम्
करारविन्देन पदारविन्दं मुखारविन्दे विनिवेशयन्तम् ।
वटस्य पत्रस्य पुटे शयानं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ 1 ॥
संहृत्य लोकान्वटपत्रमध्ये शयानमाद्यन्तविहीनरूपम् ।
सर्वेश्वरं सर्वहितावतारं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ 2 ॥
इन्दीवरश्यामलकोमलाङ्गं इन्द्रादिदेवार्चितपादपद्मम् ।
सन्तानकल्पद्रुममाश्रितानां बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ 3 ॥
लम्बालकं लम्बितहारयष्टिं शृङ्गारलीलाङ्कितदन्तपङ्क्तिम् ।
बिम्बाधरं चारुविशालनेत्रं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ 4 ॥
शिक्ये निधायाद्यपयोदधीनि बहिर्गतायां व्रजनायिकायाम् ।
भुक्त्वा यथेष्टं कपटेन सुप्तं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ 5 ॥
कलिन्दजान्तस्थितकालियस्य फणाग्ररङ्गेनटनप्रियन्तम् ।
तत्पुच्छहस्तं शरदिन्दुवक्त्रं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ 6 ॥
उलूखले बद्धमुदारशौर्यं उत्तुङ्गयुग्मार्जुन भङ्गलीलम् ।
उत्फुल्लपद्मायत चारुनेत्रं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ 7 ॥
आलोक्य मातुर्मुखमादरेण स्तन्यं पिबन्तं सरसीरुहाक्षम् ।
सच्चिन्मयं देवमनन्तरूपं बालं मुकुन्दं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ 8 ॥
About This Stotram
Overview
The Bala Mukundashtakam is an 8-verse Sanskrit ashtakam dedicated to Bala Mukunda, the child form of Lord Krishna. It describes the divine child in evocative imagery — resting on a banyan leaf, playing, and revealing his cosmic nature — and belongs to the Vaishnava Bhakti tradition of Krishna worship.
What are the benefits of chanting Bala Mukundashtakam?
- Recitation is said to invoke the grace of Lord Krishna in his child form.
- Devotees chant it to seek removal of obstacles and attainment of peace.
- It is used to cultivate a tender, devotional relationship with the divine.
- Regular practice is associated with mental clarity and spiritual upliftment.
- It is believed to bring overall well-being and the fulfillment of sincere prayers.
When is the best time to recite this?
Morning and evening are appropriate times. Janmashtami and other festivals celebrating Krishna's birth and childhood are especially auspicious occasions for recitation.
What is the historical and traditional background?
The Bala Mukundashtakam belongs to the broad tradition of Bhakti devotional poetry that flourished across India from approximately the 7th century onward. The ashtakam format — eight verses in Sanskrit — is a standard form used by saints and scholars across Shaiva, Shakta, and Vaishnava traditions. The specific authorship and composition date for this text are unknown, and it is generally attributed to the collective devotional tradition. The iconic image in the first verse of Krishna lying on a banyan leaf is drawn from Puranic sources, particularly the concept of the child-god floating on the cosmic ocean between cycles of creation.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Gopala Ashtakam — another eight-verse Sanskrit hymn to the cowherd form of Krishna.
- Madhurashtakam — a Sanskrit hymn by Vallabhacharya celebrating the sweetness of all things associated with Krishna.