Balamukundashtakam Mantra
Balamukundashtakam Mantra

Balamukundashtakam Mantra

Balamukundashtakam Mantra Lyrics, Meaning, Benefits, Download

Learn everything about this Krishna mantra that soothes strong feelings
 
 
The Bala Mukundashtakam is a tender hymn that celebrates the child form of Lord Krishna — the divine infant whose laughter, play, and innocence dissolve sorrow and restlessness.
Through its verses, the devotee’s mind is drawn into the sweetness of devotion, where love replaces anxiety and divine joy replaces turmoil.
Chanting or listening to this ashtakam is said to calm the heart and awaken a deep, serene happiness, much like the peace that Yashoda felt as she gazed upon her beloved child.
The Balamukundashtakam Mantra is the latest addition to our library of mantras that also includes Ganesha, Shiva, Rama, and Krishna mantras.
 

Lyrics of the Mantra

Verse 1:
|| kararavindena padaravindam
mukharavinde viniveshayantam
vatasya patrasya pute shayanam
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
 
Verse 2:
|| samhritya lokan vatapatramadhye
shayanamadyantavihinarupam
sarveshvaram sarvahitavataram
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
 
Verse 3:
|| indivarashyamalakomalangam
indradidevarchitapadapadmam
santanakalpadrumamashritanam
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
 
Verse 4:
|| lambalakam lamvitaharayashtim
shringaralilankitadantapanktim
bimbadharam charuvishalanetram
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
 
Verse 5:
|| shikye nidhayadya payodadhini
bahirgatayam vrajanayikayam
bhuktva yatheshtam kapatena suptam
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
 
Verse 6:
|| kalindajantasthitakaliyasya
phanagrarange natanapriyantam
tatpuchchhahastam sharadinduvaktram
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
 
Verse 7:
|| ulukhale baddhamudarashauryam
uttungayugmarjunamangalilam
utphullapadmayatacharunetram
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
 
Verse 8:
|| alokya maturmukhamadena
stanyam pibantam sarasiruhaksham
sachchinmayam devamanantarupam
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
 

Meaning of the Mantra

Verse 1:
|| kararavindena padaravindam
mukharavinde viniveshayantam
vatasya patrasya pute shayanam
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
-
Meaning:
His hands, lotus-like, his feet, lotus-like,
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.
 
Verse 2:
|| samhritya lokan vatapatramadhye
shayanamadyantavihinarupam
sarveshvaram sarvahitavataram
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
-
Meaning:
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.
 
Verse 3:
|| indivarashyamalakomalangam
indradidevarchitapadapadmam
santanakalpadrumamashritanam
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
-
Meaning:
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.
 
Verse 4:
|| lambalakam lamvitaharayashtim
shringaralilankitadantapanktim
bimbadharam charuvishalanetram
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
-
Meaning:
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.
 
Verse 5:
|| shikye nidhayadya payodadhini
bahirgatayam vrajanayikayam
bhuktva yatheshtam kapatena suptam
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
-
Meaning:
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.
 
Verse 6:
|| kalindajantasthitakaliyasya
phanagrarange natanapriyantam
tatpuchchhahastam sharadinduvaktram
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
-
Meaning:
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.
 
Verse 7:
|| ulukhale baddhamudarashauryam
uttungayugmarjunamangalilam
utphullapadmayatacharunetram
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
-
Meaning:
Tied to the mortar by his helpless mother, his face still heroic and radiant,
He even playfully uprooted two mighty Arjuna trees,
With his eyes that open like lotus petals, he looks,
That little Krishna is etched in my mind.
 
Verse 8:
|| alokya maturmukhamadena
stanyam pibantam sarasiruhaksham
sachchinmayam devamanantarupam
balam mukundam manasa smarami ||
-
Meaning:
He looks at his mother’s face,
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.
 

Variations of the Mantra

As the name suggests, the Bala Mukundashtakam consists of eight verses (ashtaka), each a lyrical meditation on the divine child’s beauty and charm.
Variations mainly appear in minor word substitutions across regional recitations, though the devotional essence remains unchanged.
Some versions open with invocatory verses like “Jayati Bala Mukundaḥ” or include concluding shlokas offering salutations to the child Krishna.
In South Indian traditions, it may be sung as a lullaby, while in northern traditions it is chanted reverently as a bhakti stotra.
Regardless of form, all versions celebrate the same vision — the divine as innocence itself, the eternal joy that dwells in a heart unburdened by fear or desire.
 

Benefits of the Mantra

The Balamukundashtakam Mantra holds several benefits for the mind of both the chanter and the listener.
Listening to this calming Krishna mantra along with meditation helps you in the following ways.
 
Benefit 1 - Soothes restlessness
This mantra acts as a balm for your nervous energy
 
Benefit 2 - Tap into divine peace
The chant eases you into a state of divine bliss and serenity
 
Benefit 3 - Emotional healing
It helps you soothe strong, raw emotions and resulting stressful thoughts
 

History of the Mantra

The Bala Mukundashtakam is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, the great philosopher-saint who composed many hymns uniting deep spiritual insight with pure devotion.
Unlike his more austere philosophical works, this hymn reflects the mādhurya bhava - the sweet, intimate love for God as a child. It draws upon the legends of Bala Krishna - the playful, butter-loving divine infant whose every act was a lesson wrapped in mischief and joy.
One story tells of Krishna stealing butter from Yashoda’s pots, his hands and face smeared white with his own spoils. When his mother found him, his innocent eyes disarmed her anger, and she felt only divine bliss. The hymn captures this very feeling - the melting of all hardness within the heart before the pure joy of love.
Another tale recalls baby Krishna lying peacefully on a banyan leaf during the cosmic deluge, sucking his toe - a vision that symbolizes divine calm amidst chaos. To meditate upon Bala Mukunda is to internalize that peace; the stillness of divinity amid life’s storms.
For this reason, the Bala Mukundashtakam is often recited by devotees seeking emotional balance, joy, and tranquility, especially when restlessness or anxiety clouds the mind.
The imagery of the divine child restores simplicity, love, and inner silence - reminding the heart that serenity itself is sacred.