Sri Balabhadra-stotra-kavaca
The Prayer and Armor of Lord Balarama
from Garga-samhita
Text 1
duryodhana uvaca
gopibhyam kavacam dattam
gargacaryena dhimata
sarva-raksa-karam divyam
dehi mahyam maha-mune
duryodhana uvaca-Duryodhana said;
gopibhyam-to the gopis; kavacam-the
armor; dattam-given; gargacaryena-by
Garga Muni; dhimata-intelligent;
sarva-raksa-karam-giving all protection;
divyam-transcendental;
dehi-please give; mahyam-to me;
maha-mune-O great sage.
Duryodhana said: O great sage, please
give me the transcendental
Balarama-kavaca, which wise Garga Muni
gave to the gopis, and which
gives all protection.
Text 2
sri-pradvipaka uvaca
snatva jale ksauma-dharah kusasanah
pavitra-panih krta-mantra-marjanah
smrtvatha natva balam acyutagrajam
sandharayed dharma-samahito bhavet
sri-pradvipaka uvaca-Sri Pradvipaka Muni
said; snatva-bathing; jale-in
water; ksauma-dharah-wearing clean
cotton garments; kusasanah-sitting
on a kusa grass mat; pavitra-panih-clean
hands; krta-mantra-marjanah-
purified by mantra; smrtva-meditating;
atha-then; natva-bowing;
balam-to Lord Balarama; acyutagrajam-the
elder brother of Lord Krsna;
sandharayet-should meditate;
dharma-samahitah-concentrating;
bhavet-should be.
Sri Pradvipaka Muni said: After bathing
and dressing in clean cotton
garments, a person should sit on a
kusa-grass mat, purify his hands
with mantras, bow down, and with fixed
intelligence meditate on Lord
Krsna's elder brother, Lord Balarama.
Text 3
goloka-dhamadhipatih paresvarah
paresu mam patu pavitra-kirtanah
bhu-mandalam sarsapavad vilaksyate
yan-murdhni mam patu sa bhumi-mandale
goloka-dhamadhipatih-the master of the
realm of Goloka; paresvarah-the
supreme controller; paresu-among all
controllers; mam-me; patu-may
protect; pavitra-pure; kirtanah-glories;
bhu-mandalam-the circle of
the earth; sarsapavat-like a mustard
seed; vilaksyate-is
characterized; yan-murdhni-on whose
head; mam-me; patu-may protect;
sa-he; bhumi-mandale-in the circle of
the earth.
May Lord Balarama, who is the master of
Goloka, who is the supreme
controller of all controllers, and whose
fame is spotless, protect me.
May Lord Balarama, who on His head holds
the earth as if it were a
single mustard seed, protect me in this
world.
Text 4
senasu mam raksatu sira-panir
yuddhe sada raksatu mam hali ca
durgesu cavyan musali sada mam
vanesu sankarsana adi-devah
senasu-among armies; mam-me; raksatu-may
protect; sira-panih-who holds
a plow in His hand; yuddhe-in battle;
sada-always; raksatu-may
protect; mam-me; hali-holding a plow;
ca-and; durgesu-in fortresses;
ca-and; avyat-may protect;
musali-holding a club; sada-always; mam-me;
vanesu-in forests; sankarsana-Lord
Balarama; adi-devah-the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
May Lord Balarama protect me when I am
surrounded by many armies. May
Lord Balarama, who holds a plow, always
protect me in battle. May Lord
Balarama, who holds a club, always
protect me in many fortresses. May
Lord Balarama, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead protect me in the
forest.
Text 5
kalindaja-vega-haro jalesu
nilambaro raksatu mam sadagnau
vayau ca ramo 'vatu khe balas ca
maharnave 'nanta-vapuh sada mam
kalindaja-of the Yamuna; vega-the power;
harah-removing; jalesu-in
water; nilambarah-dressed in blue
garments; raksatu-may protect;
mam-me; sada-always; agnau-in fire;
vayau-in wind; ca-and; ramah-Lord
Balarama; avatu-may protect; khe-in the
sky; balah-Lord Balarama;
ca-and; maharnave-in the great ocean;
ananta-vapuh-whose form has no
end; sada-always; mam-me.
May Lord Balarama, who wears blue
garments and who stopped the Yamuna,
always protect me in fire. May Lord
Balarama protect me in the wind.
May Lord Balarama protect me in the sky.
May Lord Balarama, who is
Lord Ananta Himself, always protect me
in the great ocean.
Text 6
sri-vasudevo 'vatu parvatesu
sahasra-sirsa ca maha-vivade
rogesu mam raksatu rauhineyo
mam kama-palo 'vatu va vipatsu
sri-vasudevah-the son of Vasudeva;
avatu-may protect; parvatesu-in the
mountains; sahasra-sirsa-who has a
thousand heads; ca-and;
maha-vivade-in great disputes; rogesu-in
diseases; mam-me; raksatu-may
protect; rauhineyah-the son of Rohini;
mam-me; kama-palah-the
fulfiller of desires; avatu-may protect;
va-or; vipatsu-in calamities.
May Lord Balarama, who is Vasudeva's
son, protect me on mountains. May
Lord Balarama, who has a thousand heads,
protect me in great disputes.
May Lord Balarama, who is Rohini's son,
protect me from diseases. May
Lord Balarama, who fulfills desires,
protect me from catastrophes.
Text 7
kamat sada raksatu dhenukarih
krodhat sada mam dvivida-prahari
lobhat sada raksatu balvalarir
mohat sada mam kila magadharih
kamat-from lust; sada-always;
raksatu-may protect; dhenukarih-the
enemy of Dhenuka; krodhat-from anger;
sada-always; mam-me;
dvivida-prahari-the killer of Dvivida;
lobhat-from greed; sada-always;
raksatu-may protect; balvalarih-the
enemy of Balvala; mohat-from
illusion; sada-always; mam-me;
kila-indeed; magadharih-the enemy of
Jarasandha.
May Lord Balarama, who is the enemy of
Dhenukasura, always protect me
from lust. May Lord Balarama, who killed
Dvivida, always protect me
from anger. May Lord Balarama, who is
the enemy of Balvala, always
protect me from greed. May Lord
Balarama, who is the enemy of
Jarasandha, always protect me from illusion.
Text 8
pratah sada raksatu vrsni-dhuryah
prahne sada mam mathura-purendrah
madhyandine gopa-sakhah prapatu
svarat parahne 'vatu mam sadaiva
pratah-at sunrise; sada-always;
raksatu-may protect; vrsni-dhuryah-the
greatest of the Vrsnis; prahne-in the
morning; sada-always; mam-me;
mathura-purendrah-the king of Mathura
City; madhyandine-at noon;
gopa-sakhah-the friend of the gopas;
prapatu-may protect;
svarat-independent; parahne-in the
afternoon; avatu-may protect;
mam-me; sada-always; eva-indeed. S
May Lord Balarama, who is the best of
the Vrsnis, always protect me at
sunrise. May Lord Balarama, who is the
king of Mathura City, always
protect me in the morning. May Lord
Balarama, who is the friend of the
gopas, always protect me at midday. May
Lord Balarama, who is
supremely independent, always protect me
in the afternoon.
Text 9
sayam phanindro 'vatu mam sadaiva
parat paro raksatu mam pradose
purne nisithe ca duranta-viryah
pratyusa-kale 'vatu mam sadaiva
sayam-at sunset; phanindrah-the king of
serpents; avatu-may protect;
mam-me; sada-always; eva-indeed;
parat-than the greatest;
parah-greater; raksatu-may protect;
mam-me; pradose-in the evening;
purne-full; nisithe-in the middle of the
night; ca-and;
duranta-viryah-whose power is
invincible; pratyusa-kale-at the next
sunrise; avatu-may protect; mam-me;
sada-always; eva-indeed.
May Lord Balarama, who is the king of
serpents, always protect me at
sunset. May Lord Balarama, who is
greater than the greatest, always
protect me in the evening. May Lord
Balarama, whose power is
invincible, always protect me in the
middle of the night. May Lord
Balarama always protect me at every
sunrise.
Text 10
vidiksu mam raksatu revati-patir
diksu pralambarir adho yadudvahah
urdhvam sada mam balabhadra arat
tatha samantad baladeva eva hi
vidiksu-in the directions; mam-me;
raksatu-may protect;
revati-patih-the husband of Revati;
diksu-in the directions;
pralambarih-the enemy of Pralamba;
adhah-below; yadudvahah-the best of
the Yadavas; urdhvam-above; sada-always;
mam-me; balabhadra-Balarama;
arat-near and far; tatha-so;
samantat-everywhere; baladeva-Lord
Balarama; eva-indeed; hi-indeed.
May Lord Balarama, who is the master of
Revati, protect me from every
direction. May Lord Balarama, who is the
enemy of Pralamba, protect me
from every direction. May Lord Balarama,
who is the best of the
Yadavas, protect me from below. May Lord
Balarama always protect me
from above. May Lord Balarama protect me
from near and far. May Lord
Balarama protect me everywhere.
Text 11
antah sadavyat purusottamo bahir
nagendra-lilo 'vatu mam maha-balah
sadantaratma ca vasan harih svayam
prapatu purnah paramesvaro mahan
antah-within; sada-always; avyat-may
protect; purusottamah-the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; bahih-without;
nagendra-lilah-who enjoys
pastimes as the king of serpents;
avatu-may protect; mam-me;
maha-balah-very powerful; sada-always;
antaratma-within the heart;
ca-and; vasan-residing; harih-Lord Hari;
svayam-personally;
prapatu-may protect; purnah-perfect and
complete; paramesvarah-the
supreme controller; mahan-great.
May Lord Balarama, who is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, always
protect me from within. May powerful
Lord Balarama, who enjoys
pastimes as the king of serpents,
protect me from without. May Lord
Balarama, who is the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, the Supersoul
residing in everyone's heart, always
protect me.
Text 12
devasuranam bhaya-nasanam ca
hutasanam papa-cayendhananam
vinasanam vighna-ghatasya viddhi
siddhasanam varma-varam balasya
devasuranam-of the demigods and demons;
bhaya-of fear; nasanam-the
destruction; ca-and; hutasanam-the fire;
papa-cayendhananam-of the
fuel of a host sins;
vinasanam-destruction; vighna-ghatasya-of a host
of obstacles; viddhi-please know;
siddhasanam-the abode of perfection;
varma-varam-the best of armors;
balasya-of Lord Balarama.
Please know that this kavaca of Lord
Balarama is the best of armors.
It destroys the fears of the demigods
and demons. It is a blazing fire
that burns up the fuel of a host of
sins. It is the death of a host of
obstacles. It is the abode of spiritual
perfection.