Discover the Bala Mukunda Ashtakam, a devotional hymn by Srila Bilvamangala Thakura, a great 9th-century devotee from South India. 

Early Life of Srila Bilvamangala Thakura

Srila Bilvamangala Thakura was born into a wealthy Brahmana family in South India. However, he was too attached to enjoying sensual pleasure with a prostitute named Chintamani. When his father passed away and the last rites had to be performed, he was in a hurry to finish them so that he could see her. It was raining heavily that night, but he was determined to see her. Her house was surrounded by water, and despite the difficult conditions, he jumped into the water, caught hold of a snake, mistaking it for a rope to help him, and reached her house.

Saintly Advice from a Prostitute

Shocked to see that he had come despite such bad weather, she reproached him, saying that his life would be successful if he had this attachment to Lord Sri Krishna. This seemed to ring a bell deep in his mind, and he immediately left for Vrindavan to see Lord Sri Krishna.

Bilvamangala Thakura was a sannyasi in his previous life and had attained the stage of bhava in his progress in devotional service, the stage just before prema or pure love of Godhead. His guru had reappeared as Chintamani to remind him of his true goal in life.

While at Vrindavan, his old habits continued to haunt him, so much so that he was attracted to another man’s wife despite taking the life of a sadhu. So, he decided to pluck out his eyes with a borrowed hairpin and completely devote himself to the Lord’s service.

Lord Krishna Personally Serves His Devotee

Having realised his mistake of straying from spiritual pursuits, Bilvamangala Thakura resides in Vrindavan and engages in devotional activities. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Krishna personally would attend to Bilvamangala Thakura’s needs. 

Besides composing the Bala Mukunda Ashtakam, he also wrote a book called “Krishna-karnamrita,” which has been approved by great acharyas and the Lord Himself, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as authoritative.

The Divine Encounter of Markandeya Rishi and Bala Mukunda

Markandeya Rishi: The Perfect Mystic

Another pastime of Bala Mukunda is described in the 12^th Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Chapters 8 and 9. This is with Markandeya Rishi, the son of Mrikandu, who had an exceptionally long life. After being initiated by his father, he led the disciplined life of a brahmachari and meditated on the Supreme Lord within his heart for an astounding period equivalent to six lifetimes of Manu (each Manu has a lifespan of 71 cycles of the 4 yugas, so this comes to nearly 2 billion years).

Indra became worried that Markandeya Rishi might usurp his position and sent Cupid, beautiful celestial singers, dancers, the spring season, sandalwood-scented breeze from the Malaya Hills, and greed and intoxication personified to disturb him. They tried their best to agitate the sage’s mind but failed.

Markandeya Rishi’s Unusual Benediction

Pleased with his perfection in self-realisation, the Supreme Lord decided to come and bless him at his ashrama in the Himalayas near the Pushpabhadra River in the form of His partial expansions as Nara with Narayana rishis.

Seeing the divinely effulgent forms, the sage fell flat on the ground to offer his obeisances in great ecstasy, offered them a seat and worshipped them. Being satisfied by his prayers, the Lord asked him what he wanted, and he replied that he wanted to see the Lord’s illusory potency. The Lord agreed and left for Badarikashrama. 

The Power of the Lord’s Illusion

One day, while performing his evening worship on the banks of the Pushpabhadra River, a great wind arose with a terrible sound bringing with it storm clouds, lighting, thunder, and torrential rain. The oceans swallowed up the earth and brought fearsome sea monsters, whirlpools, and sounds. As the sage became fearful seeing all this, the entire universe became inundated leaving him alone. Tormented by hunger, thirst, and the destruction around him, he wandered for many years, not knowing where he was going. He then came across an island with a banyan tree bearing fruits, flowers and an infant boy on a leaf with a bright effulgence that drove away the surrounding darkness.

Seeing the divine beauty of the young boy, the sage felt relieved from all his troubles and felt great spiritual bliss. As he approached the child, the child inhaled, and he was sucked into Him along with everything else, and inside he saw the entire universe inside the child as it was before its destruction. The child then exhaled, and he was thrown back out into the ocean of dissolution. He again saw the island with the banyan tree and child who smiled lovingly at him. As he rushed to embrace the Lord, the Lord became invisible. He then found himself back in his hermitage just as it was before.

Having seen the most bewildering potency of the Lord, Markandeya Rishi prayed to Him, taking shelter of His lotus feet and adding that even the devatas are bewildered by His illusory energy.

Lord Shiva and Goddess Uma bless Markandeya Rishi

Once when seeing Markandeya Rishi’s peaceful countenance during his meditation, Goddess Uma who was passing by along with Lord Shiva and his associates wanted the lord to bless him. Lord Shiva replied that they should go and speak with him as meeting great sages is spiritually elevating adding that such brahma-rishis do not desire anything, even liberation except devotional service unto the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.

Being absorbed in meditation, Markendaya Rishi didn’t notice them, and Lord Shiva understanding his situation entered his heart with a form with golden hair that resembled lightning. He had three eyes, ten arms and a tall body that shone like the rising sun. He wore a tiger skin, and he carried a trident, a bow, arrows, a sword and a shield, along with prayer beads, a damaru drum, a skull and an axe. Seeing him, the spiritual master of the universe, the sage emerged from his meditation, offered his obeisances and asked the lord what he could do for him. Lord Shiva replied that he wanted to award him a benediction adding that saintly brahmanas like him were always respected and glorified by Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and himself. Lord Shiva’s words were like a balm for Markendaya Rishi’s recent frightful experiences with the Lord’s illusory energy, and appreciating the great mercy of the lord asked for pure devotion to the Supreme Lord and His devotees like him. Lord Shiva was happy to hear this and blessed him with pious fame, freedom from old age and death until the end of that particular creation, perfect knowledge of past, present and future, transcendental realisation of the Supreme Lord and the post of the spiritual master of the Puranas. Having this blessed him, the lord departed along with his associates.

Suta Gosvami, while ending this description in the Srimad-Bhagavatam concludes this 10^th chapter of the 12^th canto by saying that anyone who sincerely listens to or narrates this pastime of the Lord with Markendaya Rishi will never have to go through material existence which is based on fruitive work. 

Let us offer our obeisances and pray to Srila Bilvamangala Thakura, Markendaya Rishi, the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, and His other associates to enable us to understand the Bala Mukunda Ashtakam prayers properly and make our lives spiritually successful by developing pure devotion unto His lotus feet.

Bala Mukunda Ashtakam

Bala Mukunda Ashtakam is a prayer to Bala Mukunda, Lord Krishna, who performed divine pastimes as a young child to capture the hearts of all His beloved devotees.
(1)
karāravindena padāravindaṁ
mukhāravinde viniveśayantam
vaṭasya patrasya puṭe śayānaṁ
bālaṁ mukundaṁ manasā smarāmi

I meditate on that infant Mukunda (Krishna) who is sleeping on the leaf of a banyan tree with His lotus-like foot placed in His lotus-like mouth with His lotus-like hand.
(2)
saṁhṛutya lokānvaṭapatramadhye
śayanamādyantavihīnarūpam
sarveśvaraṁ sarvahitāvatāraṁ
bālaṁ mukundaṁ manasā smarāmi

I meditate on that infant Mukunda who is sleeping holding all the worlds together on the leaf of a banyan tree in such a form, which has no beginning or no end. His advent is for the welfare of all mankind and He is the Supreme Lord
(3)
indīvaraśyāmalakomalāṅgam
indrādidevārcitapādapadmam
santānakalpadrumamāśritānāṁ
bālaṁ mukundaṁ manasā smarāmi

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 demigods like Indra. He is the wish-fulfilling tree for those who take refuge in Him.
(4)
lambālakaṁ lambitahārayaṣṭiṁ
śṛṅgāralīlāṅkitadantapaṅktim
bimbādharaṁ cāruviśālanetraṁ
bālaṁ mukundaṁ manasā smarāmi

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.
(5)
śikye nidhāyādyapayodadhīni
bahirgatāya vrajanāyikāyām
bhuktvā yatheṣṭaṁ kapaṭena suptaṁ
bālaṁ mukundaṁ manasā smarāmi

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.
(6)
kalindjāntasthitakāliyasya
phaṇāgraraṅge naṭanapriyantam
tatpucchahastaṁ śaradinduvaktraṁ
bālaṁ mukundaṁ manasā smarāmi

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.
(7)
ulūkhale baddhamudāraśauryam
uttuṅgayugmārjuna bhaṅgalīlam
utphullapadmāyata cārunetraṁ
bālaṁ mukundaṁ manasā smarāmi

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).
(8)
ālokya mātu(r)mukhamādareṇa
stanyaṁ pibantaṁ sarasīruhākṣam
saccinmayaṁ devamanantarūpaṁ
bālaṁ mukundaṁ manasā smarāmi

I meditate on Bala Mukunda, the Supreme Lord who is complete with eternity, knowledge and unlimited forms, the lotus-eyed one who cast His look at His mother’s face with affection while drinking milk from her breast.

Related Links: Sri Bala Mukundashtakam Video | Sri Bala Mukundashtakam Audio