Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca
May the Lord of Goloka's abode, the Supreme Controller, whose glorification purifies, protect me among my enemies; may he upon whose head the entire circle of the earth appears no larger than a mustard seed protect me throughout the circle of the earth.
May he who bears a plow in his hand protect me amid armies; may the holder of the plow ever protect me in battle; may the wielder of the club always protect me in fortresses; may Sankarshana, the original Lord, protect me in the forests.
May he who checked the force of the Yamuna river protect me in water; may the blue-garbed one always protect me in fire; may Rama protect me in the wind and Bala in the sky; may he of unlimited form ever protect me in the great ocean.
May Sri Vasudeva protect me among mountains; may the thousand-headed one protect me in great disputes; may the son of Rohini protect me in disease; may the fulfiller of desires protect me in calamity.
May the enemy of Dhenuka always protect me from lust; may the striker of Dvivida always protect me from anger; may the enemy of Balvala always protect me from greed; may the enemy of the king of Magadha always protect me indeed from illusion.
May the foremost of the Vrishnis always protect me in the morning; may the king of Mathura city always protect me in the forenoon; may the friend of the cowherds protect me at midday; may the supremely independent one ever protect me in the afternoon.
May the lord of serpents always protect me in the evening; may he who is greater than the greatest protect me at dusk; may he of unlimited power protect me at midnight; may he always protect me at the break of dawn.
May the husband of Revati protect me in the intermediate directions; may the enemy of Pralamba protect me in the cardinal directions; may the chief of the Yadus protect me below; may Balabhadra always protect me above and from near and far, and indeed Baladeva on every side.
May the Supreme Person always protect me within; may the mighty one who sports as the king of serpents protect me without; may Hari himself, ever dwelling as the innermost soul, the great and complete Supreme Lord, protect me.
Know this to be the excellent protective armor of Balarama -- the destroyer of fear for gods and demons alike, the fire that burns the fuel of accumulated sin, the destroyer of the host of obstacles, the very seat of perfection.
About Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca
A Sanskrit kavaca, or protective-armor hymn, addressed to Balarama and traditionally attributed to Vyasadeva, in the style common to such raksha-stotras: it invokes the Lord under dozens of his names and epithets -- plow-bearer, club-wielder, enemy of Dhenuka, husband of Revati -- to guard the devotee through every direction, every element, and every period of the day and night, closing by naming the hymn itself Balarama's supreme armor against fear, sin, and obstacles.
- Composer
- Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa
- Verses
- 10
Frequently asked
Who wrote Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca?
Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca was composed by Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa.
What is the meaning of Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca?
May the Lord of Goloka's abode, the Supreme Controller, whose glorification purifies, protect me among my enemies; may he upon whose head the entire circle of the earth appears no larger than a mustard seed protect me throughout the circle of the earth.
How many verses does Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca have?
Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca has 10 verses.
Can I download Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca — verse and translation on each slide — is available to download in both PowerPoint (.pptx) and PDF formats from this page, for use in kirtan or temple programs.