In honour of Baladev Purnima, we are presenting Srila Govinda Maharaj’s favourite pranam mantra for Sri Balaram. This verse is engraved on the Temple of Love and Affection and was regularly discussed by Srila Govinda Maharaj each year on this holy day.
Temple of Love and Affection Verse 12
sphurad-amala-kiritam kinkini-kankanarham
chalad-alaka-kapolam kundala-sri-mukhabjam
tuhina-giri-manojnam nila-meghambaradhyam
hala-muṣala-visalam kama-palam samide
(Sri Garga-samhita: 8.13.4)
“I praise the fulfiller of desires, Sri Balaram. He carries a grand plow and club. He wears a shining, spotless crown, tinkling bells, and jeweled ornaments. His handsome lotus face is ornamented with earrings. Curling locks decorate His cheeks. His complexion resembles a beautiful snow-capped mountain, and is adorned with garments the colour of dark-blue clouds.”
Explanation by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
Balaram has a pranam mantram. Only in Garga-Samhita have we found this very nice glorification of Balaram:
sphurad-amala-kiritam kinkini-kankanarham
chalad-alaka-kapolam kundala-sri-mukhabjam
tuhina-giri-manojnam nila-meghambaradhyam
hala-mushala-vishalam kama-palam samide
(Sri Garga-samhita: 8.2.13.4)
Sphurad-amala-kiritam: Baladev’s crown is decorated with many jewels and looks very beautiful. When Baladev is first seen, the beauty of His crown is noticed first. He always wears many ornaments, and all of these ornaments are also decorated with jewels. Chalad-alaka-kapolam kundala-sri-mukhabjam: His curling hair is very beautiful. It is not properly organised, and some it covers part of His face. But He appears more beautiful because of that. Guru Maharaj called it, ‘agreeable negligence’. Tuhina-giri-manojnam, His colour is bright white like ice. Nila-meghambaradhyam, He wears exalted peacock blue coloured cloth. Hala-mushala-vishalam: His weapons are the plow and club; these two weapons are in His two hands. They are mantra-puta, empowered by spiritual energy. Baladev can destroy anything with them. If He simply touches His plow to something, fire or electricity can come out and destroy that thing. When He thinks His plow needs to be a little smaller, it becomes smaller. When He thinks it needs to be bigger, it becomes bigger. His plow can do anything He desires. And lastly His Name was Kama-pal—He can fulfill all the desires of Krishna and all the desires of Krishna’s devotees.