The Paddhati and Patala of Lord Balarama
Verse 1
Duryodhana said: “Oh, master, you know everything. Please, kindly repeat to me
what Garga Muni spoke to the gopis to tell them about five parts for worshiping
Lord Balarama.”
Verse 2
Shri Pradvipaka Muni said: “O king of the Kauravas, one day Garga Muni left
Mount Garga and went to Vraja to bath in Yamuna. In a certain forest grove by
Yamuna’s shore, where gentle breezes moved the graceful trees, and where the bees
were maddened by the sweet scent of the flowers, some gopis bowed down before
Garga Muni, who was found in deep meditation on Lord Krshna and Lord
Balarama. Remembering their previous birth as snake princesses, the gopis asked
him what kind of devotional service they should perform to attain the company of
Lord Balarama. Seeing their great devotion, Garga Muni gave these gopis the
paddhati patala, the stotra kavaca, and the sahasranama
of Lord Balarama.”
Verse 3
Duryodhana said: “Please describe the paddhati of Lord Balarama, by which
meditation, I may attain perfection. Oh brahmana, you are affectionate to the
devotees. Oh, Gurudeva, I bow down before you.”
Verse 4
Shri Pradvipaka Muni said: “O best of kings, please, hear the regulative principles
of the path to Lord Balarama. When one follows these principles, Lord Balarama,
the Supreme Lord, becomes pleased with him.”
Verse 5
“Lord Balarama, who is the Supreme Lord, the master of the worlds, and who is
also Lord Ananta, is not attained by giving charity or going on pilgrimage. He is
attained only by devotional service.”
Verse 6
“By associating with the devotees, one quickly learns the truth of devotion to Lord
Krshna and to one’s guru. A person who learns this is said to have attained
perfection. He has attained love for Lord Krshna.”
Verse 7
“One should rise at Brahma Muhurta, chant the holy names of Lord Krshna and
Lord Balarama, and bow down before one’s Guru. Only then should one place his
feet on the ground.”
Verse 8
“In a secluded place one should touch water, sit on a mat of grass kusha, place his
hands on his lap, and gaze at the tip of his nose.”
Verse 9
“Then one should meditate on Lord Balarama, the eternal Supreme Lord, whose
complexion is fair, and who is dressed in blue garments and decorated with a forest
garland.”
Verses 10 and 11
“Pure, silent, free from anger, lust, greed, and illusion, speaking truthfully,
controlling his senses, drinking water twice in a day and eating only once, to please
Lord Balarama, one should thus meditate on Him at sunrise, noon, and sunset.”
Verse 12
“Wearing simple cotton clothing, sleeping on the ground, and fasting from all but
milk, one may conquer the material tendencies and meditate with focussed
concentration.”
Verse 13
“With such a person, Lord Balarama, the perfect and complete Supreme Lord, the
cause of all causes, becomes pleased.”
Verse 14
“Oh mighty armed Kaurava king, now I have described to you the paddhati of Lord
Balarama.”
Verse 15
Duryodhana said: “Oh, king of sages, oh, master of the demigods, please, describe
to me the patala of Lord Balarama, following which I will always serve Lord
Balarama’s lotus feet.”
Verse 16
Shri Pradvipaka Muni said: “Now, please, understand Lord Balarama’s patala,
which brings perfection, and which the demigod Brahma gave to Narada Muni.”
Verse 17
“First, speak the syllable ‘Om’. Then, speak the Kamabija
syllable ‘Klim’. Then recite the names of Lord Balarama, ‘Kalindibhedana’
the breaker of the Yamuna and ‘Sankarshana’.”
Verse 18
After speaking these two names, then recite the word ‘svaha’. Oh, king, this
sixteensyllable king of mantras was spoken by the demigod Brahma.
‘Omklimkalindibhedanaya
sankarshanaya svaha’
Verse 19
“Following this vow one should chant this mantra 116,000 times. Thus one will
attain the supreme perfection in this life and in the next.”
Verses 20 and 21
“Then, the person who has chanted the mantra this number of times should perform
the great worship of Lord Balarama. On auspicious ground he should draw a thirty
two petal lotus, of five colors with a splendid whorl. Oh king, he should place there
a beautiful golden throne, and place Lord Balarama. Then he should perform the
great worship of Lord Balarama.”
Verse 22
“Chanting the mantra ‘omnamo
bhagavate purushottamaya vasudevaya
sankarshanaya sahasravadanaya
mahanantaya svaha’ Obeisances
to the Supreme Lord Sankarshana, who is the thousandheaded
Ananta Sheha, and who is
the son of Vasudeva one
should tie his shikha.
Then one should bow down before the deity and in all directions. Then, chanting
the mantra ‘omjaya
jayananta balabhadra kamapala
talanka kalindibhanjana
aviravirbhuya mama sammukho bhava’ Oh
Lord Balarama, oh Lord Ananta, oh
fulfiller of desires, oh Lord who carries a palmtree
flag, oh Lord who broke the
Yamuna, all glories to You! Oh Lord, please, appear before me one
should
request Lord Balarama to appear.
Then, chanting the mantra ‘omnamas
te ‘stu sirapane
halamusaladhara
rauhineya nilambara rama revatiramana
namo ‘stu te’ – Oh, Lord who holds a
plough in Your hand, oh Lord who holds a plough and club, oh, son of Rohini, oh,
Lord dressed in blue garments, oh, Balarama, oh, husband of Revati, I offer my
obeisance to You one
should offer a throne, padya, arghya, bath, madhuparka,
incense, lamp, sacred thread, food, garments, ornaments, fragrant flowers,
unbroken grains of rice, handful of flowers, arati, and other services.
Then, chanting the mantra, ‘omvishnave
madhusudanaya vamanaya trivikramaya
shridharaya hrishikeshaya padmanabhaya damodaraya sankarshanaya
vasudevaya pradyumnayaniruddhayadhokshajaya purushottamaya
shrikrishnaya
namah’ – I offer my obeisance to Lord Vishnu, the killer of Madhu,
the Lord who is the Vamana incarnation, the Lord who covered the universe in three
steps, the Lord who maintains the goddess of fortune, the master of the senses, the
Lord whose navel is a lotus flower, the Lord whose waist was bound by a rope, the
Lord who was carried from Devaki’s womb, the Lord who is the son of Vasudeva,
the Lord who is Pradyumna, the Lord who is Aniruddha, the Lord who is beyond
the material senses, the Supreme Lord, who is all attractive Shri Krshna and
also
the mantra
‘padagulphajanurukatyudaraparshvaprishthibhujakandharanetrashira
msi prithak prithak pujayami’
worship the Lord’s feet, ankles, knees, thighs,
hips, belly, sides, back, arms, shoulders, eyes, and head one
should worship all
the limbs of Lord Balarama.
Then, one should worship Lord Balarama’s paraphernalia using the following
mantras:
conchshell with
the mantra ‘shankhaya namah’;
disc with
the mantra ‘cakraya namah’;
club with
the mantra ‘gadayai namah’;
lotus with
the mantra ‘padmaya namah’;
sword with
the mantra ‘asaye namah’;
bow with
the mantra ‘dhanushe namah’;
arrows with
the mantra ‘banebhyah namah’;
plow with
the mantra ‘halaya namah’;
club with
the mantra ‘musalaya namah’;
Kaustubha jewel with
the mantra ‘kaustubhaya namah’;
forest garland with
the mantra ‘vanamalayai namah’;
Shrivatsa mark with
the mantra ‘shrivatsaya namah’;
yellow garments with
the mantra ‘pitambaraya namah’;
blue garments with
the mantra ‘nilambaraya namah’;
flute with
the mantra ‘vamshyai namah’;
stick with
the mantra ‘vetraya namah’;
chariot marked with the flag of Garuda with
the mantra ‘garudankarathaya
namah’;
chariot marked with the flag of a palm tree with
the mantra ‘alankarathaya
namah’;
His associate Daruka with the mantra ‘darukaya namah’;
His associate Sumati with
the mantra ‘sumataye namah’;
His associate Kumuda with
the mantra ‘kumudaya namah’;
His associate Kumudaksha with
the mantra ‘kumudakshaya namah’;
and His associate Shridama with
the mantra ‘shridamaya namah’.
Then one should place Vishvaksena, Vedavyasa, Durga, Ganesha, the planets, and
the protectors of the directions in their respective places in the lotus and then one
should worship them. Then, sprinkling water and offering food cooked in an
earthen pot, one should worship the sacred fire.
Then, chanting the previously described mula mantra ‘omklimkalindibhedanaya
sankarshanaya svaha’, one should offer 25,000 oblations.
Then, chanting the twelvesyllable
mantra ‘omnamo
bhagavate vasudevaya’, one
should offer 8,000 oblations. Then, chanting the chaturvyuha
mantra ‘omnamo
bhagavate tubhyamvasudevaya
sakshine, pradyumnayaniruddhaya namah
sankarshanaya cha’, one should again offer 8,000 oblations.
Then one should circumambulate the sacred fire, bow down before Sri Guru,
worship him with dakshina of valuable garments, gold ornaments, copper vessels,
cows with their newborn calves, and much gold, worship the brahmanas by offering
them food and gifts, feed the people of the city, and bow down before the gurus.
Meditating on Lord Balarama by following this paddhati, one attains perfection in
this life and the next. In this way I have described to you Lord Balarama’s
confidential paddhati, which gives all perfection.”
LORD BALARAMA 