Lord Balaram’s pranam mantra from Sri Garga-samhita.

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 of it covers part of His face, but He appears more beautiful because of that. Srila 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 plough and club, and 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 plough to something, fire or electricity can come out and destroy that thing. When He thinks His plough needs to be a little smaller, it becomes smaller. When He thinks it needs to be bigger, it becomes bigger. His plough can do anything He desires. And lastly His Name is Kama-pala: He can fulfill all the desires of Krishna and all the desires of Krishna’s devotees.