Bala Upanishad

oṃ namō 'śrībālāyai |

śrībālōpaniṣaḍaṃ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ || 1 ||

śṛṇu priyē cakra cakrasthā mahātmā mahāguhyā guhyatarā śrēṣṭātiśrēṣṭhā bhavyā bhavyatarā

triguṇagā guṇātītā guṇasvarūpā guṃkāramadhyasthā rēcakapūrakakumbhasvarūpā aṣṭāṅgarūpā

caturdaśabhavanamālinī caturdaśabhavanēśvarī caturvēdavēdāṅgapāragā sāṅkhyasāṅkhyasvarūpā

śāntā śāktapriyā śāktadharmaparāyaṇā sarvabhadrā vibhadrā subhadrā bhadrabhadrāntargatā vīrabhadrāvatarīṇī

śūnyā śūnyatarā śūnyaprabhavā śūnyālaya śūnyajñānapradā śūnyātītā śūlahastā

mahāsundarī surāsurāravidhvaṃsinī śūkarānanā subhagā śubhadā suśubhā śastrāstradhāriṇī

parāprāsādavāmāṅgā parameśvarī parāparā paramātmā pāpagnā pañcēndriyālaya

parabrahmāvatārā padmahastā pāñcajanyā puṇḍarīkākṣā paśupāśahāriṇī paśupapūjyā

pākhaṇḍadhvaṃsinī pavanēśī pavanṣvarūpā padyāpadyamayī padyajñānapradātrī puṣṭahastā

pakvabiṃbaphalaprabhā prētāsanā prajāpālī prapañcahāriṇī pṛthivīrūpā pītāmbarā

piśācagaṇasēvitā pitṛvanasathā haṃsasvarūpā paramahaṃsī aiṃkārabījā

vāgbhavasthā vāgbhavabījōdyōginī vāgbhavēśī vāgbhavabījamālinī ya ēvaṃ vēda sa vēdavit || 2 ||

bālōpaniṣaḍaṃ yaḥ paṭhati yaḥ śṛṇōti tasyāghaṃ sarvaṃ naśyati caturvargaphalaṃ prāpnōti

layajñānaṃ bhavati jyōtirmayē pralīyatē ṣaṭkarmavidyā siddhyati manōrathaṃ pūrayati

sarvāriṣṭaṃ nāśayati dhanaṃ ēdhati āyurvṛddhirbhavati nirvāṇapadaṃ gacchati

mahājanatvaṃ prāpnōti sarvaśāstraṃ jñāpayati bahutarasiddhiṃ nayati

ḍākinyādi sarvaṃ palāyati ōṃkārē pramīlati || 3 ||

English Translation

Verse 1: Oṃ. Salutations to Śrī Bālā. We shall explain the Śrī Bāla Upanishad.

Verse 2: Listen, O beloved, who art seated in the Cakra (wheel), O great soul, very secret, more than secret, most excellent, most excellent, auspicious, more than auspicious, consisting of the three guṇas, beyond the guṇas, of the form of the guṇas, stationed in the middle of the letter "guṃ" (bīja), of the form of recaka, pūraka, and kumbhaka, of eightfold form, wearing a garland of fourteen worlds, the ruler of fourteen worlds, knowing the four Vedas and their six auxiliary scriptures, of Sāṅkhya and non-Sāṅkhya form, peaceful, dear to Śāktas, devoted to Śākta dharma, entirely auspicious, undivided, good, contained within the auspicious, the bearer of the auspicious, the incarnation of Vīrabhadra, emptiness, more than empty, born of emptiness, abode of emptiness, giver of knowledge of emptiness, beyond emptiness, bearing a spear, very beautiful, destroyer of the armies of gods and demons, having a boar's face, auspicious, giver of auspiciousness, very auspicious, bearing weapons, having the left side as the supreme grace (Parā), the supreme goddess (Parameśvarī), the Supreme Self (Paramātmā), destroyer of sins, abode of the five senses, incarnation of Parabrahma, lotus-handed, bearing the five weapons, lotus-eyed, destroyer of the noose of animals, worshipped by animals, destroyer of heretics, ruler of the wind, of the form of wind, consisting of word and non-word, giver of word-knowledge, carrying a book, of the luster of the moon, seated on the corpse, ruler of creation, destroyer of the world, of the form of earth, wearing yellow garments, served by spirits, dwelling in the ancestral realm, of the form of a swan, the supreme swan, having the bīja "aiṃ," situated in speech, connected with the bīja of speech, ruler of speech, wearing a garland of speech bījas—whoever knows thus, is a knower of the Vedas.

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Verse 3: Whoever reads or hears the Bāla Upanishad—all their sins are destroyed; they attain the four fruits of life (dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa); they attain knowledge of dissolution; they merge into the light of Māyā; the knowledge of the six karmas is accomplished; their mental desires are fulfilled; they destroy all misfortune; they obtain wealth; their life-span increases; they attain the state of liberation; they obtain great status; they understand all scriptures; they attain great Siddhis; all Dakinis and others flee; they become distinguished in Oṃkāra.

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Notes

The Bala Upanishad is a minor Upanishad that describes the worship of Bala (the young goddess), also known as Bala Tripurasundari. It is associated with the Shakta tradition and contains:

1. Detailed description of the Goddess - An extensive list of epithets describing the Goddess Bala as the supreme being who embodies all aspects of creation, destruction, and transcendence.

2. Key attributes mentioned:

   • Seated in the Cakra (likely referring to the Sri Chakra)

   • Connected to the bīja mantra "aiṃ"

   • Associated with speech (Vāgbhava)

   • Ruler of fourteen worlds

   • Beyond the three guṇas

   • Bearing weapons and lotus

   • Connected to the swan (Haṃsa) symbolism

3. Benefits of recitation - The text promises spiritual achievements including liberation, wealth, longevity, destruction of sins, and protection from negative forces.

The Upanishad is a relatively short text focused on Shakta philosophy and the worship of the goddess Bala, often considered the child form of Lalita Tripurasundari.