SB 10.6.29 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

डाकिन्यो यातुधान्यश्च कुष्माण्डा येऽर्भकग्रहा: । भूतप्रेतपिशाचाश्च यक्षरक्षोविनायका: ॥ २७ ॥ कोटरा रेवती ज्येष्ठा पूतना मातृकादय: । उन्मादा ये ह्यपस्मारा देहप्राणेन्द्रियद्रुह: ॥ २८ ॥ स्वप्नद‍ृष्टा महोत्पाता वृद्धा बालग्रहाश्च ये । सर्वे नश्यन्तु ते विष्णोर्नामग्रहणभीरव: ॥ २९ ॥

Verse text

ḍākinyo yātudhānyaś ca kuṣmāṇḍā ye ’rbhaka-grahāḥ bhūta-preta-piśācāś ca yakṣa-rakṣo-vināyakāḥ koṭarā revatī jyeṣṭhā pūtanā mātṛkādayaḥ unmādā ye hy apasmārā deha-prāṇendriya-druhaḥ svapna-dṛṣṭā mahotpātā vṛddhā bāla-grahāś ca ye sarve naśyantu te viṣṇor nāma-grahaṇa-bhīravaḥ

Synonyms

ḍākinyaḥ yātudhānyaḥ ca kuṣmāṇḍāḥ — witches and devils, enemies of children ; ye — those who are ; arbhaka — grahāḥ — like evil stars for children ; bhūta — evil spirits ; preta — evil hobgoblins ; piśācāḥ — similar bad spirits ; ca — also ; yakṣa — the living entities known as Yakṣas ; rakṣaḥ — those known as Rākṣasas ; vināyakāḥ — those by the name Vināyaka ; koṭarā — by the name Koṭarā ; revatī — by the name Revatī ; jyeṣṭhā — by the name Jyeṣṭhā ; pūtanā — by the name Pūtanā ; mātṛkā — ādayaḥ — and evil women like Mātṛkā ; unmādāḥ — those who cause madness ; ye — which others ; hi — indeed ; apasmārāḥ — causing loss of memory ; deha — prāṇa — indriya — to the body, life air and senses ; druhaḥ — give trouble ; svapna — dṛṣṭāḥ — the evil spirits that cause bad dreams ; mahā — utpātāḥ — those causing great disturbances ; vṛddhāḥ — the most experienced ; bāla — grahāḥ ca — and those attacking children ; ye — who ; sarve — all of them ; naśyantu — let be vanquished ; te — those ; viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu ; nāma — grahaṇa — by the chanting of the name ; bhīravaḥ — become afraid .

Translation

The evil witches known as Ḍākinīs, Yātudhānīs and Kuṣmāṇḍas are the greatest enemies of children, and the evil spirits like Bhūtas, Pretas, Piśācas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas and Vināyakas, as well as witches like Koṭarā, Revatī, Jyeṣṭhā, Pūtanā and Mātṛkā, are always ready to give trouble to the body, the life air and the senses, causing loss of memory, madness and bad dreams. Like the most experienced evil stars, they all create great disturbances, especially for children, but one can vanquish them simply by uttering Lord Viṣṇu’s name, for when Lord Viṣṇu’s name resounds, all of them become afraid and go away.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The evil witches known as Ḍākinīs, Yātudhānīs and Kuṣmāṇḍas are the greatest enemies of children, and the evil spirits like Bhūtas, Pretas, Piśācas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas and Vināyakas, as well as witches like Koṭarā, Revatī, Jyeṣṭhā, Pūtanā and Mātṛkā, are always ready to give trouble to the body, the life air and the senses, causing loss of memory, madness and bad dreams. Like the most experienced evil stars, they all create great disturbances, especially for children, but one can vanquish them simply by uttering Lord Viṣṇu's name, for when Lord Viṣṇu's name resounds, all of them become afraid and go away. KB 10.6.27-29 Mother Yaśodā was firmly convinced that she should protect her child from different kinds of evil spirits and ghosts—namely Ḍākinīs, Yātudhānīs, Kuṣmāṇḍas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Vināyakas, Koṭarās, Revatīs, Jyeṣṭhās, Pūtanās, Mātṛkās, Unmādas and similar other evil spirits, who cause persons to forget their own existence and give trouble to the life airs and the senses. Sometimes they appear in dreams and cause much perturbation; sometimes they appear as old women and suck the blood of small children. But no such ghosts and evil spirits can remain where there is chanting of the holy name of God. Mother Yaśodā was firmly convinced of the Vedic injunctions about the importance of cows and the holy name of Viṣṇu; therefore she took all shelter in the cows and the name of Viṣṇu just to protect her child Kṛṣṇa. She recited all the holy names of Viṣṇu so that He might save the child. Vedic culture has taken advantage of keeping cows and chanting the holy name of Viṣṇu since the beginning of history, and persons who are still following the Vedic ways, especially the householders, keep at least one dozen cows and worship the Deity of Lord Viṣṇu, who is installed in their house. Persons who are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should take instruction from this pastime and also be very much interested in cows and the holy name of Viṣṇu.

Purport

As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33) : advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi “I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who is the original person — nondual, infallible, and without beginning. Although He expands into unlimited forms, He is still the original, and although He is the oldest person, He always appears as a fresh youth. Such eternal, blissful and all-knowing forms of the Lord cannot be understood by the academic wisdom of the Vedas, but they are always manifest to pure, unalloyed devotees.” While decorating the body with tilaka, we give protection to the body by chanting twelve names of Viṣṇu. Although Govinda, or Lord Viṣṇu, is one, He has different names and forms with which to act differently. But if one cannot remember all the names at one time, one may simply chant, “Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu,” and always think of Lord Viṣṇu. Viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param: this is the highest form of worship. If one remembers Viṣṇu always, even though one is disturbed by many bad elements, one can be protected without a doubt. The Āyurveda-śāstra recommends, auṣadhi cintayet viṣṇum: even while taking medicine, one should remember Viṣṇu, because the medicine is not all and all and Lord Viṣṇu is the real protector. The material world is full of danger ( padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām ). Therefore one must become a Vaiṣṇava and think of Viṣṇu constantly. This is made easier by the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam, and kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

This list should also include Carakīs and Jvālāmukhīs. Bāla-grahāḥ is repeated (arbhaka-grahāḥ) because children have intense fear of them. Some say that arbhaka-grahas are those who snatch living beings by taking the form of a child. These are a type of Piśāca.