24 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 6
svapna-drsta mahotpata
vrddha bdla-grahas ca ye
sarve nasyantu te visnor
néma-grahana-bhiravah
dakinyah yaétudhaényah ca kusmandah—witches and devils, enemies
of children; ye—those who are; arbhaka-grahah—like evil stars for
children; bhiita—evil spirits; preta—evil hobgoblins; pisacah—similar
bad spirits; ca—also; yaksa—the living entities known as Yaksas; rak-
sah—those known as Raksasas; vindyakah—those by the name
Vinayaka; kotara—by the name Kotara; revati—by the name Revati;
jyestha—by the name Jyestha; piitana—by the name Pitand; mdtrka-
ddayah—and evil women like Matrkaé; unmddaéh—those who cause
madness; ye—which others; hi—indeed; apasmaérah—causing loss of
memory; deha-prdna-indriya—to the body, life air and senses;
druhah—give trouble; svapna-drstah—the evil spirits that cause bad
dreams; mahd-utpatah—those causing great disturbances; vrddhah—
the most experienced; bala-grahah ca—and those attacking children;
ye—who; sarve—all of them; nasyantu—let be vanquished; te—those;
visnoh—of Lord Visnu; ndma-grahana—by the chanting of the name;
bhiravah—become afraid.
TRANSLATION
The evil witches known as Dakinis, Yatudhanis and Kusmandas
are the greatest enemies of children, and the evil spirits like
Bhitas, Pretas, Pisaicas, Yaksas, Raksasas and Vinayakas, as well as
witches like Kotara, Revati, Jyestha, Pitana and Matrka, are always
ready to give trouble to the body, the life air and the senses, caus-
ing loss of memory, madness and bad dreams. Like the most ex-
perienced evil stars, they all create great disturbances, especially
for children, but one can vanquish them simply by uttering Lord
Visnu’s name, for when Lord Visnu’s name resounds, all of them
become afraid and go away.
PURPORT
As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.33):
advaitam acyutam anddim ananta-ripam
Gdyam purdna-purusam nava-yauvanar ca
