ಶ್ರೀರುದ್ರಯಾಮಲೇ ಶ್ರೀ ಬಾಲಾ ಕವಚಮ್

An armour of Bala from the Rudrayamala, set as a request: the Devi addresses Shiva as god of gods, great god, auspicious one, dearer than life, and asks to be told Bala's kavacha; he answers that it is greater than the great breath itself and tells her to listen with full attention. The armour that follows works over the body in the manner of the form, setting the syllables and names on each part in turn, and encloses the quarters at the end. The closing verse gives the fruit in the terms this tradition prefers — not wealth or safety but identity: one who, knowing this armour, repeats Bala's mantra obtains the whole fruit, which is union with Shiva himself.