Hanuman Chalisa: Full Text with Meaning

The Hanuman Chalisa was composed by Goswami Tulsidas, the same poet who wrote the Ramcharitmanas. "Chalisa" means forty: it has forty verses called chaupais, with two couplets before them and one after. Perhaps no other composition is recited daily in so many Indian homes. People turn to it in fear, illness and difficulty, and also for no reason at all except affection.

The full text is given below in its original Awadhi, in Devanagari script, with the meaning of each part in plain English. To hear it read aloud in Hindi, open the Hindi version of this page from the language link at the top and press Listen.

Opening couplets

श्रीगुरु चरन सरोज रज निज मनु मुकुरु सुधारि।
बरनउँ रघुबर बिमल जसु जो दायकु फल चारि॥

बुद्धिहीन तनु जानिके सुमिरौं पवन-कुमार।
बल बुधि बिद्या देहु मोहिं हरहु कलेस बिकार॥

Meaning: Having cleaned the mirror of my mind with the dust of my teacher's lotus feet, I describe the spotless glory of Shri Ram, which grants the four aims of life. Knowing myself to be without wisdom, I call to mind the son of the Wind. Give me strength, understanding and knowledge, and take away my troubles and faults.

Verses 1 to 10: who Hanuman is

जय हनुमान ज्ञान गुन सागर। जय कपीस तिहुँ लोक उजागर॥
राम दूत अतुलित बल धामा। अंजनि-पुत्र पवनसुत नामा॥
महाबीर बिक्रम बजरंगी। कुमति निवार सुमति के संगी॥
कंचन बरन बिराज सुबेसा। कानन कुंडल कुंचित केसा॥
हाथ बज्र औ ध्वजा बिराजै। काँधे मूँज जनेऊ साजै॥

संकर सुवन केसरीनंदन। तेज प्रताप महा जग बंदन॥
बिद्यावान गुनी अति चातुर। राम काज करिबे को आतुर॥
प्रभु चरित्र सुनिबे को रसिया। राम लखन सीता मन बसिया॥
सूक्ष्म रूप धरि सियहिं दिखावा। बिकट रूप धरि लंक जरावा॥
भीम रूप धरि असुर सँहारे। रामचंद्र के काज सँवारे॥

Meaning: Victory to Hanuman, ocean of wisdom and virtue; victory to the lord of the vanaras, who lights up the three worlds. You are Ram's envoy, the home of matchless strength, known as the son of Anjani and son of the Wind. Great hero, mighty one with a body like the thunderbolt, you drive away wrong thinking and keep company with right thinking. Your colour is golden and your dress is fine, with rings in your ears and curling hair. In your hands are the thunderbolt and the banner, and a sacred thread of munja grass lies across your shoulder.

You are of the nature of Shiva and the son of Kesari; the whole world honours your radiance and power. Learned, virtuous and very shrewd, you are always eager to do Ram's work. You delight in hearing the Lord's story; Ram, Lakshmana and Sita live in your heart. Taking a tiny form you appeared before Sita, and taking a fearsome form you burned Lanka. Taking a terrible form you destroyed the demons and accomplished the tasks of Ramchandra.

Verses 11 to 20: in Ram's service

लाय सजीवन लखन जियाये। श्रीरघुबीर हरषि उर लाये॥
रघुपति कीन्ही बहुत बड़ाई। तुम मम प्रिय भरतहि सम भाई॥
सहस बदन तुम्हरो जस गावैं। अस कहि श्रीपति कंठ लगावैं॥
सनकादिक ब्रह्मादि मुनीसा। नारद सारद सहित अहीसा॥
जम कुबेर दिगपाल जहाँ ते। कबि कोबिद कहि सके कहाँ ते॥

तुम उपकार सुग्रीवहिं कीन्हा। राम मिलाय राज पद दीन्हा॥
तुम्हरो मंत्र बिभीषन माना। लंकेस्वर भए सब जग जाना॥
जुग सहस्र जोजन पर भानू। लील्यो ताहि मधुर फल जानू॥
प्रभु मुद्रिका मेलि मुख माहीं। जलधि लाँघि गये अचरज नाहीं॥
दुर्गम काज जगत के जेते। सुगम अनुग्रह तुम्हरे तेते॥

Meaning: You brought the life-giving herb and revived Lakshmana, and Ram joyfully held you to his heart. The lord of the Raghus praised you greatly: "You are as dear to me as my brother Bharata." "The thousand-mouthed serpent sings your fame," he said, and embraced you. The sages, Brahma, Narada, Saraswati, the serpent king, Yama, Kubera and the guardians of the directions cannot fully tell your glory; how then could poets and scholars?

You did Sugriva a great service: you brought him to Ram and gave him a kingdom. Vibhishana took your advice and became lord of Lanka, as all the world knows. The sun, thousands of yojanas away, you swallowed, taking it for a sweet fruit. With the Lord's ring in your mouth you leapt the ocean, and that is no wonder. All the hard tasks of this world become easy by your grace.

Verses 21 to 30: the protector

राम दुआरे तुम रखवारे। होत न आज्ञा बिनु पैसारे॥
सब सुख लहै तुम्हारी सरना। तुम रक्षक काहू को डर ना॥
आपन तेज सम्हारो आपै। तीनों लोक हाँक तें काँपै॥
भूत पिसाच निकट नहिं आवै। महाबीर जब नाम सुनावै॥
नासै रोग हरै सब पीरा। जपत निरंतर हनुमत बीरा॥

संकट तें हनुमान छुड़ावै। मन क्रम बचन ध्यान जो लावै॥
सब पर राम तपस्वी राजा। तिन के काज सकल तुम साजा॥
और मनोरथ जो कोई लावै। सोइ अमित जीवन फल पावै॥
चारों जुग परताप तुम्हारा। है परसिद्ध जगत उजियारा॥
साधु संत के तुम रखवारे। असुर निकंदन राम दुलारे॥

Meaning: You guard Ram's door; no one enters without your leave. All happiness comes to those who take shelter with you; with you as protector there is nothing to fear. Only you can contain your own power; the three worlds tremble at your roar. Ghosts and evil spirits do not come near when the name of the great hero is spoken. Illness is destroyed and all pain removed by constant repetition of brave Hanuman's name.

Hanuman frees from trouble those who fix their mind on him in thought, deed and word. Ram, the ascetic king, is above all, and you carried out all his tasks. Whoever brings any wish to you receives the boundless fruit of life. Your glory is famed through all four ages and lights the world. You protect the good and the saintly; destroyer of demons, you are the darling of Ram.

Verses 31 to 40: the fruit and the prayer

अष्ट सिद्धि नौ निधि के दाता। अस बर दीन जानकी माता॥
राम रसायन तुम्हरे पासा। सदा रहो रघुपति के दासा॥
तुम्हरे भजन राम को पावै। जनम जनम के दुख बिसरावै॥
अंत काल रघुबर पुर जाई। जहाँ जन्म हरि-भक्त कहाई॥
और देवता चित्त न धरई। हनुमत सेइ सर्ब सुख करई॥

संकट कटै मिटै सब पीरा। जो सुमिरै हनुमत बलबीरा॥
जै जै जै हनुमान गोसाईं। कृपा करहु गुरुदेव की नाईं॥
जो सत बार पाठ कर कोई। छूटहि बंदि महा सुख होई॥
जो यह पढ़ै हनुमान चालीसा। होय सिद्धि साखी गौरीसा॥
तुलसीदास सदा हरि चेरा। कीजै नाथ हृदय महँ डेरा॥

Meaning: Mother Janaki gave you the boon that you can grant the eight powers and the nine treasures. You hold the elixir of Ram's name and remain for ever the servant of the lord of the Raghus. Through devotion to you one reaches Ram and forgets the sorrows of many lives. At the end such a person goes to Ram's own city and, wherever born, is known as a devotee of the Lord. Even one who thinks of no other deity gains every happiness by serving Hanuman.

Trouble is cut away and all pain ends for one who remembers mighty Hanuman. Victory, victory, victory to you, Lord Hanuman; be gracious to me as a teacher is. Whoever recites this a hundred times is freed from bondage and finds great joy. Whoever reads this Hanuman Chalisa gains fulfilment; Shiva himself is witness. Tulsidas is for ever the servant of the Lord: make your home, master, in my heart.

Closing couplet

पवनतनय संकट हरन मंगल मूरति रूप।
राम लखन सीता सहित हृदय बसहु सुर भूप॥

Meaning: Son of the Wind, remover of troubles, image of all that is auspicious: dwell in my heart together with Ram, Lakshmana and Sita.

How it is recited

There are no difficult rules. People bathe, sit quietly in the morning or evening, and read it through. Tuesdays and Saturdays are considered Hanuman's special days. Many also say it when setting out on a journey, before an examination or when afraid. Children learn it by heart easily.

What it teaches

The Chalisa speaks a great deal of Hanuman's strength, but read closely: every great deed in it is done for Ram, and not one for himself. "Always eager to do Ram's work" and "for ever the servant of Ram" are its heart: strength is for service. Read more in Humility and service.

The story of his life is on the Hanuman page and his journey to Lanka in the Sundara Kanda katha. His temple in Ayodhya is Hanuman Garhi. See also the Shri Ram Stuti.

Printed editions differ slightly in the spelling of some words. If you notice an error here, please tell us.