Hanuman Chalisa: full text in Hindi and English, with its meaning

This is the full Hanuman Chalisa of Goswami Tulsidas, a prayer in Awadhi of two opening dohas, 40 chaupais and a closing doha, with its meaning. In its opening lines the poet is speaking to Hanuman ji. He has just cleaned the mirror of his mind with the dust of his guru’s lotus feet, and now, knowing his body and mind are weak, he asks the son of the wind for strength, good sense and learning.

The 40 chaupais are the verses it is named for, since chalis is the Hindi for forty.

Every Devanagari line here is set as the Gita Press, Gorakhpur prints it in book 227, Shri Hanuman Chalisa, and then checked a second time against Drik Panchang, which agrees apart from small spelling variants.

Hanuman Chalisa lyrics in Hindi, with English letters under each line

Some of the Gita Press spellings will look odd to anyone who learnt the Chalisa from a cassette or an app, and they are kept exactly as printed. The second doha has बुधि (budhi). Chaupai 8 and the closing doha have लषन (Lashan), while chaupai 11 has लखन (Lakhan), chaupai 28 has कोइ (koi) and chaupai 39 has चलीसा (chalisa).

The Roman line under each verse follows the same print.

The two opening dohas

श्रीगुरु चरन सरोज रज निज मनु मुकुरु सुधारि।
बरनउँ रघुबर बिमल जसु जो दायकु फल चारि॥
Shriguru charan saroj raj nij manu mukuru sudhari,
Baranau Raghubar bimal jasu jo dayaku phal chari.

बुद्धिहीन तनु जानिके सुमिरौं पवन-कुमार।
बल बुधि बिद्या देहु मोहिं हरहु कलेस बिकार॥
Buddhiheen tanu janike sumirau Pavan-kumar,
Bal budhi bidya dehu mohi harahu kales bikar.

Chaupais 1 to 20

जय हनुमान ज्ञान गुन सागर।
जय कपीस तिहुँ लोक उजागर॥
Jay Hanuman gyan gun sagar,
Jay Kapis tihun lok ujagar.

राम दूत अतुलित बल धामा।
अंजनि-पुत्र पवनसुत नामा॥
Ram doot atulit bal dhama,
Anjani-putra Pavansut nama.

महाबीर बिक्रम बजरंगी।
कुमति निवार सुमति के संगी॥
Mahabir bikram Bajrangi,
Kumati nivar sumati ke sangi.

कंचन बरन बिराज सुबेसा।
कानन कुंडल कुंचित केसा॥
Kanchan baran biraj subesa,
Kanan kundal kunchit kesa.

हाथ बज्र औ ध्वजा बिराजै।
काँधे मूँज जनेऊ साजै॥
Hath bajra au dhvaja birajai,
Kandhe moonj janeu sajai.

संकर सुवन केसरीनंदन।
तेज प्रताप महा जग बंदन॥
Sankar suvan Kesarinandan,
Tej pratap maha jag bandan.

बिद्यावान गुनी अति चातुर।
राम काज करिबे को आतुर॥
Bidyavan guni ati chatur,
Ram kaj karibe ko atur.

प्रभु चरित्र सुनिबे को रसिया।
राम लषन सीता मन बसिया॥
Prabhu charitra sunibe ko rasiya,
Ram Lashan Sita man basiya.

सूक्ष्म रूप धरि सियहिं दिखावा।
बिकट रूप धरि लंक जरावा॥
Sookshma roop dhari Siyahin dikhava,
Bikat roop dhari Lank jarava.

भीम रूप धरि असुर सँहारे।
रामचंद्र के काज सँवारे॥
Bheem roop dhari asur sanhare,
Ramchandra ke kaj sanvare.

लाय सजीवन लखन जियाये।
श्रीरघुबीर हरषि उर लाये॥
Laye sajivan Lakhan jiyaye,
Shri Raghubir harashi ur laye.

रघुपति कीन्ही बहुत बड़ाई।
तुम मम प्रिय भरतहि सम भाई॥
Raghupati kinhi bahut badai,
Tum mam priya Bharatahi sam bhai.

सहस बदन तुम्हरो जस गावैं।
अस कहि श्रीपति कंठ लगावैं॥
Sahas badan tumhro jas gavain,
As kahi Shripati kanth lagavain.

सनकादिक ब्रह्मादि मुनीसा।
नारद सारद सहित अहीसा॥
Sanakadik Brahmadi munisa,
Narad Sarad sahit Ahisa.

जम कुबेर दिगपाल जहाँ ते।
कबि कोबिद कहि सके कहाँ ते॥
Jam Kuber Digpal jahan te,
Kabi kobid kahi sake kahan te.

तुम उपकार सुग्रीवहिं कीन्हा।
राम मिलाय राज पद दीन्हा॥
Tum upkar Sugrivahin kinha,
Ram milaye raj pad dinha.

तुम्हरो मंत्र बिभीषन माना।
लंकेस्वर भए सब जग जाना॥
Tumhro mantra Bibhishan mana,
Lankesvar bhae sab jag jana.

जुग सहस्र जोजन पर भानू।
लील्यो ताहि मधुर फल जानू॥
Jug sahasra jojan par Bhanu,
Leelyo tahi madhur phal janu.

प्रभु मुद्रिका मेलि मुख माहीं।
जलधि लाँघि गये अचरज नाहीं॥
Prabhu mudrika meli mukh mahin,
Jaladhi langhi gaye acharaj nahin.

दुर्गम काज जगत के जेते।
सुगम अनुग्रह तुम्हरे तेते॥
Durgam kaj jagat ke jete,
Sugam anugrah tumhre tete.

Chaupais 21 to 40

राम दुआरे तुम रखवारे।
होत न आज्ञा बिनु पैसारे॥
Ram duare tum rakhvare,
Hot na agya binu paisare.

सब सुख लहै तुम्हारी सरना।
तुम रच्छक काहू को डर ना॥
Sab sukh lahai tumhari sarna,
Tum rachchhak kahu ko dar na.

आपन तेज सम्हारो आपै।
तीनों लोक हाँक तें काँपै॥
Apan tej samharo apai,
Teenon lok hank ten kanpai.

भूत पिसाच निकट नहिं आवै।
महाबीर जब नाम सुनावै॥
Bhoot pisach nikat nahin avai,
Mahabir jab nam sunavai.

नासै रोग हरै सब पीरा।
जपत निरंतर हनुमत बीरा॥
Nasai rog harai sab peera,
Japat nirantar Hanumat beera.

संकट तें हनुमान छुड़ावै।
मन क्रम बचन ध्यान जो लावै॥
Sankat ten Hanuman chhudavai,
Man kram bachan dhyan jo lavai.

सब पर राम तपस्वी राजा।
तिन के काज सकल तुम साजा॥
Sab par Ram tapasvi raja,
Tin ke kaj sakal tum saja.

और मनोरथ जो कोइ लावै।
सोइ अमित जीवन फल पावै॥
Aur manorath jo koi lavai,
Soi amit jeevan phal pavai.

चारों जुग परताप तुम्हारा।
है परसिद्ध जगत उजियारा॥
Charon jug paratap tumhara,
Hai parasiddh jagat ujiyara.

साधु संत के तुम रखवारे।
असुर निकंदन राम दुलारे॥
Sadhu sant ke tum rakhvare,
Asur nikandan Ram dulare.

अष्ट सिद्धि नौ निधि के दाता।
अस बर दीन जानकी माता॥
Ashta siddhi nau nidhi ke data,
As bar deen Janaki mata.

राम रसायन तुम्हरे पासा।
सदा रहो रघुपति के दासा॥
Ram rasayan tumhre pasa,
Sada raho Raghupati ke dasa.

तुम्हरे भजन राम को पावै।
जनम जनम के दुख बिसरावै॥
Tumhre bhajan Ram ko pavai,
Janam janam ke dukh bisravai.

अंत काल रघुबर पुर जाई।
जहाँ जन्म हरि-भक्त कहाई॥
Ant kal Raghubar pur jai,
Jahan janma Hari-bhakt kahai.

और देवता चित्त न धरई।
हनुमत सेइ सर्ब सुख करई॥
Aur devata chitt na dharai,
Hanumat sei sarb sukh karai.

संकट कटै मिटै सब पीरा।
जो सुमिरै हनुमत बलबीरा॥
Sankat katai mitai sab peera,
Jo sumirai Hanumat Balbeera.

जै जै जै हनुमान गोसाईं।
कृपा करहु गुरु देव की नाईं॥
Jai jai jai Hanuman Gosain,
Kripa karahu guru dev ki nain.

जो सत बार पाठ कर कोई।
छूटहि बंदि महा सुख होई॥
Jo sat bar path kar koi,
Chhootahi bandi maha sukh hoi.

जो यह पढ़ै हनुमान चलीसा।
होय सिद्धि साखी गौरीसा॥
Jo yah padhai Hanuman Chalisa,
Hoy siddhi sakhi Gaurisa.

तुलसीदास सदा हरि चेरा।
कीजै नाथ हृदय महँ डेरा॥
Tulsidas sada Hari chera,
Keejai nath hriday mahan dera.

The closing doha

पवनतनय संकट हरन मंगल मूरति रूप।
राम लषन सीता सहित हृदय बसहु सुर भूप॥
Pavantanay sankat haran mangal moorati roop,
Ram Lashan Sita sahit hriday basahu sur bhoop.

॥ इति ॥
Iti

What the Hanuman Chalisa says, section by section

Much of the Chalisa turns on what Hanuman ji did for Shri Ram (showing himself to Sita ji, burning Lanka and bringing the sanjivani herb for Lakshman), with his looks, his strength and his place at Ram’s door in between. The right-hand column is Tirth’s plain English for the Hindi meaning that Drik Panchang prints, kept close to it on purpose. Where a line speaks of fear or disease, those are the words of the poem.

Lines	Plain meaning (Tirth’s rendering of Drik Panchang’s Hindi)
Dohas 1 and 2 (Shriguru charan saroj raj)	With the dust of his guru’s lotus feet the poet cleans the mirror of his mind and describes the spotless glory of Shri Ram, which gives the four fruits (dharma, artha, kama and moksha). Knowing his body and mind are weak, he remembers the son of the wind and asks for strength, good sense and knowledge, and for his troubles and faults to be taken away.
Chaupais 1 to 6 (Jay Hanuman gyan gun sagar)	Victory to Hanuman ji, ocean of knowledge and virtue, whose fame lights the three worlds. He is Ram’s messenger, matchless in strength, son of Anjani, called Pavansut. A great hero, he removes bad thinking and keeps company with good sense. He is golden in colour and finely dressed, with earrings and curly hair, a vajra and a flag in his hands and a sacred thread of munj grass on his shoulder. Drik Panchang reads the next line as avatar of Shankar and son of Kesari, whose valour the whole world honours.
Chaupais 7 to 10 (Bidyavan guni ati chatur)	Learned, virtuous and very able, he is always eager to do Ram’s work. He delights in hearing Ram’s story and keeps Ram, Lakshman and Sita in his heart. He took a tiny form to show himself to Sita and a fearsome form to burn Lanka, then a huge form to kill the asuras, and so carried out Ramchandra’s purposes.
Chaupais 11 to 15 (Laye sajivan Lakhan jiyaye)	He brought the sanjivani herb and saved Lakshman’s life, and Shri Raghuvir embraced him in joy. Ram praised him and called him as dear as his brother Bharat, and embraced him, saying a thousand mouths sing his fame. Sanak and the sages, Brahma, Narad, Saraswati and Sheshnag sing his praise, and Yama, Kubera, the guardians of the directions, poets and scholars cannot fully describe it.
Chaupais 16 to 20 (Tum upkar Sugrivahin kinha)	He helped Sugriva by bringing him to Ram, and Sugriva became king. Vibhishan followed his counsel and became king of Lanka, as the world knows. He swallowed the far-off sun, taking it for a sweet fruit. With Ram’s ring in his mouth he leapt the ocean, and that is no wonder. Every hard task in the world becomes easy by his grace.
Chaupais 21 to 25 (Ram duare tum rakhvare)	He guards Ram’s door, and no one enters without his leave. All who take refuge in him find happiness, and with him as protector there is no fear. Only he can hold back his own force, and the three worlds tremble at his roar. Ghosts and pishachas do not come near where his name is spoken. The text says that constant japa of the hero Hanuman removes disease and all pain.
Chaupais 26 to 30 (Sankat ten Hanuman chhudavai)	He frees from trouble those whose thought, deed and speech rest on him. Shri Ram, the ascetic king, is above all, and Hanuman ji did all his work. Whoever brings a wish to him receives fruit without limit. His glory is known in all four yugas (Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali) and lights the world. He protects the good and destroys the wicked, and Ram loves him.
Chaupais 31 to 36 (Ashta siddhi nau nidhi ke data)	By Mata Janaki’s boon he can give the eight siddhis and nine nidhis. He holds the “Ram rasayan” and stays forever Ram’s servant. The text says that singing his bhajan, one reaches Shri Ram and the sorrows of many births go, that at the end one goes to Raghunath’s abode and, if born again, is called a devotee of Hari. It says too that serving Hanuman ji brings every kind of happiness without need of another deity, and that whoever keeps remembering him has every trouble cut and every pain ended.
Chaupais 37 to 40 and the closing doha (Jai jai jai Hanuman Gosain)	Victory, victory, victory to Hanuman Gosain, show mercy as a kind guru would. The text says that whoever recites it a hundred times is freed from bondage and finds great happiness, and that whoever reads it gains success, with Gaurisa (Shiva) as witness. Tulsidas, ever Hari’s servant, asks him to dwell in his heart. The closing doha calls him son of the wind, remover of troubles, form of auspiciousness, and asks him to dwell in the heart with Ram, Lakshman and Sita.

Shankar suvan Kesarinandan, and six lines this page once printed wrong

Chaupai 6 opens with संकर सुवन केसरीनंदन (Sankar suvan Kesarinandan), and it is a line people often ask about. Drik Panchang reads it as “हे शंकर के अवतार! हे केसरी नन्दन!” (He Shankar ke avatar! He Kesari nandan!), which in English is O avatar of Shankar, O son of Kesari, and we would leave it at that reading rather than stretch it.

Kesari is his father and Mata Anjana his mother, and he is also described as the son of Vayu Dev, which is why chaupai 2 calls him अंजनि-पुत्र (Anjani-putra) and पवनसुत (Pavansut) in the same breath. There is more about him on Hanuman ji’s page.

An older version of this page joined two readings of that line with a slash. It had five more slips besides.

Old reading on this page	Gita Press print
हाथ ब्रज अरु ध्वजा	हाथ बज्र औ ध्वजा
शंकर स्वयं/सुवन केसरी नंदन	संकर सुवन केसरीनंदन
सहस बदन तुम्हारो जस	सहस बदन तुम्हरो जस
जुग सहस्त्र जोजन	जुग सहस्र जोजन
तुम रक्षक काहू को डरना	तुम रच्छक काहू को डर ना
कीजै नाथ हृदय मह डेरा	कीजै नाथ हृदय महँ डेरा

All six are set right in the text above.

Drik Panchang agrees with Gita Press line for line, with some words spelt the modern way, so a reader who meets those forms in another book has not found a different Chalisa.

When families recite the Hanuman Chalisa, and how often

Every day, by Drik Panchang’s account. It calls the Chalisa the most popular hymn to Hanuman ji and says his devotees sing it each and every day.

The tradition also marks the day of his birth. Drik Panchang records the belief that Hanuman ji was born on Chaitra Purnima, just after sunrise, on a Mangalwar (Tuesday), and it also lists a separate Tamil Hanumath Jayanthi on Margashirsha Amavasya. The festival itself has its own Hanuman Jayanti guide, and the year’s date sits on the Spiritual Calendar page for Hanuman Jayanti.

The poem says the most about its own recitation near the end. Chaupai 38 speaks of reading it a hundred times (जो सत बार पाठ कर कोई, Jo sat bar path kar koi), and chaupai 39 names Gaurisa, Shiva the lord of Gauri, as witness for whoever reads it.

Neither line fixes a day or an hour.

Chaupai 26 speaks of something harder than a count: keeping Hanuman ji in mind, deed and speech, मन क्रम बचन (man kram bachan) in the text.

So if you are new to the Chalisa, we would rather you read it slowly with the meaning table open.

Three texts that sit well beside this one are the Ram Chalisa, the Hanuman aarti and the Hanuman moola mantra. Chalisas to other deities are gathered in the Chalisa collection.

For a path done on your family’s behalf, Tirth lists a Hanuman Chalisa path puja in Prayagraj.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote the Hanuman Chalisa?

Goswami Tulsidas. He names himself in chaupai 40, “तुलसीदास सदा हरि चेरा” (Tulsidas sada Hari chera), Tulsidas, ever Hari’s servant.

In which language is the Hanuman Chalisa written?

It is written in Awadhi, Drik Panchang says. Gita Press prints it in Devanagari, and that print is the text given here, with Roman letters under each verse for readers who do not read Devanagari.

How many chaupais are in the Hanuman Chalisa?

Forty. They sit between two opening dohas and one closing doha, so the Gita Press text has 43 verses in all.

What does “chalisa” mean?

The word comes from chalis, the Hindi for forty, and the poem carries the name because it has 40 chaupais.

What does “Shankar suvan Kesari nandan” mean?

Gita Press prints the line as संकर सुवन केसरीनंदन (Sankar suvan Kesarinandan). Drik Panchang reads it as O avatar of Shankar, O son of Kesari. Kesari is Hanuman ji’s father.

How many times should the Hanuman Chalisa be read?

The poem itself speaks of a hundred readings in chaupai 38. Drik Panchang says devotees sing it every day. Neither source sets any other number.