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🚩 Tulsidas · 40 Chaupais · Awadhi

Hanuman Chalisa
Full Meaning Word by Word

जय हनुमान ज्ञान गुन सागर
जय कपीस तिहुँ लोक उजागर

India's most chanted hymn — 40 verses in Awadhi, fully decoded.

Author
Tulsidas (1532–1623 CE)
Language
Awadhi (Eastern Hindi)
Verses
40 Chaupais + 3 Dohas
Dedicated to
Lord Hanuman (11th Rudra)

Opening Dohas (Couplets)

Doha 1
श्रीगुरु चरन सरोज रज, निज मनु मुकुरु सुधारि। बरनउँ रघुबर बिमल जसु, जो दायकु फल चारि॥
Purifying the mirror of my mind with the dust of my Guru's lotus feet — I sing the pure glory of Raghubara (Rama), which bestows the four fruits of life.
गुरु चरन सरोज
Lotus feet of the Guru — Saroja = lotus (sara = lake + ja = born from)
मुकुरु
Mirror (Mukura) — the mind is compared to a mirror that must be polished to reflect truth clearly
रघुबर
Best of the Raghu clan — Raghu + Vara (best). Raghu was an ancestor of Rama
फल चारि
Four fruits — the four purusharthas: Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha (righteousness, wealth, desire, liberation)
Doha 2
बुद्धिहीन तनु जानिके, सुमिरौं पवन-कुमार। बल बुधि बिद्या देहु मोहिं, हरहु कलेस बिकार॥
Knowing my body to be without wisdom, I meditate on Pavan Kumar (son of the Wind). Grant me strength, intellect, and knowledge; remove my suffering and corruption.
पवन-कुमार
Son of the Wind (Pavana = wind/purifier + Kumara = son). Hanuman's father was Vayu, the wind god
बल बुधि बिद्या
Strength (Bala), Intellect (Buddhi), Knowledge (Vidyā) — the three gifts seeked from Hanuman
कलेस
Suffering, distress — from Sanskrit Klesha (affliction). The five kleshas in yoga: avidya, asmita, raga, dvesha, abhinivesha

Chaupais 1–8 — Word by Word

1
जय हनुमान ज्ञान गुन सागर। जय कपीस तिहुँ लोक उजागर॥
Glory to Hanuman, ocean of knowledge and virtues! Glory to the Lord of monkeys, illuminator of the three worlds.
ज्ञान
Knowledge — Sanskrit jñāna (from root jñā = to know, same as Greek gnosis)
गुन
Virtues, qualities — Sanskrit guṇa (originally: thread, then quality)
कपीस
Lord of monkeys — Kapi (monkey) + Īśa (lord). Hanuman is the king of the vanaras (forest-dwellers)
तिहुँ लोक
Three worlds — Bhur (earth), Bhuva (atmosphere), Swarga (heaven)
2
राम दूत अतुलित बल धामा। अंजनि-पुत्र पवनसुत नामा॥
Messenger of Rama, abode of immeasurable strength! Known by the names Son of Anjani and Son of the Wind (Pavana).
अतुलित
Incomparable, immeasurable — a + tulita (weighed, measured). That which cannot be weighed on any scale
अंजनि-पुत्र
Son of Anjani — his mother was Anjana, an apsara (celestial being) born as a vanara
पवनसुत
Son of Pavan (the Wind) — Pavana + Suta (son)
3
महाबीर बिक्रम बजरंगी। कुमति निवार सुमति के संगी॥
Great hero, mighty warrior, one with a body hard as lightning (Vajra)! Remover of evil intellect, companion of the wise.
बजरंगी
Vajrangi — Vajra (thunderbolt, diamond) + Anga (limb/body). His body is hard as Indra's thunderbolt
कुमति
Evil intellect — Ku (bad) + Mati (intellect, mind)
सुमति
Good intellect — Su (good) + Mati (mind). Hanuman removes the bad and gives the good
4
कंचन बरन बिराज सुबेसा। कानन कुंडल कुंचित केसा॥
Golden-complexioned, splendidly dressed! With earrings of the forest and curly hair.
कंचन
Gold — Sanskrit kañcana. His complexion is golden/saffron, hence depicted in orange
कानन कुंडल
Forest earrings — Kānana (forest) + Kuṇḍala (earrings). His ornaments are from the forest, not a palace
कुंचित केसा
Curly hair — Kuñcita (curled, crooked) + Keśa (hair)
5
हाथ बज्र औ ध्वजा बिराजै। काँधे मूँज जनेऊ साजै॥
In his hands shine a thunderbolt and a flag. On his shoulder adorns the sacred thread of munja grass.
बज्र
Thunderbolt — Sanskrit Vajra. The weapon of Indra, also meaning diamond. Hanuman holds it as a symbol of indestructible power
ध्वजा
Flag, banner — Sanskrit Dhvaja. Hanuman's flag bears the image of Rama
जनेऊ
Sacred thread (yajnopavita) — worn by brahmacharins. Hanuman wears it as a brahmin scholar despite being a vanara warrior
6
शंकर सुवन केसरी नंदन। तेज प्रताप महा जग बंदन॥
Son of Shankara (Shiva's incarnation), joy of Kesari! His brilliance and glory are worshipped throughout the world.
शंकर सुवन
Son of Shankara — Hanuman is considered the 11th Rudra, an avatar of Shiva himself
केसरी नंदन
Delight of Kesari — Kesari was the vanara king who raised Hanuman
तेज प्रताप
Radiance and glory — Teja (brilliance, fire energy) + Pratāpa (glory, power)
7
विद्यावान गुनी अति चातुर। राम काज करिबे को आतुर॥
Filled with knowledge, virtuous, extremely clever — eager to perform the work of Rama.
विद्यावान
Possessor of knowledge — Vidyā (knowledge, from vid = to know) + Vān (having). Hanuman was Brahmavidya personified
आतुर
Eager, anxious, impatient — Sanskrit ātura = afflicted with longing. His longing is always for Rama's work
8
प्रभु चरित्र सुनिबे को रसिया। राम लखन सीता मन बसिया॥
A lover of hearing the Lord's deeds! Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita dwell in his heart.
रसिया
One filled with rasa (aesthetic delight) — Rasa (juice, essence, emotion) + Iya (one who has). Hanuman savors the Rama story as nectar
मन बसिया
Dwelling in the mind/heart — Mana (mind) + Basiyā (dweller). Rama's family lives within Hanuman's heart permanently

Most Famous Verses — 18, 26, 38

CHAUPAI 18
सूक्ष्म रूप धरि सियहिं दिखावा। बिकट रूप धरि लंक जरावा॥
He showed himself to Sita in a tiny (suksma) form — then assumed a fearsome (vikata) form and burned Lanka.
CHAUPAI 26
तुम्हरे भजन राम को पावै। जनम जनम के दुख बिसरावै॥
Through devotion to you, one attains Rama. The sorrows of birth after birth are forgotten.
CHAUPAI 38
जो यह पढ़ै हनुमान चालीसा। होय सिद्धि साखी गौरीसा॥
Whoever reads this Hanuman Chalisa — attains accomplishment; Gauri's Lord (Shiva) is the witness.

FAQ — Hanuman Chalisa

What language is the Hanuman Chalisa written in?

The Hanuman Chalisa is written in Awadhi — an eastern dialect of Hindi spoken around Ayodhya and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh). Tulsidas also wrote the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi. Awadhi is heavily influenced by Sanskrit but uses Devanagari script and grammatical structures closer to Old Hindi. Many words in the Chalisa are Awadhi forms of Sanskrit roots — e.g., "birad" (Sanskrit vīra), "guna" (Sanskrit guṇa), "sankata" (Sanskrit saṅkaṭa).

What does Sankat Mochan mean?

Sankat Mochan (संकट मोचन) = Remover of Troubles. Sankat = trouble, constriction (Sanskrit saṅkaṭa — narrowing, danger). Mochan = liberator (from root muc = to free, same root as Moksha). Hanuman removes obstacles and troubles for his devotees. The famous Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi was built by Tulsidas himself.

What day is best for Hanuman Chalisa?

Tuesday (Mangalvar) and Saturday (Shanivar) are dedicated to Hanuman. Tuesday is his primary day — Mangal (Mars) represents energy, strength, and courage, qualities associated with Hanuman. Saturday is important because Hanuman protects devotees from Shani (Saturn)'s malefic effects — the story goes that Hanuman once held Shani imprisoned, and in gratitude Shani promised to lighten the burden of Hanuman's devotees.

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