Introductory Dohas

shrguru charana saroja raja nija mana mukuru sudhri

baranau raghubara bimala jasu jo dyaku phala chri
Cleansing the mirror in the form of my mind with the
pollen of the lotus-feet of the Guru, I describe the
unblemished glory of Rama, which bestows the four
fruits.
Gita Press translation interprets the four fruits as the
four Pururthas Dharma, Artha, Kma, and Moka.
Rambhadracharya comments that the four fruits refer to
any of the following
1. The four Pururthas Dharma, Artha, Kma, Moka
2. The four types of Mukti Slokya, Smpya, Syujya,
Srpya
3. Dharma, Jna, Yoga, Japa

buddhihna tanu jnikai sumirau pavanakumra
bala budhi bidy dehu mohi harahu kalesa bikra
Knowing my body to be devoid of intelligence, I
remember Hanuman, the son of Vyu. Give me strength,
intelligence and knowledge and remove all ailments
(kalesa) and impurities (bikra).
Gita Press interprets kalesa as bodily ailments and bikra
as mental maladies. Rambhadracharya comments that
kalesa (Sanskrit klea) refers to the five afflictions
(Avidy, Asmit, Rga, Dvea, and Abhinivea) as
described in the Yoga Sutras, and bikra (Sanskrit vikra)
refers to the six impurities of the mind (Kma, Krodha,
Lobha, Moha, Mada, and Mtsarya). Rambhadracharya
adds that these five afflictions and six impurities are the
eleven enemies, and Hanuman is capable of removing
them as he is the incarnation of the eleven Rudras.

jaya hanumna gyna guna sgara
jaya kapsa tihu loka ujgara 1
O Hanuman, the ocean of knowledge and virtues, may
you be victorious. O the chief amongst Vanaras famous
across the three Lokas (Ptla, Prithvi (earth) and
Svarga), may you be victorious.
Rambhadracharya comments that Hanuman is called
ocean of knowledge by Tulsidas as the Valmiki Ramayana
describes him as one who knows the three Vedas
(gveda, Yajurveda, and Smaveda) and Sanskrit
grammar.

rma dta atulita bala dhm
anjani putra pavanasuta nm 2
You are the trusted messenger of Rama and you are the
abode of incomparable strength. You are known by the
names of Anjaniputra (son of Anjana) and Pavanasuta
(son of Vyu).
Hanuman is called Anjaniputra as he was born from the
womb of Anjana, who was an Apsara with the name
Pujikasthal and was born as a Vanara by the curse of
Agastya. Hanuman is called Pavanasuta since Vyu
carried the divine power of Shiva into Anjana's womb,
and since the Valmiki Ramayana calls Hanuman as Vyu's
own son (mrutasyaurasa putra).



mahbra bikrama bajarang
kumati nivra sumati ke sang 3
You are the great hero, you are endowed with valour,
your body is as strong as Indra's Vajra. You are the
destroyer of vile intellect, and you are the companion of
one whose intellect is pure.
Rambhadracharya explains the word bajarang to come
from Sanskrit Vajrg and gives two meanings of the
word bikrama based on the root kram in Sanskrit and
usage of the verb form vikramasva in Valmiki Ramayana

1. Hanuman is endowed with special progression of

sdhan (penance).
2. Hanuman is endowed with the special action of going
over or across, i.e. the crossing of the ocean

kanchana barana birja subes
knana kundala kunchita kes 4
Your complexion is that of molten gold, and you are
resplendent in your handsome form. You wear Kundalas
(small earrings worn in old times by Hindus) in your ears
and your hair is curly.
Noting that in the Ramcharitmanas Tulsidas calls
Hanuman as Subea (one with an handsome form),
Rambhadracharya comments that this verse describes
the form of Hanuman when he took the appearance of a
Brahmin, which happens three times in the
Ramcharitmanas.




htha bajra au dhvaj birjai
kdhe mnja jane sjai 5
You have the Vajra and the flag in your hands, and the
sacred-thread (Yajnopavita) made of the Munja grass
adorns your shoulder.
Rambhadracharya gives two meanings for the first half of
the verse
1. The flag signifying the victory of Rama shines forth in
Hanuman's Vajra-like powerful hand
2. The Vajra-like powerful Gad and the victory flag of
Rama shine forth in Hanuman's hands
He also gives the variant reading chhjai () instead
of sjai () in the second half.

shankara suvana kesar nandana
teja pratpa mah jaga bandana 6
O son of Shiva (or son of Vyu carrying the power of
Shiva), the delighter of Kesari, your aura and majesty is
great and is revered by the whole world.
Rao and Mehta explain the first half as Hanuman is the
son of Kesari and Shiva. Rambhadracharya gives two
variant readings for the first part
1. shankara svayam which is explained as Hanuman is
Shiva himself, as Vyu carried the power of Shiva himself
in Anjana's womb from which Hanuman was born.
Tulsidas mentions Hanuman as an Avatar of Shiva in the
Vinayapatrika.
2. shankara suvana which is explained as Hanuman is the
son of Vyu, who is one of the eight manifestations of
Shiva as per Kalidasa. An alternate explanation is that the
word suvana is used in the sense of Aa as per the
Puranic narrative of Vyu carrying Shivas power to
Anjana's womb.
Rambhadracharya explains kesar nandana as the
Ketraja son of Kesari, which is one of the twelve kinds of
offspring recognized in the ancient Hindu law.

bidyvna gun ati chtura
rma kja karibe ko tura 7
You are the praiseworthy abode of the eighteen types of
Vidy (knowledge), all virtues reside in you, and you are
exceedingly clever. You are ever eager to perform tasks
for Rama.

prabhu charitra sunibe ko rasiy
rma lakhana st mana basiy 8
You delight in listening to the acts of Rama (Ramayana).
Rama, Lakshmana and Sita reside in your mind.
Alternately, you reside in the minds of Rama, Lakshmana
and Sita [owing to their affection towards you].

skshma rpa dhari siyahi dikhv
bikata rpa dhari lanka jarv 9
You assumed an extremely minute form and saw Sita in
the Ashok Vatika. You assumed a very large and scary
form and burnt the city of Lanka.

bhma rpa dhari asura sahre
rmachandra ke kja savre 10
You assumed a frightening form and destroyed the
demons in the army of Ravana. You carried out all the
tasks of Rama.
Rambhadracharya comments that the word bhma is an
allusion to the event in the Mahabharata when Hanuman
showed the same frightening form to Bhima.



lya sajvani lakhana jiye
shr raghubra harashi ura le 11
You brought the Sanjivini, the life saving herb from
Dronagiri in Himalayas, and revitalized Lakshman. Out of
elation, Rama embraced you.

raghupati knh bahut bar
tuma mama priya bharatahi sama bh 12
Rama, the chief among Raghu's descendants, praised you
profusely saying "You are dear to me like my brother
Bharata.
Rambhadracharya associates the term bh with bharata.
In contrast, Rao and Mehta interpret the second half as
Rama said that you (Hanuman) are my dear brother, like
Bharata.

sahasa badana tumharo jasa gvai
asa kahi shrpati kantha lagvai 13
Rao and Mehta's translation Rama also added that a
thousand people will praise Hanuman's glory and
embraced him again.
Rambhadracharya interprets sahasa badana as the
thousand-hooded serpent Shesha. His translation is The
serpent Shesha, who has a thousand mouths, sings and
will sing your glory, saying thus Rama embraces
Hanuman again and again.

sanakdika brahmdi muns
nrada srada sahita ahs 14
jama kubera dikpla jah te
kabi kobida kahi sakai kah te 15
Rao and Mehta translate the two verses as Saints like
Sanka, Bramha, Munisa, Narad, Sarad, Sahit and Ahisa
have blessed Hanuman; Yama (God of death), Kubera
(God of wealth), Dikpala (Gods of eight directions), Kavis
(poets), Kovidas (folk singers) cannot describe
Hanuman's reputation. Rambhadracharya associates the
verb gvai in verse 13 with verse 14 and first half of verse
15 also, interprets ahs as standing for both Shiva and
Vishnu, and kovida as one who knows Vedas. His
translation reads The celibate Rishis like Sanaka, the
Devatas like Brahma, Narada the best among Munis
(sages), Saraswati with Shiva and Vishnu, the eight
Dikpalas including Yama and Kubera all these will sing
your glory. To what extent can the mortal poets and
scholars of Vedas speak about your infinite glory?

tuma upakra sugrvahi knh
ram milya rjapada dnh 16
You did Sugriva a great favour by making him meet Rama
and bestowing on him the kingdom of Kishkindha.

tumharo mantra bibhshana mn
lankeshvara bhae saba jaga jn 17
Your Mantra was accepted by Vibishana, as a result of
which he became the king of Lanka. The whole world
knows this.

juga sahasra jojana para bhn
llyo thi madhura phala jn 18
The Surya, situated many thousands of Yojanas from the
earth, was swallowed by you after you assumed him to
be a sweet fruit.
Though Hanuman does not end up swallowing the Surya
in Valmiki's Ramayana, the narrative is referred to by
Tulsidas in the Vinayapatrika. Rambhadracharya ascribes
the differences in the narration by Valmiki and Tulsidas
to the difference in the Kalpas.

prabhu mudrik meli mukha mh
jaladhi lghi gaye acharaja nh 19
O Lord, placing the ring given by Rama in your mouth,
you leaped across the ocean there is no wonder here.

durgama kja jagata ke jete
sugama anugraha tumhare tete 20
All the unattainable tasks in the world become easily
attainable with your grace.

rma dure tuma rakahvre
hota na gy binu paisre 21
You are the doorkeeper and protector of the door to
Rama's court. Without your command, nobody can enter
the abode of Rama.
Rambhadracharya explains paisre as the Tadbhava form
of Sanskrit padasra.

saba sukha lahai tumhr saran
tuma rakshaka kh ko daran 22
Once in your refuge, a Sdhaka obtains all the pleasures.
You are the protector, and there is nothing to be afraid
of.

pana teja samhro pai
tinau loka hka te kpai 23
When you roar, after remembering your powers, the
three worlds tremble with fear.
Rambhadracharya comments that this verse refers to the
narrative of Jambavan reminding Hanuman of his powers
in the Kishkindha Kanda of Ramayana.

bhta pishcha nikata nahi vai
mahbra jaba nma sunvai 24
Evil spirits (bhta) and meat-eating ghosts (pishcha) do
not come near those chant the Mahvira name of yours.

nsai roga harai saba pr
japata nirantara hanumata br 25
The brave Hanuman, when invoked incessantly by the
means of Japa, destroys all ailments and removes all
sufferings.

sankata se hanumna chhudvai
mana krama bachana dhyna jo lvai 26
Hanuman extricates those from all adversities who
remember him (or contemplate upon him) in their heart,
by their actions and by their words.

saba para rma tapasv rj
tina ke kja sakala tuma sj 27
Rama is the supreme God and a king with Tapas, and yet
you executed all his tasks.
Rambhadracharya explains that the word saba para is
from Sanskrit sarvapara, meaning supreme. A variant
reading of this verse is saba para rma rya siratj, on
which Rambhadracharya's commentary says Rama is the
supreme God and king of kings.



aura manoratha jo ko lvai
so amita jvana phala pvai 28
And whoever comes to you with any wish, that wish is
fulfilled beyond limits (literally, "they obtain the
unlimited fruit of the wish") in this very birth.

chro juga para tpa tumhr
hai parasiddha jagata ujiyyr 29
Your glory is famous in all the four Yugas, and illuminates
the whole world.
Rambharacharya adds that this verse refers to the
immortality of Hanuman, as four cycles of the four Yugas
are believed to have passed since the Avatar of Rama.

sdhu santa ke tuma rakhavre
asura nikandana rma dulre 30
You are the protector of Sadhus (mendicants) and Sants
(saints). You are the destroyer of demons and dear as a
son to Rama.
Rambhadracharya interprets the word sdhu as Bhaktas
who are performing sdhan and the word santa as
Bhaktas whose sdhan is complete.

ashta siddhi nau nidhi ke dt
asa bara dnha jnak mt 31
You are the bestower the eight Siddhis (supernatural
powers named Aim, Garim, Mahim, Laghim, Prpti,
Prkmya, itva, and Vaitva) and the nine Nidhis (divine
treasures named Mahpadma, Padma, akha, Makara,
Kacchapa, Mukunda, Kunda, Nla and Kharva). Mother
Sita, the daughter of Janaka, has granted you this boon.

rma rasyana tumhare ps
sad raho raghupati ke ds 32
You have the treasure of Rama's Bhakti (rma rasyana)
with you. You are, respectfully, the servant of Raghupati
(Shri Raam).
Rambhadracharya explains the term rma rasyana in
two ways
1. The treasure of love (Bhakti) towards Rama, with rasa
meaning devotion and yana meaning repository
2. The abode of devotion to Rama (i.e. Ramyana), with
rasa meaning devotion and yana meaning a house or
edifice

tumhare bhajana rma ko pvai
janama janama ke dukha bisarvai 33
Singing of you (Hanuman), a Bhakta obtains Rama and
forgets the adversities and afflictions of many births.
Rambhadracharya explains using verses from
Ramcharitmanas and Kavitavali, that as per Tulsidas
Jna and Vairgya are the two means to obtain Rama,
and Hanuman is both Jna and Vairgya incarnate.
Hence serving Hanuman leads to Rama.

anta kla raghubara pura j
jah janma hari bhakta kah 34
As a result of devotion to you, a Bhakta goes to Sketa
Loka (raghubara pura) at the time of their end (physical
death). Once the Bhakta reaches Sketa, wherever they
take birth, they are known as the Bhaktas of Hari.
Rambhadracharya interprets this verse to mean that the
Bhakta, even discards the blissful Moksha to take birth
again in this world as a devotee of Hari, as Tulsidas says
in the fourth book of Ramcharitmanas.



aura devat chitta na dhara
hanumata sei sarba sukha kara 35
Even one who does not contemplate on any other
Devatas in their mind and only serves Hanuman, achieves
all favourable bliss in this world and the next.
Rambhadracharya explains that as per Bhagavad Gita,
only Devatas can grant the desired results of actions, but
even if one serves Hanuman and no other Devata, they
obtain all worldly and other-worldly bliss.

sankata katai mitai saba pr
jo sumirai hanumata balabr 36
Whoever remembers the brave and mighty Hanuman
gets free of all adversities and relief from all pains.

jaya jaya jaya hanumna gus
krip karahu gurudeva k n 37
O Hanuman, the master of senses, may you be victorious,
may you be victorious, may you be victorious. May you
shower your grace lovingly, as a Guru does, and reveal to
me the knowledge of devotion to Rama.
Rambhadracharya interprets the three utterances of jaya
to mean that Hanuman is sat-cit-nanda.

jo shata bra ptha kara ko
chhtahi bandi mah sukha ho 38
One who recites Hanuman Chalisa a hundred times (or
for hundred days) is released from bondage and obtains
great bliss".
Rambhadracharya interprets shata as standing for the
number 108 and bra (Sanskrit vra) to mean a day. He
explains the words to mean that one who recites the
Hanuman Chalisa 108 times daily for 108 days will be
released from of bondages of this world and the next,
and will obtain great bliss.

jo yaha parhai hanumna chls
hoya siddha skh gaurs 39
One who reads this Hanuman Chalisa obtains Siddhi
(accomplishment or liberation). Shiva himself bears
witness to this statement.
Rao and Mehta explain this as "One who reads Hanuman
Chalisa attains siddhis of God Shiva and becomes his
friend."

tulasdsa sad hari cher
kjai ntha hridaya mama der 40
Tulsidas is always a devotee of Hari. O Lord, make my
heart your abode.
Rambhadracharya offers three explanations for this verse
in accordance with three different Anvayas (connection
of words) 1. O Hanuman, the lord of Vanaras, you are always in the
service of Hari (Rama), may you reside in the heart of
Tulsidas.
2. Tulsidas says O Lord Hanuman, may you ever reside in
the heart of the devotees who serve Hari (Rama).
3. Tulsidas is ever the servant of Hari (Hanuman, as Hari
also means Vanara in Sanskrit), may you reside in my
heart.

Concluding Doha

pavanatanaya sankata harana mangala mrati rpa
rma lakhana st sahita hridaya basahu sura bhpa
O Son of Vyu, remover of adversities, one with an
auspicious form, and the chief among all Devas, may you
reside in our hearts along with Ram, Lakshman and Sita.
Rambhadracharya explains that Tulsidas addresses
Hanuman with four adjectives in this final verse to
indicate that Hanuman helps cleanse the mind (Manas),
intellect (Buddhi), heart (Citta) and ego (Ahakra), and
by asking him to reside in the heart of the devotee,
Tulsidas ends the work by implying that the refuge of
Hanuman is the supreme pursuit.