Ram Chalisa — Lyrics with Meaning

Chaupai 1

Shri Raghubir bhakt hitkari | Suni leejai Prabhu araj hamari ||

O Shri Raghuvir, who cares for his devotees, Lord, please hear our prayer.

Chaupai 2

Nishi din dhyan dharai jo koi | Ta sam bhakt aur nahin hoi ||

One who meditates on you day and night is a devotee without equal.

Chaupai 3

Dhyan dhare Shivji man mahin | Brahma Indra paar nahin pahin ||

Shiv meditates on you in his heart; even Brahma and Indra cannot find your limit.

Chaupai 4

Jai jai jai Raghunath kripala | Sada karo santan pratipala ||

Glory to kind Raghunath, who always protects good people.

Chaupai 5

Doot tumhar veer Hanumana | Jasu prabhav tihun pur jana ||

Brave Hanuman is your messenger, whose might is known in all three worlds.

Chaupai 6

Tuv bhujdand prachand kripala | Ravan maari suran pratipala ||

O kind Lord, your arms are mighty; you slew Ravan and protected the gods.

Chaupai 7

Tum anath ke nath Gosain | Deenan ke ho sada sahai ||

O Master, you are the protector of those with no one, and always the helper of the humble.

Chaupai 8

Brahmadik tav paar na pavain | Sada Eesh tumharo yash gavain ||

Brahma and the others cannot reach your limit, and Shiv always sings your glory.

Chaupai 9

Chariu Ved bharat hain sakhi | Tum bhaktan ki lajja rakhi ||

All four Vedas bear witness that you have always protected the honour of your devotees.

Chaupai 10

Gun gavat Sharad man mahin | Surpati tako paar na pahin ||

Saraswati sings your virtues in her heart; even Indra, king of the gods, cannot reach their end.

Chaupai 11

Naam tumhar let jo koi | Ta sam dhanya aur nahin hoi ||

Whoever takes your name is blessed beyond all others.

Chaupai 12

Ram naam hai aparampara | Charihu Vedan jahi pukara ||

The power of Ram's name is boundless; all four Vedas proclaim it.

Chaupai 13

Ganpati naam tumharo leenhon | Tinko pratham poojya tum keenhon ||

Ganesh took your name, and you made him the first to be worshipped.

Chaupai 14

Shesh ratat nit naam tumhara | Mahi ko bhaar sheesh par dhara ||

Sheshnag chants your name every day and carries the weight of the earth on his head.

Chaupai 15

Phool saman rahat so bhara | Pavat kou na tumharo para ||

By your name that heavy load feels as light as a flower to him; no one can reach your limit.

Chaupai 16

Bharat naam tumharo ur dharo | Tason kabahun na ran mein haro ||

Bharat held your name in his heart, and so he was never defeated in battle.

Chaupai 17

Naam Shatruhan hriday prakasha | Sumirat hot shatru kar nasha ||

Your name shines in Shatrughna's heart, and remembering it destroys enemies.

Chaupai 18

Lashan tumhare aagyakari | Sada karat santan rakhvari ||

Lakshman follows your every word and always guards good people.

Chaupai 19

Tate ran jeete nahin koi | Yuddh jure Yamahun kin hoi ||

So no one can defeat him in battle, even if Yama, the god of death, himself should fight him.

Chaupai 20

Maha Lakshmi dhar avtara | Sab vidhi karat paap ko chhara ||

Mahalakshmi took birth (as Sita), and she burns away wrongdoing in every way.

Chaupai 21

Sita Ram punita gayo | Bhuvaneshwari prabhav dikhayo ||

The holy Sita-Ram were praised, and Sita showed her power as Bhuvaneshwari, queen of the worlds.

Chaupai 22

Ghat son prakat bhai so aai | Jako dekhat Chandra lajai ||

She appeared from a pot in the earth; seeing her beauty, even the moon feels shy.

Chaupai 23

So tumre nit paanv palotat | Navo niddhi charanan mein lotat ||

That same Sita serves your feet every day, and the nine treasures lie at your feet.

Chaupai 24

Siddhi atharah mangal kari | So tum par jaavai balihari ||

The eighteen auspicious powers are all devoted to you.

Chaupai 25

Aurahu jo anek prabhutai | So Sitapati tumahin banai ||

And all the other forms of greatness, O husband of Sita, were created by you.

Chaupai 26

Ichchha te kotin sansara | Rachat na laagat pal ki bara ||

By your will, millions of worlds are created in less than a moment.

Chaupai 27

Jo tumhare charanan chit lavai | Tako mukti avasi ho javai ||

Whoever fixes their mind on your feet surely attains liberation.

Chaupai 28

Sunahu Ram tum taat hamare | Tumahin Bharat kul poojya prachare ||

Hear me, Ram — you are our father; you are honoured as the one worthy of worship in Bharat's line.

Chaupai 29

Tumahin dev kul dev hamare | Tum guru dev pran ke pyare ||

You are our god and our family deity; you are our guru and the Lord dearer than life.

Chaupai 30

Jo kuchh ho so tumahin Raja | Jai jai jai Prabhu rakho laja ||

O King, whatever there is, you are all of it; glory to you, Lord, protect our honour.

Chaupai 31

Rama aatma poshan hare | Jai jai jai Dashrath ke pyare ||

O Ram, you nourish the soul; glory to you, beloved son of Dashrath.

Chaupai 32

Jai jai jai Prabhu jyoti swaroopa | Nirgun Brahm akhand anupa ||

Glory to the Lord whose form is light; you are the formless Brahman, whole and beyond compare.

Chaupai 33

Satya satya jai Satyavrat Swami | Satya sanatan antaryami ||

Glory to the Master devoted to truth; you are truth itself, eternal, and you know every heart.

Chaupai 34

Satya bhajan tumharo jo gavai | So nishchay charon phal pavai ||

Whoever sings your praise sincerely gains the four goals of life — dharma, wealth, fulfilment and liberation — so the Chalisa says.

Chaupai 35

Satya shapath Gauripati keenhin | Tumne bhaktahin sab siddhi deenhin ||

Shiv, lord of Gauri, has sworn truly that you have given every blessing to your devotees.

Chaupai 36

Gyan hriday do gyan swaroopa | Namo namo jai Jagpati bhoopa ||

O embodiment of wisdom, place wisdom in my heart; salutations again and again, O King and Lord of the world.

Chaupai 37

Dhanya dhanya tum dhanya pratapa | Naam tumhar harat santapa ||

Blessed are you and blessed is your glory; your name takes away all suffering.

Chaupai 38

Satya shuddh devan mukh gaya | Baji dundubhi shankh bajaya ||

The gods sang of your true and pure nature, the kettle-drums sounded and conches were blown.

Chaupai 39

Satya satya tum satya sanatan | Tumahin ho hamre tan man dhan ||

You are truth, the eternal truth; you are our body, mind and wealth.

Chaupai 40

Yako paath kare jo koi | Gyan prakat take ur hoi ||

Whoever recites this finds wisdom awakening in their heart — so devotees believe.

Chaupai 41

Aavagaman mitai tihi kera | Satya vachan maane Shiv mera ||

Their cycle of birth and death comes to an end; take this as true, says Shiv.

Chaupai 42

Aur aas man mein jo lyavai | Tulsi dal aru phool chadhavai ||

One who comes with some other wish in the heart should offer tulsi leaves and flowers,

Chaupai 43

Saag patra so bhog lagavai | So nar sakal siddhata pavai ||

and offer simple greens as food; such a person succeeds in every effort — so the Chalisa says.

Chaupai 44

Ant samay Raghubar pur jaai | Jahan janm Hari bhakt kahai ||

At the end they go to Raghuvir's abode, and wherever they are born, they are known as a devotee of Hari.

Chaupai 45

Shri Haridas kahai aru gavai | So Baikunth dham ko pavai ||

Haridas says: whoever speaks and sings this reaches Vaikunth, the divine abode.

Doha

Saat divas jo nem kar, paath kare chit laay | Haridas Hari kripa se, avasi bhakti ko paay ||

Haridas says: whoever recites this with focus as a practice for seven days surely gains devotion by Hari's grace.

Doha

Ram Chalisa jo padhe, Ram charan chit laay | Jo ichchha man mein karai, sakal siddh ho jaay ||

Whoever reads the Ram Chalisa with their mind on Ram's feet sees their heart's wishes fulfilled — so this doha says.