Today Tue 13 Oct TithiTritiya NakshatraVishakha PlaceColumbusUse my location Full Panchang & horoscope →

Rituals

All HomasAradhanaNadi AstrologyMantra Guides

Astrology

All Free ToolsVedic AstrologyToday's PanchangFree KundliDaily Horoscope

More

BlogAsk NirnayaContact

Your account

Sign inCart
Home › Mantras › Ram Chalisa
Rama Ram Chalisa: Rama and Sita enthroned in Ayodhya with Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna and kneeling Hanuman, Shiva above
Rama and Sita enthroned in Ayodhya with his brothers and Hanuman, as Shiva meditates on Rama in the clouds
Mantra · Haridasa's 46 chaupais on Rama's name, his brothers and Sita

Ram Chalisa

श्री रघुबीर भक्त हितकारी । सुनि लीजै प्रभु अरज हमारी ॥

Also known as Shri Raghubir Bhakt Hitkari

In Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English — with the meaning of every word, and the one syllable most people pronounce wrongly.

Rama HomaThe Rama Homa, performed for youBook →

What the Ram Chalisa is

The Ram Chalisa, printed as the Shri Ram Chalisa, is a Hindi devotional poem addressed to Rama as Raghuvira, protector of those who call on him. It is written in chaupai couplets with a light Awadhi colouring, and its poet signs only once, in the last chaupai, as Sri Haridasa. The sequence moves in clear stages. It opens with a plea to be heard and the reminder that Shiva, Brahma and Indra cannot reach the end of Rama's glory. A long middle passage then shows the name at work in others: Ganapati, Shesha, Bharata, Shatrughna and Lakshmana each draw their strength from it, and Sita is praised as Mahalakshmi. The poem then turns philosophical, calling Rama the attributeless Brahman and the inner controller, before closing with chaupais and two dohas that report what the recitation is said to bring.

A signed poem built from older legends

Nothing is recorded about when or where the Ram Chalisa was composed. Its poet follows the custom of Hindi devotional verse and places his name in the closing line, Sri Haridasa kahai aru gavai, Haridasa says and sings this, and repeats it in the first of the two final dohas. No printed edition identifies him further or gives him dates, and the text circulates as a traditional work in chalisa collections. What the poem does reveal is its reading. Several chaupais compress stories found in older Rama literature. The claim that Ganapati became the first deity worshipped because he took Rama's name echoes the Bala Kanda of Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, where the power of the Name is given as the reason Ganesha is honoured first. The image of Shesha carrying the earth as lightly as a flower because he repeats the name extends the same teaching to the serpent who holds up the world. The line saying Sita came forth from an earthen pot follows the account in which King Janaka's plough struck a buried vessel holding the infant; the Adbhuta Ramayana tells a longer version in which that pot had been hidden in Mithila. Sita is then praised as Mahalakshmi and Bhuvaneshvari, a reading that places her beside Rama as a goddess in her own right rather than only as his consort.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiश्री रघुबीर भक्त हितकारी । सुनि लीजै प्रभु अरज हमारी ॥
Tamilஶ்ரீ ரகுபீர பக்த ஹிதகாரீ । ஸுநி லீஜை ப்ரபு அரஜ ஹமாரீ ॥
Teluguశ్రీ రఘుబీర భక్త హితకారీ । సుని లీజై ప్రభు అరజ హమారీ ॥
Kannadaಶ್ರೀ ರಘುಬೀರ ಭಕ್ತ ಹಿತಕಾರೀ । ಸುನಿ ಲೀಜೈ ಪ್ರಭು ಅರಜ ಹಮಾರೀ ॥
Malayalamശ്രീ രഘുബീര ഭക്ത ഹിതകാരീ । സുനി ലീജൈ പ്രഭു അരജ ഹമാരീ ॥
EnglishRoman transliterationśrī raghubīra bhakta hitakārī | suni lījai prabhu araja hamārī ||
“O Raghuvira, benefactor of devotees, Lord, please listen to our plea.”
श्री
śrī — revered
रघुबीर
raghubīra — hero of the Raghu line
भक्त
bhakta — devotees
हितकारी
hitakārī — who does good to
सुनि
suni — hearing
लीजै
lījai — please take in
प्रभु
prabhu — Lord
अरज
araja — plea
हमारी
hamārī — our

Ram Chalisa lyrics in full

Forty-six chaupais and two closing dohas, in the most widely printed wording.

All 48 verses, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Ram Chalisa PDFAll 48 verses with their meanings, in Hindi. Free to print and keep.

Chaupai 1

श्री रघुबीर भक्त हितकारी ।
सुनि लीजै प्रभु अरज हमारी ॥

O Raghuvira, benefactor of devotees, Lord, please listen to our plea.

Chaupai 2

निशि दिन ध्यान धरै जो कोई ।
ता सम भक्त और नहीं होई ॥

Whoever meditates on you night and day - there is no devotee equal to him.

Chaupai 3

ध्यान धरें शिवजी मन मांही ।
ब्रह्मा, इन्द्र पार नहीं पाहीं ॥

Shiva meditates on you within his heart; even Brahma and Indra cannot reach the end of your glory.

Chaupai 4

दूत तुम्हार वीर हनुमाना ।
जासु प्रभाव तिहुं पुर जाना ॥

Your messenger is the hero Hanuman, whose might is known in all three worlds.

Chaupai 5

जय, जय, जय रघुनाथ कृपाला ।
सदा करो संतन प्रतिपाला ॥

Victory, victory, victory to you, compassionate Raghunatha; always protect the saints.

Chaupai 6

तुव भुजदण्ड प्रचण्ड कृपाला ।
रावण मारि सुरन प्रतिपाला ॥

Your mighty arms are fierce yet merciful; by slaying Ravana you protected the gods.

Chaupai 7

तुम अनाथ के नाथ गोसाईं ।
दीनन के हो सदा सहाई ॥

O Master, you are the protector of those who have no protector; you are always the helper of the lowly.

Chaupai 8

ब्रह्मादिक तव पार न पावैं ।
सदा ईश तुम्हरो यश गावैं ॥

Brahma and the other gods cannot fathom you; the Lord always sings your fame.

Chaupai 9

चारिउ वेद भरत हैं साखी ।
तुम भक्तन की लज्जा राखी ॥

The four Vedas bear witness that you have always guarded the honour of your devotees.

Chaupai 10

गुण गावत शारद मन माहीं ।
सुरपति ताको पार न पाहिं ॥

Sharada (Saraswati) sings your virtues in her heart; even Indra, lord of the gods, cannot reach your end.

Chaupai 11

नाम तुम्हार लेत जो कोई ।
ता सम धन्य और नहीं होई ॥

Whoever takes your name - no one else is as blessed as he.

Chaupai 12

राम नाम है अपरम्पारा ।
चारिहु वेदन जाहि पुकारा ॥

The name of Rama is boundless; the four Vedas proclaim it.

Chaupai 13

गणपति नाम तुम्हारो लीन्हो ।
तिनको प्रथम पूज्य तुम कीन्हो ॥

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

Chaupai 14

शेष रटत नित नाम तुम्हारा ।
महि को भार शीश पर धारा ॥

Shesha constantly repeats your name and so bears the weight of the earth on his head.

Chaupai 15

फूल समान रहत सो भारा ।
पावत कोऊ न तुम्हरो पारा ॥

That weight rests on him as lightly as a flower; no one can find the end of your greatness.

Chaupai 16

भरत नाम तुम्हरो उर धारो ।
तासों कबहूं न रण में हारो ॥

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

Chaupai 17

नाम शत्रुहन हृदय प्रकाशा ।
सुमिरत होत शत्रु कर नाशा ॥

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

Chaupai 18

लखन तुम्हारे आज्ञाकारी ।
सदा करत सन्तन रखवारी ॥

Lakshmana, obedient to you, always guards the saints.

Chaupai 19

ताते रण जीते नहिं कोई ।
युद्ध जुरे यमहूं किन होई ॥

Therefore no one can defeat him in battle, even if Yama himself should join the fight.

Chaupai 20

महालक्ष्मी धर अवतारा ।
सब विधि करत पाप को छारा ॥

Mahalakshmi, taking incarnation (as Sita), destroys sin in every way.

Chaupai 21

सीता राम पुनीता गायो ।
भुवनेश्वरी प्रभाव दिखायो ॥

She is sung of as the pure Sita of Rama; she showed the power of Bhuvaneshvari.

Chaupai 22

घट सों प्रकट भई सो आई ।
जाको देखत चन्द्र लजाई ॥

She appeared, coming forth from an earthen pot; the moon is put to shame on seeing her.

Chaupai 23

जो तुम्हरे नित पांव पलोटत ।
नवो निद्धि चरणन में लोटत ॥

She who daily presses your feet - at her feet the nine treasures roll.

Chaupai 24

सिद्धि अठारह मंगलकारी ।
सो तुम पर जावै बलिहारी ॥

The eighteen auspicious siddhis offer themselves to you in devotion.

Chaupai 25

औरहु जो अनेक प्रभुताई ।
सो सीतापति तुमहिं बनाई ॥

Whatever other powers there are, O Lord of Sita, you have created them all.

Chaupai 26

इच्छा ते कोटिन संसारा ।
रचत न लागत पल की बारा ॥

By your mere wish crores of worlds are created, and it does not take you even a moment.

Chaupai 27

जो तुम्हरे चरणन चित लावै ।
ताकी मुक्ति अवसि हो जावै ॥

Whoever fixes his mind on your feet - the verse says his liberation is certain.

Chaupai 28

सुनहु राम तुम तात हमारे ।
तुमहिं भरत कुल पूज्य प्रचारे ॥

Listen, Rama, you are our father; you made the line of Bharata honoured everywhere.

Chaupai 29

तुमहिं देव कुल देव हमारे ।
तुम गुरु देव प्राण के प्यारे ॥

You are our god and our family deity; you are our guru, dear as life itself.

Chaupai 30

जो कुछ हो सो तुमहिं राजा ।
जय जय जय प्रभु राखो लाजा ॥

Whatever there is, you are its king; victory, victory, victory, Lord - protect our honour.

Chaupai 31

राम आत्मा पोषण हारे ।
जय जय जय दशरथ के प्यारे ॥

Rama, nourisher of the soul; victory, victory, victory to the beloved of Dasharatha.

Chaupai 32

जय जय जय प्रभु ज्योति स्वरूपा ।
निर्गुण ब्रह्म अखण्ड अनूपा ॥

Victory, victory, victory, Lord whose form is light; you are the attributeless Brahman, undivided and incomparable.

Chaupai 33

सत्य सत्य जय सत्यव्रत स्वामी ।
सत्य सनातन अन्तर्यामी ॥

Truth, truth, victory to the Lord who is true to his vow; you are the eternal truth, the inner controller.

Chaupai 34

सत्य भजन तुम्हरो जो गावै ।
सो निश्चय चारों फल पावै ॥

The verse says whoever sings your devotional song in truth surely obtains the four aims of life.

Chaupai 35

सत्य शपथ गौरीपति कीन्हीं ।
तुमने भक्तिहिं सब सिधि दीन्हीं ॥

Shiva, lord of Gauri, swore by truth that you have given every siddhi to your devotees.

Chaupai 36

ज्ञान हृदय दो ज्ञान स्वरूपा ।
नमो नमो जय जगपति भूपा ॥

O embodiment of knowledge, give knowledge to our hearts; salutations, salutations, victory to you, king and lord of the world.

Chaupai 37

धन्य धन्य तुम धन्य प्रतापा ।
नाम तुम्हार हरत संतापा ॥

Blessed, blessed are you, blessed is your glory; your name removes all suffering.

Chaupai 38

सत्य शुद्ध देवन मुख गाया ।
बजी दुन्दुभी शंख बजाया ॥

True and pure, you are praised by the mouths of the gods; drums resounded and conches were blown.

Chaupai 39

सत्य सत्य तुम सत्य सनातन ।
तुम ही हो हमरे तन-मन धन ॥

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

Chaupai 40

याको पाठ करे जो कोई ।
ज्ञान प्रकट ताके उर होई ॥

The verse says that whoever recites this, knowledge dawns in his heart.

Chaupai 41

आवागमन मिटै तिहि केरा ।
सत्य वचन माने शिव मेरा ॥

His coming and going in births ends; Shiva holds this to be a true word.

Chaupai 42

और आस मन में जो होई ।
मनवांछित फल पावे सोई ॥

The verse says whatever other hope is in his mind, he obtains the fruit he desires.

Chaupai 43

तीनहुं काल ध्यान जो ल्यावै ।
तुलसी दल अरु फूल चढ़ावै ॥

Whoever meditates at the three times of day and offers tulsi leaves and flowers,

Chaupai 44

साग पत्र सो भोग लगावै ।
सो नर सकल सिद्धता पावै ॥

and offers vegetables and leaves as food - the verse says that person attains every accomplishment.

Chaupai 45

अन्त समय रघुबर पुर जाई ।
जहां जन्म हरि भक्त कहाई ॥

At the time of death he goes to the city of Raghubar (Rama), and wherever he is born he is called a devotee of Hari.

Chaupai 46

श्री हरिदास कहै अरु गावै ।
सो बैकुण्ठ धाम को पावै ॥

Sri Haridasa says and sings this; the verse says the one who sings it reaches the abode of Vaikuntha.

Doha 1

सात दिवस जो नेम कर, पाठ करे चित लाय ।
हरिदास हरि कृपा से, अवसि भक्ति को पाय ॥

Whoever keeps the rule for seven days and recites with a focused mind - Haridasa says that by Hari's grace he surely gains devotion.

Doha 2

राम चालीसा जो पढ़े, राम चरण चित लाय ।
जो इच्छा मन में करै, सकल सिद्ध हो जाय ॥

Whoever reads the Ram Chalisa with his mind fixed on Rama's feet - the verse says whatever wish is in his mind will be fulfilled.

The syllable people get wrong

The first chaupai calls Rama raghubīra, written with b, not raghuvīra with v; the b is the regular Awadhi form of the Sanskrit vīra and keeps the rhyme with hitakārī flowing, so say ra-ghu-BEE-ra rather than correcting it to Raghuveer.

When the Ram Chalisa is chanted

Weekday. Thursday

Festival. Rama Navami

Questions

The poem names its author only as Haridasa. The last chaupai reads Sri Haridasa kahai aru gavai, and the first closing doha repeats the name. No printed edition says who this Haridasa was, where he lived or when he wrote, so the Ram Chalisa is treated as a traditional devotional text rather than the work of a known historical poet. It should not be confused with the hymns of Tulsidas, whose Hanuman Chalisa is far better documented.
Chalisa comes from the Hindi chalis, forty, and the name was taken from the form best known through the Hanuman Chalisa. The Ram Chalisa keeps the name but not the count: the most widely printed wording runs to 46 chaupais and two closing dohas. Other printings differ slightly. One family merges chaupais 42 and 43 into a single line, and another leaves out the second Jaya jaya jaya Raghunatha chaupai, so a reader may meet 45 or fewer.
Chaupai 13 says that Ganapati took Rama's name and that Rama, in turn, made him the first to be worshipped. It is the poem's way of saying that Ganesha's place at the start of every rite comes from the Name itself. The idea is older than the Chalisa: the Bala Kanda of the Ramcharitmanas gives the same reason for Ganesha being honoured first. The chaupais that follow apply the same logic to Shesha, Bharata, Shatrughna and Lakshmana.
No. Some printed collections place this Sanskrit verse, known as the Eka-shloki Ramayana, at the top of the Ram Chalisa as if it were an opening doha. It is a separate stanza that tells the whole Ramayana in one verse, from Rama's exile to Ravana's death, and it is in Sanskrit, not in the Hindi of the Chalisa. The Chalisa itself begins with Shri Raghubira bhakta hitakari and has no opening doha in its most common form.
Not sure a mantra is enough?

Have your chart read before you decide

Chanting is yours to do, and free. But which deity your situation calls for — and whether a mantra alone is the right response — depends on your chart. Sometimes it is; sometimes it is not.

Brahmashree Shivaaya
Chief Operating Officer & Head of Astrological & Spiritual Solutions
  • Over 30 years in the Guru–Sishya Parampara, from the age of five
  • He reads every chart himself — 60 minutes, one to one, never delegated
  • Charts are read only between sunrise and sunset, following tradition
Book a consultation Ask Nirnaya — free
+91 96295 55442 WhatsApp us support@astrobhava.com We’re open now · Mon–Sat, 9:30–18:00 IST (0:00–8:30 EDT your time)
Continue

Related

Ask Nirnaya

Nirnaya

AstroBhava’s automated guide

Nirnaya is AstroBhava’s automated guide. What you tell it — including birth details — is kept to recommend rites and is reviewed by our team to improve it. It does not predict. Conversations are anonymised 12 months after your last message; you can delete them sooner from your account. Privacy policy

Speak to someone at the ashram

Message the ashram on WhatsApp or by email. We answer Mon–Sat, 9:30–18:00 IST (0:00–8:30 EDT your time).

Message on WhatsAppsupport@astrobhava.com

WhatsApp opens in a new tab; nothing is sent from this page.