Hanuman Chalisa

The Hanuman Chalisa (Devanagari: ├ô├▒Ôòú├ô├▒┬┐├ô├æ├╝├ô├▒┬½├ô├▒┬Ñ├ô├▒┬┐├ô├▒├£├ô├▒┬Ñ├ô├▒Ôûô├ô├æ├ç├ô├▒┬®├ô├▒┬ÑHindi pronunciation: [Ôòö┬¬Ôòö├ûnÔò®├¿maÔòª├ën tÔò®├óaÔòª├ëliÔòª├ësaÔòª├ë]; literally Forty chaupais on Hanuman) is a Hindu devotional hymn (stotra) addressed to Hanuman.[1][2] It is traditionally believed to have been authored by Tulsidas in the Awadhi language,[1] and is his best known text apart from the Ramcharitmanas.[3][4] The word “chÔöÇ├╝lÔöÇ┬¢sÔöÇ├╝” is derived from “chÔöÇ├╝lÔöÇ┬¢s“, which means “40” in Hindi, as the Hanuman Chalisa has 40 verses excluding the couplets at beginning and end.[1]

Hanuman is a vanara (a monkey-like humanoid deity), a devotee of Rama, and one of the central characters in the Sanskrit epicRamayana. Folk tales increasingly eulogise the powers of Hanuman, and he is considered by many to be an avatar of the god Shiva.[5] The qualities of Hanuman ÔÇô his strength, courage, wisdom, celibacy, devotion to Rama and the many names by which he was known ÔÇô are detailed in the Hanuman Chalisa.[5] There are more temples devoted to Hanuman than any other deity in India, and recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa is a common religious practice.[6]

About the work

The authorship of the Hanuman Chalisa is attributed to Tulsidas, a poet-saint who lived in the 16th century CE. He says in the last stanza of the Chalisa that whoever chants it with full devotion to Hanuman, will have Hanuman’s grace. Amongst the Hindus of Northern India, it is a very popular belief that chanting the Hanuman Chalisa invokes Hanuman’s divine intervention in grave problems, including those concerning evil spirits.

Author

The most common picture of Tulasidas

Tulsidas (Devanagari: ├ô├▒├▒├ô├æ├╝├ô├▒Ôûô├ô├▒┬®├ô├æ├ç├ô├▒┬¬├ô├▒┬Ñ├ô├▒┬®, Hindi pronunciation: [tÔòá┬¼ulsÔòá┬¼iÔòª├ëdÔòá┬¼Ôòö├ªÔòª├ësÔòá┬¼], also known as GoswamiTulsidas),[7] (1497/1532├ö├ç├┤1623 CE) was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion for the god Rama. A composer of several popular works, he is best known for being the author of the epic Ramcharitmanas, a retelling of the SanskritRamayana in the vernacular Awadhi. Tulsidas was acclaimed in his lifetime to be a reincarnation of Valmiki, the composer of the original Ramayana in Sanskrit.[8]Tulsidas lived permanently and died in the city of Varanasi.[9] The TulsiGhat in Varnasi is named after him.[7] He founded the Sankatmochan Temple dedicated to Hanuman in Varanasi, believed to stand at the place where he had the sight of Hanuman.[10]Tulsidas started the Ramlila plays, a folk-theatre adaption of the Ramayana.[11] He has been acclaimed as one of the greatest poets in Hindi, Indian, and world literature.[12][13][14][15] The impact of Tulsidas and his works on the art, culture and society in India is widespread and is seen to date in vernacular language, Ramlila plays, Hindustani classical music, popular music, and television series.[11][16][17][18]

Language

The language is very simple and rustic conforming to the popular belief that it was created by the boy Tulasidas.[19] There are 2 couplets in the beginning and one couplet at the ending between the 40 verses of Chalisa.[20] The Chalisa details Hanuman in the order of his knowledge, devotion to Rama and man without any desire.[21] As with the case of devotional literature, Tulasidas starts the poem with two couplets praising his Guru (teacher).[22] The language of Chalisa is in the refined Avandhi language.[23]

Deity

The Hindu deity to whom the prayer is addressed, Hanuman (Sanskrit: ├ô├▒Ôòú├ô├▒┬┐├ô├æ├╝├ô├▒┬½├ô├▒┬Ñ├ô├▒┬┐├ô├æ├¼, HanumÔöÇ├╝n), is an ardent devotee of Rama, the seventh Avatar of Vishnu, and a central character in the Indian epicRamayan. A general among the vanaras, Hanuman is a disciple of Lord Rama in the war against the demon king Ravan. Hanuman’s exploits are much celebrated in a variety of religious and cultural traditions,[24] particularly in Hinduism, to the extent that he is often the object of worship according to some bhakti traditions,[25] and is the prime deity in many temples known as Hanuman Mandirs.

Text

The work consists of forty-three verses ├ö├ç├┤ two introductory Dohas, forty Chaupais and one Doha in the end.[1] The first introductory Doha begins with the word shrÔöÇ┬¢, which refers to Sita, who is considered the Guru of Hanuman.[26] The auspicious form, knowledge, virtues, powers and bravery of Hanuman are described in the first ten Chaupais.[27][28][29]Chaupais eleven to twenty describe the acts of Hanuman in his service to Rama, with the eleventh to fifteenth Chaupais describing the role of Hanuman in bringing back Lakshman to consciousness.[27] From the twenty-first Chaupai, Tulsidas describes the need of Hanuman’s Kripa.[30] At the end, Tulsidas hails Hanuman[31] and requests him to reside in his heart and in the heart of Vaishnavas.[32] The concluding Doha again requests Hanuman to reside in the heart, along with Rama, Lakshman and Sita.[33]

The translation below follows the English and Hindi translations by Gita Press, Rao, Mehta and Rambhadracharya.[28][34][35][3