Jump to content

Hanuman Chalisa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Hanuman Chalisa
Hanumanshowing Rama and Sita within his heart
Information
ReligionHinduism
AuthorTulsidas
LanguageAwadhi[1]
Verses40
Full text
Hanuman ChalisaatEnglish Wikisource

TheHanuman Chalisa(Hindi pronunciation:[ɦənʊmaːntʃaːliːsaː];Forty chaupaison Hanuman) is aHindudevotional hymn (stotra) in praise ofHanuman,and popularly recited by millions of Hindus everyday.[2][3][4][5][6]It is anAwadhi languagetext attributed toTulsidas,[2]and is his best known text apart from theRamcharitmanas.[7][8]The word 'chālīsā' is derived from 'chālīs' meaning the number 'forty' inHindi,denoting the number of verses in theHanuman Chalisa(excluding the couplets at the beginning and the end).[2]

Hanuman is a Hindu deity and a devotee of the Hindu god,Rama.He one of the central characters of theRamayana.According to theShaivatradition, he is also an incarnation ofShiva.TheHanuman Chalisapraises the power and other qualities of Hanuman including his strength, courage, wisdom, celibacy (brahmacharya), and devotion to Rama.[9]

Description[edit]

The authorship of theHanuman Chalisais attributed toTulsidas,a poet-saint who lived in the 16th century CE.[10]He mentions his name in the last verse of the hymn. It is said in the 39th verse of theHanuman Chalisathat whoever chants it with full devotion toHanuman,will have Hanuman's grace. Among Hindus worldwide, it is a very popular belief that chanting the Chalisa invokes Hanuman's divine intervention in grave problems.

Author[edit]

The most common picture ofTulsidas
Home of Tulsidas on the banks of River GangaTulsi GhatVaranasi where Hanuman Chalisa was written, a small temple is also located at this site

Tulsidas[11](1497/1532–1623) was aHindupoet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion forRama.A composer of several popular works, he is best known for being the author of the epicRamcharitmanas,a retelling of theRamayanain the vernacularAwadhi language.Tulsidas was acclaimed in his lifetime to be a reincarnation ofValmiki,the composer of the original Ramayana inSanskrit.[12]Tulsidas lived in the city ofVaranasiuntil his death.[13]The Tulsi Ghat in Varnasi is named after him.[11]He founded theSankat Mochan Hanuman Templededicated to Hanuman in Varanasi, believed to stand at the place where he had the sight of Hanuman.[14]Tulsidas started theRamlilaplays, a folk-theatre adaption of the Ramayana.[15]He has been acclaimed as one of the greatest poets inHindi,Indian,andWorld literature.[16][17][18][19]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.[15][20][21][22]

Deity[edit]

TheHindudeity to whom the prayer is addressed isHanuman,an ardent devotee ofRama(the seventhavatarofVishnu) and a central character in theRamayana.A general among thevanaras,Hanuman was a warrior of Rama in the war against therakshasakingRavana.Hanuman's exploits are much celebrated in a variety of religious and cultural traditions,[23]particularly in Hinduism, to the extent that he is often the object of worship according to somebhakti traditions,[24]and is the prime deity in many temples known as Hanuman Mandirs.

Text[edit]

The work consists of forty-three verses – two introductorydohas,fortyChaupais,and one doha in the end.[2]The first introductory doha begins with the word 'shrī,' referring to Shiva, who is considered the guru of Hanuman.[25]The auspicious form, knowledge, virtues, powers and bravery of Hanuman are described in the first ten Chaupais.[26][27][28]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 reviving Lakshmana.[26]In the twenty-first Chaupai, Tulsidas describes the need of Hanuman'skripa(transl. divine grace).[29]At the end, Tulsidas greets Hanuman with subtle devotion[30]and requests him to reside in his heart and in the heart of devotees.[31]The concluding doha again requests Hanuman to reside in the heart, along with Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita.[32]

Commentaries[edit]

Depiction ofBharatameeting Rama watched by Hanuman, Sita and Lakshmana. From left – Hanuman, Bharata, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana

Before the 1980s, no commentary had been composed on theHanuman Chalisa,which Rambhadracharya attributes to the work not being included in printed editions of collected works of Tulsidas.[2]Indubhushan Ramayani authored the first brief commentary onHanuman Chalisa.[2]Rambhadracharya'sMahaviricommentary in Hindi, authored in 1983,[2]was called the best commentary onHanuman Chalisaby Rama Chandra Prasad.[33]

In popular culture[edit]

TheHanuman Chalisais recited by millions of Hindus every day,[5]and a good portion of practising Hindus in India know its text by heart.[34]

Classical and folk music[edit]

TheHanuman Chalisais one of the best selling Hindu religious books and has been sung by many popular bhajan, classical and folk singers.[34]The rendition ofHanuman ChalisabyHari Om Sharan,originally released in 1974 by theGramophone Company of Indiaand re-released in 1995 bySuper Cassettes Industries,[35]is one of the most popular, and is regularly played at temples and homes across Northern India.[34][36]This rendition is based on traditional melodies in the Mishra Khamaj, aragabelonging to theKhamajThat,[35]with the base note taken at the second black key (kali do) of theharmonium.[35]A recording based on the same traditional melodies was released in 1992 by Super Cassettes Industries, withHariharanas the singer andGulshan Kumaras the artiste.[35]

Other notable renditions include those by bhajan singersAnup JalotaandRavindra Jain,Hindustani vocalistsPandit JasrajandRajan and Sajan Mishra,and the Carnatic vocalistM.S. Subbulakshmi.[35]The renditions byUnni Krishnan,Nithyasree Mahadevan,Pandit Bhimsen Joshi,Ganapathi SachchidanandaSwamiji andMorari Bapuare also popular.[37]

Among western singersKrishna Dashas performed the Hanuman Chalisa in both slow and fast formats.[38]

Popular movies[edit]

In the Hindi movie1920(directed byVikram Bhatt),Hanuman Chalisais frequently used in different scenes. One of the scenes show the protagonist Arjun Singh Rathod (played byRajneesh Duggal), reciting theHanuman Chalisain full. It is used in an important sequence inBajrangi Bhaijaan,when the protagonist fights back against child traffickers and rescues a little girl from them.[39]

An animation movie namedShri Hanuman Chalisadirected byCharuvi Agarwaland designed byCharuvi Design Labsis a film on Hanuman.[40][41]

Popular music[edit]

Popular singers who have sung theHanuman Chalisainclude Carnatic singerM. S. Subbulakshmi,as well asLata Mangeshkar,Mahendra Kapoor,S. P. Balasubrahmanyam,Shankar Mahadevan,Anuradha Paudwal,Kailash Kher,Sukhwinder Singh,Sonu Nigam,andUdit Narayan.[34]

TheHanuman Chalisawas sung byAmitabh Bachchanin chorus with twenty other singers.[34]This recording was released as a part of theShri Hanuman Chalisaalbum in 2011 and received an unprecedented response by the releasing music label during November 2011.[42]

A rendition ofHanuman Chalisasung byHariharanbecame the firstdevotional songand first onYouTubeto cross 3.5 billion views in November 2023.[43]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Nityanand Misra 2015, p. xviii.
  2. ^abcdefgRambhadradas 1984,pp. 1–8.Archived3 February 2014 at theWayback Machine
  3. ^"Hanuman Chalisa in digital version".The Hindu Business Line. 26 February 2003.Archivedfrom the original on 21 April 2009.Retrieved25 June2011.
  4. ^"किसने लिखी थी हनुमान चालीसा, जिसके बारे में कही जाती हैं कई बातें".News18 India.9 April 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 4 May 2020.Retrieved15 September2020.
  5. ^abKaran Singh,in Nityanand Misra 2015, p. xvi.
  6. ^Peebles 1986, p. 99
  7. ^"Book Review / Language Books: Epic of Tulasidas".The Hindu.3 January 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2010.Retrieved25 June2011.
  8. ^"Lineage shows".The Hindu.29 November 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 3 January 2004.Retrieved25 June2011.
  9. ^Peebles 1986, p. 100
  10. ^Lochtefeld, James G. (2002).The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism.Rosen Publishing Group. p. 272.ISBN978-0-8239-2287-1.
  11. ^abde Bruyn 2010, p. 471
  12. ^Lutgendorf 2007, p. 293.
  13. ^Prasad 2008, p. 857, quoting Mata Prasad Gupta: Although he paid occasional visits to several places of pilgrimage associated with Rama, his permanent residence was in Kashi.
  14. ^Callewaert 2000, p. 90
  15. ^abHandoo 1964, p. 128:... this book... is also a drama, because Goswami Tulasidasa started hisRam Lilaon the basis of this book, which even now is performed in the same manner everywhere.
  16. ^Prasad 2008, p. xii: He is not only the supreme poet, but the unofficial poet-laureate of India.
  17. ^Prasad 2008, p. xix: Of Tulsidas's place among the major Indian poets there can be no question: he is as sublime as Valmiki and as elegant as Kalidasa in his handling of the theme.
  18. ^Jones 2007, p. 456
  19. ^Sahni 2000, pp. 78–80
  20. ^Lutgendorf 1991, p. 11:... – scores of lines from theRāmcaritmānashave entered folk speech as proverbs –...
  21. ^Mitra 2002, p. 216
  22. ^Subramanian 2008, p. inside cover
  23. ^Orlando O. Espín, James B. NickoloffAn introductory dictionary of theology and religious studies.2007, page 537
  24. ^Rosen, Steven.Essential Hinduism.2006, page 67-8
  25. ^Rambhadradas 1984,pp. 11–14Archived3 February 2014 at theWayback Machine
  26. ^abRambhadradas 1984,pp. 46–47Archived3 February 2014 at theWayback Machine,48–49Archived3 February 2014 at theWayback Machine
  27. ^Rao 2009, pp. 393–397
  28. ^Mehta 2007, p. xv
  29. ^Rambhadradas 1984,pp. 56–57Archived3 February 2014 at theWayback Machine
  30. ^Rambhadradas 1984,pp. 78–79Archived3 February 2014 at theWayback Machine
  31. ^Rambhadradas 1984,pp. 81–82Archived3 February 2014 at theWayback Machine
  32. ^Rambhadradas 1984,pp. 83–84Archived3 February 2014 at theWayback Machine
  33. ^Prasad, Ram Chandra (1999) [First published 1991].Sri Ramacaritamanasa The Holy Lake of the Acts of Rama(Illustrated, reprint ed.). Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass.ISBN978-81-208-0443-2.Retrieved7 June2013.श्रीहनुमानचालीसा की सर्वश्रेष्ठ व्याख्या के लिए देखें महावीरी व्याख्या, जिसके लेखक हैं प्रज्ञाचक्षु आचार्य श्रीरामभद्रदासजी। श्रीहनुमानचालीसा के प्रस्तुत भाष्य का आधार श्रीरामभद्रदासजी की ही वैदुष्यमंडित टीका है। इसके लिए मैं आचार्यप्रवर का ऋणी हूँ। [For the best explanation of Śrīhanumānacālīsā, refer the Mahāvīrī commentary, whose author is the visually-disabled Ācārya Śrīrāmabhadradāsa. The base for the commentary on Śrīhanumānacālīsā being presented is the commentary by Śrīrāmabhadradāsa, which is adorned with erudition. For this, I am indebted to the eminent Ācārya.]
  34. ^abcdeNityanand Misra 2015, pp. xvii–xxi.
  35. ^abcdeNityanand Misra 2015, pp. 199–212.
  36. ^Manuel, Peter (1993).Cassette Culture: Popular Music and Technology in North India – Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology(2, illustrated ed.). University of Chicago Press. p.117.ISBN978-0-226-50401-8.
  37. ^Kats, Local (11 May 2023)."Hanuman".localkats.com.Retrieved12 May2023.
  38. ^"Ep. 27 | Spiritual Experiences, Auschwitz and Bernie Glassman".15 June 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 29 May 2022.Retrieved12 April2022.
  39. ^"Bajrangi Bhaijaan Plot Summary – Times of India".The Times of India.24 July 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 1 March 2023.Retrieved1 February2021.
  40. ^"Charuvi Design Labs release The Second official teaser for" Shri Hanuman Chalisa "".Archived fromthe originalon 23 April 2016.Retrieved6 April2016.
  41. ^"Charuvi Design Labs release The first official teaser for" Shri Hanuman Chalisa "".Archived fromthe originalon 23 April 2016.Retrieved6 April2016.
  42. ^"All in praise of the Almighty".The Times of India.6 November 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 9 November 2011.Retrieved10 June2012.
  43. ^"Hanuman Chalisa by Gulshan Kumar crosses 3 billion views on YouTube, another World record made by T-series".Infotonline.27 May 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 20 September 2020.Retrieved27 May2020.

Bibliography[edit]

  • de Bruyn, Pippa; Bain, Keith; Allardice, David; Joshi, Shonar (2010).Frommer's India.Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. p. 471.ISBN978-0-470-60264-5.
  • Callewaert, Winand M.; Schilder, Robert (2000).Banaras: Vision of a Living Ancient Tradition.New Delhi, India: Hemkunt Press. p. 90.ISBN9788170103028.
  • Chaturvedi, B.K. (1994b).Shri Hanuman Chalisa (Roman).New Delhi: Diamond Pocket Books.ISBN81-7182-395-5.
  • Jones, Constance; Ryan, James D. (2007).Encyclopedia of Hinduism.Encyclopedia of World Religions. New York: Infobase Publishing. p. 456.ISBN978-0-8160-5458-9.It can be said without reservation that Tulsidas is the greatest poet to write in the Hindi language. Tulsidas was a Brahmin by birth and was believed to be a reincarnation of the author of the Sanskrit Ramayana, Valmiki.
  • Mehta, Pt. Vijay Shankar (2007).Kripa Karahu Guru Dev Ki Naain(2nd ed.). New Delhi: Radhakrishnan Prakashan. p. 9.ISBN978-81-8361-041-4.
  • Misra, Munindra (2015).Shri Hanuman Chalisa in English Rhyme with original text.United States: Osmora Inc.ISBN9782765913702.
  • Misra, Nityanand(2015).Mahāvīrī: Hanumān-Cālīsā Demystified.Mumbai, India: Niraamaya Publishing Services Pvt Ltd.ISBN9788193114407.
  • Mitra, Swati (2002).Good Earth Varanasi City Guide.New Delhi, India: Eicher Goodearth Limited. p. 216.ISBN9788187780045.
  • Peebles, Patrick (1986).Voices of South Asia: Essential Readings from Antiquity to the Present.United States: M.E. Sharpe Inc. p. 216.ISBN978-0-7656-3480-1.
  • Rambhadradas(8 June 1984).संकट तें हनुमान छुड़ावै। मन क्रम बचन ध्यान जो लावै[Shri Hanuman Chalisa (with the Mahaviri commentary)].Jagadgururambhadracharya.org(in Hindi). New Delhi, India: Krishnadas Charitable Trust. Archived fromthe originalon 17 November 2013.Retrieved29 May2013.
  • Rao, Cheeni (2009).In Hanuman's Hands: A Memoir(First ed.). United States: Harper Collins Publishers. p. 393.ISBN978-0-06-073662-0.
  • Sahni, Bhisham(2000).Nilu, Nilima, Nilofara(in Hindi). New Delhi, India: Rajkamal Prakashan Pvt Ltd. pp. 78–80.ISBN9788171789603.हिन्दी का सौभाग्य है कि उसके काव्यकुंज की तुलसी-मंजरी की जैसी सुगंध संसार की साहित्य वाटिका में शायद कहीं नहीं।... आकर्षण दोनों में अत्यधिक है अपने-अपने ढंग पर दोनों ही बहुत बड़े हैं, पर फिर भी सब तरफ़ से केवल काव्य के सौंदर्य पर विचार करने पर तुलसीदास ही बड़े ठहरते हैं – भाषा साहित्य में रवीन्द्रनाथ के संबंध में कहना पड़ता है कि भ्रम त्रुटियाँ मिल सकती हैं पर तुलसीदास के संबंध में कोई शायद ही मिले।... और यही कारण है निराला जी तुलसीदास को कालिदास, व्यास, वाल्मीकि, होमर, गेटे और शेक्सपियर के समकक्ष रखकर उनके महत्त्व का आकलन करते हैं।
  • Subramanian, Vadakaymadam Krishnier (2008).Hymns of Tulsidas.New Delhi, India: Abhinav Publications. p. inside cover.ISBN9788170174967.Famous classical singers like Paluskar, Anoop Jalota and MS Subbulakshmi have popularised Tulsidas's hymns among the people of India.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hanuman_Chalisa&oldid=1234208913"