Hanuman Chaleesa

Shree Guru charana saroja raja nija manu mukuru sudhari
Baranaun Raghubara bimala jasu jo daayaku phala chaari
Having polished the mirror of my heart with the dust of my Guru’s lotus feet
I sing the pure fame of the best of Raghus, which bestows the four fruits of life.

Budhi heena tanu jaanike sumiraun pawana kumaara
Bala budhi vidyaa dehu mohin harahu kalesa bikaara
I know that this body of mine has no intelligence, so I recall you, Son of the Wind
Grant me strength, wit and wisdom and remove my sorrows and shortcomings

Bhajelo Ji Hanuman!,Bhajelo Ji Hanuman!
Oh Friend! Remember Hanuman!

  1. Jaya Hanumaan gyaana guna saagara
    Jaya Kapeesha tihun loka ujaagara
    Hail to Hanuman, the ocean of wisdom and virtue,
    Hail Monkey Lord, illuminater of the three worlds.
  2. Raama doota atulita bala dhaamaa
    Anjani putra Pawanasuta naamaa
    You are Ram’s emissary, and the abode of matchless power
    Anjani’s son, named the “Son of the Wind.”
  3. Mahaabeera bikrama bajarangee
    Kumati niwaara sumati ke sangee
    Great hero, you are as mighty as a thunderbolt,
    You remove evil thoughts and are the companion of the good.
  4. Kanchana barana biraaja subesaa
    Kaanana kundala kunchita kesaa
    Golden hued and splendidly adorned
    With heavy earrings and curly locks.
  5. Haata bajra aura dwajaa biraajai
    Kaandhe moonja janeu saajai
    In your hands shine mace and a banner
    And a sacred thread adorns your shoulder.
  6. Shankara suwana Kesaree nandana
    Teja prataapa mahaa jaga bandana
    You are Shiva’s son and Kesari’s joy
    And your glory is revered throughout the world.
  7. Bidyaawaana gunee ati chaatura
    Raama kaaja karibe ko aatura
    You are the wisest of the wise, virtuous and clever
    And ever intent on doing Ram’s work.
  8. Prabhu charitra sunibe ko rasiyaa
    Raama Lakhana Seetaa mana basiyaa
    You delight in hearing of the Lord’s deeds,
    Ram, Sita and Lakshman dwell in your heart.
  9. Sookshma roopa dhari Siyahin dikhaawaa
    Bikata roopa dhari Lankaa jaraawaa
    Assuming a tiny form you appeared to Sita
    And in an awesome form you burned Lanka.
  10. Bheema roopa dhari asura sanghaare
    Raamachandra ke kaaja sanvaare
    Taking a dreadful form you slaughtered the demons
    And completed Lord Ram’s mission.
  11. Laaya sajeevana Lakhana jiyaaye
    Shree Raghubeera harashi ura laaye
    Bringing the magic herb you revived Lakshman
    And Ram embraced you with delight.
  12. Raghupati keenhee bahuta baraaee
    Tuma mama priya Bharatahi sama bhaaee
    The Lord of the Raghus praised you greatly-
    “Brother, you are dear to me as Bharat!”
  13. Sahasa badana tumharo jasa gaawai
    Asa kahi Shreepati kanta lagaawai
    May the thousand-mouthed serpent sing your fame!”
    So saying, Lakshmi’s Lord drew you to Himself.
  14. Sanakaadika Brahmaadi muneesaa
    Naarada Saarada sahita Aheesaa
    Sanak and the sages, Brahma, gods and the great saints,
    Narada, Saraswati and the King of serpents,
  15. Yama Kubera digapaala jahaante
    Kabi kobida kahi sake kahaante
    Yama, Kubera and the guardians of the four quarters
    poets and scholars-none can express your glory.
  16. Tuma upakaara Sugreevahin keenhaa
    Raama milaaya raaja pada deenhaa
    You did great service for Sugriva,
    Presenting him to Ram, you gave him the kingship.
  17. Tumharo mantra Bibheeshana maanaa
    Lankeshwara bhaye saba jaga jaanaa
    Vibhishana heeded your counsel
    And became the Lord of Lanka, as the whole world knows.
  18. Yuga sahasra yojana para bhaanu
    Leelyo taahi madhura phala jaanu
    Though the sun is thousands of miles away,
    You swallowed it, thinking it to be a sweet fruit.
  19. Prabhu mudrikaa meli mukha maaheen
    Jaladhi laanghi gaye acharaja naaheen
    Holding the Lord’s ring in your mouth
    It’s no surprise that you leapt over the ocean.
  20. Durgama kaaja jagata ke jete
    Sugama anugraha tumhare tete
    Every difficult task in this world
    Becomes easy by your grace.
  21. Raama duaare tuma rakhawaare
    Hota na aagyaa binu paisaare
    You are the guardian at Ram’s door,
    No one enters without your leave.
  22. Saba sukha lahai tumhaaree sharanaa
    Tuma rakshaka kaahu ko daranaa
    Those who take refuge in you find all happiness
    and those who you protect know no fear
  23. Aapana teja samhaaro aapai
    Teenon loka haanka ten kaanpai
    You alone can withstand your own splendor,
    The three worlds tremble at your roar.
  24. Bhoota pisaacha nikata nahin aawai
    Mahaabeera jaba naama sunaawai
    Ghosts and goblins cannot come near
    Great Hero, when your name, is uttered.
  25. Naasai roga hare saba peeraa
    Japata nirantara Hanumata beeraa
    All disease and pain is eradicated,
    Brave Hanuman, by constant repetition of your name.
  26. Sankata ten Hanumaana churaawai
    Mana krama bachana dhyaana jo laawai
    Hanuman releases from affliction
    those who remember him in thought, word and deed.
  27. Saba para Raama tapaswee raajaa
    Tina ke kaaja sakala tuma saajaa
    Ram, the ascetic, reigns over all
    but you carry out all his work.
  28. Aura manorata jo koee laawai
    Soee amita jeewana phala paawai
    One who comes to you with any yearning
    obtains the abundance of the Four Fruits of Life.
  29. Chaaron juga parataapa tumhaaraa
    Hai parasidha jagata ujiyaaraa
    Your splendor fills the four ages
    your glory is reknowned throughout the world.
  30. Saadhu santa ke tuma rakhawaare
    Asura nikandana Raama dulaare
    You are the guardian of saints and sages,
    the destroyer of demons and the darling of Ram.
  31. Ashta siddhi nau nidhi ke daataa
    Asa bara deena Jaanakee Maataa
    You grant the eight powers and the nine treasures
    by the boon you received from Mother Janaki.
  32. Raama rasaayana toomhare paasaa
    Sadaa raho Raghupati ke daasaa
    You hold the elixir of Ram’s name
    and remain eternally his servant.
  33. Tumhare bhajana Raama ko paawai J
    anama janama ke dukha bisaraawai
    Singing your praise, one finds Ram
    and escapes the sorrows of countless lives.
  34. Anta kaala Raghubara pura jaaee
    Jahaan janama Hari bhakta kahaaee
    At death one goes to Ram’s own dity
    or is born on the earth as God’s devotee.
  35. Aura devataa chitta na dharaaee
    Hanumata se-ee sarva sukha karaee
    Give no thought to any other deity,
    worshipping Hanuman, one gains all delight.
  36. Sankata katai mite saba peeraa
    Jo sumire Hanumata bala beeraa
    All affliction ceases and all pain is removed
    by remembering the mighty hero, Hanuman.
  37. Jai jai jai Hanumaana Gosaaee
    Kripaa karahu gurudeva kee naaee
    Victory, Victory, Victory to Lord Hanuman!
    Bestow your grace on me, as my Guru!
  38. Jo sata baara paata kara koee
    Chootahi bandi mahaa sukha hoee
    Whoever recites this a hundred times
    is released from bondage and gains great bliss.
  39. Jo yaha parai Hanumaana chaleesaa
    Hoya siddhi saakhee Gaureesaa
    One who reads this Hanuman Chaleesa
    gains success, as Gauri’s Lord(Shiva) is witness.
  40. Tulasee Daasa sadaa Hari cheraa
    Keejai naata hridaya mahan deraa
    Says Tulsi Das, who always remains Hari’s servant,
    “Lord, make your home in my heart.”

Pawanatanaya sankata harana mangala moorati roopa
Raama Lakhana Seetaa sahita hridaya basahu sura bhoopa
Son of the Wind, destroyer of sorrow, embodiment of blessings,
Live in my heart, King of Gods, together with Ram, Lakshman and Sita

Whenever we came to see Maharaj-ji at the Kainchi temple, we were given a little booklet with a picture of flying Hanuman on the cover. I had so many of them lying around my room. Finally one day I asked someone what the booklet was. They said it was a hymn of praise to Hanuman. I figured if we learned it maybe we could sing it to Maharaj-ji, and that way we could spend more time with him. ‘How clever I am’, I thought to myself. We were practicing it everyday and trying to memorize it. We had planned to do a special puja (ceremony) to him on a Tuesday, which is Hanuman’s day. It was to be a surprise. We had arranged for lots of sweets and flowers and other goodies to be delivered to the temple on Tuesday. When we arrived at the temple on Monday, he was in his rooms, so we hung around outside waiting for him to come out. . All of sudden he came bursting through the doors like lightning flashing in the night sky. He plopped down on his cot and with much childlike impatience said, “Sing the Chaleesa!” We went scrambling to find our books and came running back to sang to him. From that day on he would call us to ‘perform’ for the Indian devotees and we would come running. We were like trained seals and loving every minute of it. Our plan had had really been his plan! He acted so proud of us and would say that the Westerners had left their homes and families and everything for God and that our hearts were pure. What did I leave? I sold my car, guitar and record collection to get the money to come to India. It was that way with most of us and he knew that. It was just his way of loving us some more. When Hanuman was a baby, he had, being an incarnation of Shiva, all the siddhis, supernatural powers. He was very playful and mischievous and used to fly to the jungle where the Rishis were meditating and pull their beards and disturb their ceremonies. So the Rishis cursed him that he would only remember his strength when he was reminded. These forty verses are to remind Hanuman of all that he has accomplished and when he has grown as huge as a mountain of gold, we ask him for a boon. The boon we ask for is that he will come and live in our hearts, with Ram, Sita and Lakshman. I feel that Maharaj-ji has put a special blessing in the Chaleesa for those who are drawn to sing it. After all, he is believed to be an incarnation of Hanuman himself.

 

Disc One – Track 6 (8:33)