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Lyrics with meaning
The complete Radha Chalisa – two opening dohas, forty chaupais, and a closing doha. A short English meaning sits below every verse. Toggle the script to read in Devanagari, romanized, or both side-by-side.
श्री राधे वृषभानुजा, भक्तनि प्राणाधार। वृन्दावन विपिन विहारिणी, प्रणवों बारंबार॥
Shri Radhe Vrishbhanuja, bhaktani pranadhar. Vrindavan vipin viharini, pranavon barambar.
Hail Shri Radha, daughter of Vrishabhanu, the very breath of devotees. Wanderer of the Vrindavan groves, again and again I bow to you.
जैसौ तैसौ रावरौ, कृष्ण प्रिया सुखधाम। चरण शरण निज दीजिये, सुन्दर सुखद ललाम॥
Jaisau taisau ravarau, Krishna priya sukh-dham. Charan sharan nij dijiye, sundar sukhad lalam.
Beloved of Krishna, abode of all happiness. Grant me shelter at your feet – beautiful, joyful one.
जय वृषभान कुँवरि श्री श्यामा। कीरति नंदिनी शोभा धामा॥
Jai Vrishabhan kunwari Shri Shyama. Kirat nandini shobha dhama.
Hail, princess of Vrishabhanu, Shri Shyama. Daughter of Kirti, the abode of beauty.
नित्य बिहारिनी श्याम अधारा। अमित मोद मंगल दातारा॥
Nitya biharini Shyam adhara. Amit mod mangal datara.
Eternally wandering, the very support of Shyam. Giver of infinite joy and auspiciousness.
रास विलासिनी रस विस्तारिनी। सहचारि सुभग यूथमन भावनि॥
Raas vilasini ras vistarini. Sahachari subhag yuth-man bhavani.
Adept in the rasa-lila, expander of rasa. The lovely companion who delights the gathered companions.
नित्य किशोरी राधा गोरी। श्याम प्राणधन अति जिय भोरी॥
Nitya kishori Radha gori. Shyam pranadhan ati jiy bhori.
Eternally young, the fair Radha. Whose very life is Shyam – simple-hearted within.
करुणा सागर हिय उमंगिनी। ललितादिक सखियन की संगिनी॥
Karuna sagar hiy umangini. Lalitadik sakhiyan ki sangini.
Ocean of compassion, full of joyful feeling. Companion of Lalita and the other sakhis.
दिनकर कन्या कूल बिहारिनी। कृष्ण प्राण प्रिय हुलसावनि॥
Dinkar kanya kool biharini. Krishna pran priya hulsavani.
Wanderer of the banks of the Yamuna (the Sun's daughter). The dear life-breath of Krishna, the joy-giver.
नित्य श्याम तुमरौ गुण गावें। राधा राधा कहि हरषावें॥
Nitya Shyam tumrau gun gaven. Radha Radha kahi harshaven.
Shyam constantly sings your virtues. Saying 'Radha, Radha,' he becomes joyful.
मुरली में नित नाम उचारे। तुव कारण प्रिया वृषभानु दुलारी॥
Murli mein nit naam uchare. Tuv karan priya Vrishabhanu dulari.
On his flute he constantly speaks your name. For your sake, beloved, beloved daughter of Vrishabhanu.
नवल किशोरी अति छवि धामा। द्युति लघु लगै कोटि रति कामा॥
Naval kishori ati chhavi dhama. Dyuti laghu lagai koti rati kama.
Ever-fresh young one, the abode of supreme beauty. Beside your radiance, even ten million Ratis and Kamas seem dim.
गौरांगी शशि निंदक बढ़ना। सुभग चपल अनियारे नयना॥
Gaurangi shashi nindak badhna. Subhag chapal aniyare nayana.
Fair-bodied, surpassing even the moon's beauty. Lovely, restless, sharp-cornered eyes.
जावक युग युग पंकज चरना। नूपुर धुनि प्रीतम मन हरना॥
Jaavak yug yug pankaj charana. Nupur dhuni pritam man harana.
Lac-painted lotus feet, age after age. The sound of your anklets steals the heart of your beloved.
संतत सहचरि सेवा करहीं। महा मोद मंगल मन भरहीं॥
Santat sahachari seva karahin. Maha mod mangal man bharahin.
Your companions constantly serve you. Filling their minds with great joy and auspiciousness.
रसिकन जीवन प्राण अधारा। राधा नाम सकल सुख सारा॥
Rasikan jeevan pran adhara. Radha naam sakal sukh sara.
The very life-breath of the rasikas (lovers of Krishna). The name Radha is the essence of all happiness.
अगम अगोचर नित्य स्वरूपा। ध्यान धरत निशदिन ब्रज भूपा॥
Agam agochar nitya svarupa. Dhyan dharat nishdin Braj bhupa.
Unreachable, imperceptible, of eternal form. The Lord of Braj meditates on you night and day.
उपजेउ जासु अंश गुण खानी। कोटिन उमा रमा ब्रह्मानी॥
Upajeu jasu ansh gun khani. Kotin Uma Rama Brahmani.
From a single portion of you arose. Ten million Umas, Ramas, and Brahmanis.
नित्यधाम गोलोक विहारिनी। जन रक्षक दुख दोष नसावनि॥
Nityadham Goloka viharini. Jan rakshak dukh dosh nasavani.
Wanderer of the eternal abode of Goloka. Protector of devotees, destroyer of suffering and fault.
शिव अज मुनि सनकादिक नारद। पारन पायें शेष अरु शारद॥
Shiv aj muni sankadik Narad. Paaran payen Shesh aru Sharad.
Shiva, Brahma, the Sanaka brothers, Narad. Sheshnaag and Saraswati cannot find your limit.
राधा शुभ गुण रूप उजारी। निरखि प्रसन्न होत बनवारी॥
Radha shubh gun roop ujari. Nirkhi prasanna hot Banwari.
Radha, of auspicious qualities and radiant form. Seeing whom, Banwari (Krishna) becomes pleased.
ब्रज जीवन धन राधा रानी। महिमा अमित न जाय बखानी॥
Braj jeevan dhan Radha rani. Mahima amit na jaay bakhani.
Treasure of the life of Braj, Queen Radha. Your infinite glory cannot be described.
प्रीतम संग देई गलबाँही। बिहरत नित्य वृन्दावन माँही॥
Pritam sang dei galbahin. Biharat nitya Vrindavan mahin.
Embracing your beloved with arms around his neck. You wander eternally through Vrindavan.
राधा कृष्ण कृष्ण कहैं राधा। एक रूप दोउ प्रीति अगाधा॥
Radha Krishna Krishna kahain Radha. Ek roop dou priti agadha.
Radha calls 'Krishna, Krishna' – Krishna calls 'Radha.' One form, two – the love between is unfathomable.
श्री राधा मोहन मन हरनी। जन सुख दायक प्रफुलित बदनी॥
Shri Radha Mohan man harni. Jan sukh dayak prafulit badani.
Shri Radha, the heart-stealer of Mohan (Krishna). Giver of joy to her devotees, with a beaming face.
कोटिक रूप धरें नंद नन्दा। दर्शन करन हित गोकुल चन्दा॥
Kotik roop dharein Nand Nanda. Darshan karan hit Gokul Chanda.
The son of Nanda takes ten million forms. To take darshan of you, the Moon of Gokul.
रास केलि करि तुम्हें रिझावें। मान करौ जब अति दुख पावें॥
Raas keli kari tumhen rijhaven. Maan karau jab ati dukh paaven.
He plays the rasa-lila to please you. When you sulk in pride (maan), he feels great sorrow.
प्रफुलित होत दर्श जब पावें। विविध भाँति नित विनय सुनावें॥
Prafulit hot darsh jab paaven. Vividh bhanti nit vinay sunaaven.
He blossoms with joy when he gets your darshan. He offers prayers to you in many varied ways.
वृन्दारण्य बिहारिनी श्यामा। नाम लेत पूरण सब कामा॥
Vrindaranya biharini Shyama. Naam let puran sab kama.
Wanderer of the Vrindavan forest, O Shyama. Whoever takes your name has every desire fulfilled.
कोटिन यज्ञ तपस्या करहू। विविध नेम व्रत हिय में धरहू॥
Kotin yagya tapasya karahu. Vividh nem vrat hiy mein dharahu.
Even if one performs ten million yagnas and tapasyas. And keeps all sorts of vows and disciplines in the heart...
तऊ न श्याम भक्तहिं अपनावे। जब लगि राधा नाम न गावे॥
Tau na Shyam bhaktahin apnave. Jab lagi Radha naam na gave.
...still, Shyam does not accept that devotee. Until they sing the name of Radha. (The central teaching of the Chalisa.)
वृन्दाविपिन स्वामिनी राधा। लीला बपु तब अमित अगाधा॥
Vrindavipin swamini Radha. Leela bapu tab amit agadha.
Mistress of the Vrindavan grove, Radha. Your lila-form is infinite and unfathomable.
स्वयं कृष्ण पावं नहिं पारा। और तुम्हें को जानन हारा॥
Svayam Krishna paavn nahin para. Aur tumhen ko janan hara.
Even Krishna himself cannot find your limit. Who else then could fully know you?
श्री राधा रस प्रीति अभेदा। सारद गान करत नित वेदा॥
Shri Radha ras priti abheda. Sarad gaan karat nit veda.
Shri Radha, rasa, and pure love – these are inseparable. Saraswati and the Vedas constantly sing of them.
राधा त्यागि कृष्ण को भेजिहैं। ते सपनेहु जग जलधि न तरिहैं॥
Radha tyagi Krishna ko bhejihain. Te sapnehu jag jaladhi na tarihain.
Those who abandon Radha and worship only Krishna. They will not cross the ocean of the world even in their dreams.
कीरति कुँवरि लाड़िली राधा। सुमिरत सकल मिटहिं भव बाधा॥
Kirat kunwari ladili Radha. Sumirat sakal mitahin bhav badha.
Princess of Kirti, the beloved Radha. Remembering you, all worldly obstacles are wiped away.
नाम अमंगल मूल नसावन। त्रिविध ताप हर हरि मन भावन॥
Naam amangal mool nasavan. Trividh taap har Hari man bhavan.
Your name destroys the root of every misfortune. Removes the three afflictions, pleases the heart of Hari.
राधा नाम लेइ जो कोई। सहजहि दामोदर बस होई॥
Radha naam lei jo koi. Sahajahi Damodar bas hoi.
Whoever takes the name Radha. Damodara (Krishna) becomes naturally subject to them.
राम नाम परम सुखदाई। भजतहिं कृपा करहिं यदुराई॥
Ram naam param sukhdai. Bhajatahin kripa karahin Yadurai.
Even the name of Ram is the supreme giver of joy. The Lord of the Yadus showers grace upon those who chant it.
यशुमति नन्दन पीछे फिरिहैं। जो कोउ राधा नाम सुमिरिहैं॥
Yashumati nandan pichhe firihain. Jo kou Radha naam sumirihain.
The son of Yashoda follows behind. Whoever remembers the name of Radha. (Krishna chases after the chanter of Radha-naam.)
रास विहारिन श्याम प्यारी। करहु कृपा बरसाने वारी॥
Raas viharin Shyam pyari. Karahu kripa Barsane wari.
Wanderer of the rasa-lila, beloved of Shyam. Show grace, O Mother of Barsana.
वृन्दावन है शरण तिहारौ। जय जय जय वृषभानु दुलारी॥
Vrindavan hai sharan tiharau. Jai jai jai Vrishabhanu dulari.
Vrindavan is your shelter. Hail, hail, hail, beloved daughter of Vrishabhanu.
श्री राधा सर्वेश्वरी, रसिकेश्वर घनश्याम। करहुँ निरंतर बास मैं, श्री वृन्दावन धाम॥
Shri Radha sarveshvari, rasikeshvar Ghanshyam. Karahun nirantar baas main, Shri Vrindavan dham.
Shri Radha is the supreme mistress; Ghanshyam (Krishna) is the lord of all rasikas. May I always dwell in Shri Vrindavan dham.
Why this chalisa
What the Radha Chalisa is recited for, and what people turn to it for.
Anchor for Vaishnava prem-bhakti
Verses 27-28 carry the Chalisa's most important teaching: even infinite tapasya does not move Krishna until the name Radha is taken. This makes the Chalisa the entry-point for the entire prem-bhakti tradition. Many Vaishnavas keep it as the daily morning paath, recited before the Krishna Chalisa – Radha first, always, in the Vaishnava household sequence.
Radhashtami centrepiece
Radhashtami in Bhadrapad (August-September), exactly fifteen days after Janmashtami, is the major recitation festival. Many homes recite the Chalisa eleven, twenty-one, or one hundred and eight times through Radhashtami day. Pilgrims travel to Barsana (Radha's birthplace) and Vrindavan for the day.
Companion to Krishna worship
Radha and Krishna are inseparable. Verse 21 names this directly: 'Radha calls Krishna, Krishna calls Radha – one form, two; the love between is unfathomable'. The Chalisa pairs naturally with the Krishna Chalisa, both recited at major Vaishnava festivals (Holi, Sharad Purnima, Janmashtami).
For matters of love and longing
The Chalisa is full of the language of maan (the lover's sulk), vinay (humble plea), raas-keli (the dance of love), and prem-bhakti (love-devotion). Many devotees keep the Chalisa as the daily prayer for any matter of love – marriage delay, relationship difficulty, or longing for the divine. Pair with the Krishna Chalisa for the complete pair.
For Vrindavan parikrama and Braj yatra
The Chalisa names Vrindavan, Goloka, Yamuna, Barsana, Gokul – the major sites of the Braj parikrama. Many pilgrims recite it once at each major site (Barsana, Nandgaon, Vrindavan, Govardhan, Mathura, Gokul). The verses themselves serve as a devotional map of Braj.
Companion to the wider Vaishnava tradition
The Chalisa pairs with the Krishna Chalisa (the beloved), the Lakshmi Chalisa (the wider Vaishnavi consort form – verse 15 names that countless Lakshmis arose from a portion of Radha), and the Vishnu Chalisa (the cosmic Krishna form). The Pushti Marg, Gaudiya, and Nimbarka traditions all keep Radha at the centre of their daily liturgies.
Origin
The Radha Chalisa carries no clear signature line in the verses themselves. Many published copies attribute it simply to "tradition" – an honesty worth preserving. By language and style the text is generally placed in the 18th-19th century CE, written in a Hindi with strong Brajbhasha influence (the language of Vrindavan). The Chalisa's structure is unusual in having two opening dohas (one of welcome, one of refuge) before the chaupais – marking its proximity to the Pushti Marg and Gaudiya Vaishnava devotional traditions.
Radha herself is the eternal beloved of Krishna and the central feminine deity of the Vaishnava tradition. She is the daughter of Vrishabhanu (a Gopa chieftain) and Kirti of Barsana, born on the eighth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapad – exactly fifteen days after Krishna's birth on Krishna Janmashtami. Iconographically she is depicted standing beside Krishna, fair-complexioned (verse 10), with the murli-resting-on-her-shoulder pose, in the Yugal Kishor form (the divine couple). Her sakhis (companions) – Lalita, Vishakha, Champak Lata, Chitra, Tungavidya, Indulekha, Rangadevi, Sudevi – are named in the wider tradition; the Chalisa names Lalitadik in verse 5.
The Chalisa's narrative arc is the love story of Radha and Krishna in Vrindavan: the rasa-lila (verses 5, 38), Krishna calling Radha's name on his flute (verse 8), the maan-leela (verses 24-25), and the eternal embrace at Goloka (verses 16, 20). Verses 14-15 carry the metaphysical teaching: that Radha is agam-agochar nitya-svarupa (unreachable, imperceptible, of eternal form), and that even Uma, Rama, and Brahmani arose from a portion of her. This is the Gaudiya teaching of Radha as the highest form of hladini-shakti (the bliss-power of the divine).
The Chalisa's wider companions are the Krishna Chalisa (her beloved – the inseparable pair), the Vishnu Chalisa (the cosmic Krishna form), the Lakshmi Chalisa (the wider Vaishnavi consort), and the Hanuman Chalisa (paired with all Vaishnava worship). Many homes recite all four during major life events.
How to recite
A simple, sustainable approach. Nothing here is a hard rule – devotion shapes the form, not the other way around.
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Preparation
Bathe and wear clean clothes – traditionally yellow or pink, the colours associated with Radha-Krishna. Sit before your home Radha-Krishna murti or photograph (the standard household image is the Yugal Kishor – the divine couple together). The traditional offerings are tulsi leaves (Krishna's sacred plant), white or pink flowers, a small ghee diya, makhan-mishri or any milk-based sweet, and a stick of kewra or champa incense. None of this is strictly required.
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Posture and start
Sit cross-legged on a mat with your spine comfortably straight. Bow once to Radha-Krishna. Take a moment of silence. If you are reciting on Radhashtami, on Janmashtami, on Holi, or for a specific intention (love-matter, marriage, devotional crisis), offer a brief sankalp. Begin with the two opening dohas (Shri Radhe Vrishbhanuja...) slowly. Saying it aloud has merit, but silent reciting works just as well.
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Recitation
Move through the thirty-nine chaupais without rushing. Verses 4-12 describe Radha's iconography (fair-bodied, lotus feet, anklet sound, sakhi companions). Verses 21-25 narrate the Radha-Krishna mutual longing. Verses 27-28 carry the central teaching about Radha-naam being the gateway to Krishna. Verses 33-37 describe what the steady reciter of Radha-naam receives. End with the closing doha. The full recitation takes about seven minutes.
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After
Sit quietly with eyes closed for a moment. Many people end with the bija mantra Om Hreem Shri Radhayai Namah recited 11 or 21 times on a tulsi mala. Others recite the Yugal mantra Radhe Krishna, Radhe Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Radhe Radhe. Offer the bhog and take a small portion as prasad.
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Daily practice and special days
One paath a day – morning – is enough for steady daily practice. Tuesdays are auspicious in many household traditions. Radhashtami in Bhadrapad (August-September) is the major festival – many homes do 11, 21, or 108 paaths through the day, often paired with a fast. Janmashtami eve, Holi, Sharad Purnima (the night of the Maha Raas), and the start of the Chaturmas are other major recitation days. For specific wishes, the older practice is 11, 21, 41, or 108 paaths over a fixed period.