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Lyrics with meaning
The complete Salasar Balaji 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.
गुरु गिरा अरु गणपति, पुनि विनवउँ हनुमान। सालासर के देवता, सरा करो कल्याण॥
Guru gira aru Ganpati, puni vinvau Hanuman. Salasar ke devta, sara karo kalyan.
Saluting the guru's words and Ganpati, then I pray to Hanuman. The deity of Salasar – please bring complete welfare to all.
लाल देह की लालिमा, मूरति लाल ललाम। हाथ जोड़ विनति करूं, पुरवहु सबके काम॥
Lal deh ki lalima, murti lal lalam. Hath jod vinati karun, puravahu sabke kaam.
The redness of the red body, the lovely red murti. With folded hands I make this petition – fulfil the work of every devotee. (The 'lal deh' refers to the unique sindur-coated face of the Salasar Hanuman murti.)
जय जय जय सालासर धामा। पावन रुचिर लोक अभिरामा॥
Jai jai jai Salasar dhama. Pavan ruchir lok abhirama.
Hail, hail, hail to Salasar Dham. The pure, lovely abode that delights the world.
जिमि पावन मथुरा अरु कासी। पुष्कर कुरुक्षेत्रं सुखरासी॥
Jimi pavan Mathura aru Kashi. Pushkar Kurukshetram sukharasi.
Just as Mathura and Kashi are sacred. So too Pushkar and Kurukshetra – treasuries of joy.
अवधपुरि गंगे हरिद्वारा। सालासर शुभ वरणु विचारा॥
Avadhpuri Gange Haridwara. Salasar shubh varnu vichara.
Ayodhya, Ganga, Haridwar – their company. Salasar joins them as auspicious – consider this. (The Chalisa positions Salasar as the eighth great pilgrimage site beside the seven moksha-puris.)
राजस्थान सीकर निहराये। लक्ष्मणगढ़ नगर मन भाये॥
Rajasthan Sikar nihraye. Lakshmangarh nagar man bhaye.
In Rajasthan, in the Sikar region. Near the city of Lakshmangarh – it pleases the heart.
तेहि नियम सालासर ग्रामा। सर्कल भान्ति शुभ शुचि सुकधामा॥
Tehi niyam Salasar grama. Sarkal bhanti shubh shuchi sukh-dhama.
Right there is the village of Salasar. In every way auspicious, pure, and joyful as a dham.
सिद्ध पीठ यह परम पुनिता। हनुमत दर्शन सब दु:ख बीता॥
Siddh peeth yah param punita. Hanumat darshan sab dukh bita.
This is a perfected pith, supremely pure. Taking Hanuman's darshan, all sorrow passes.
ताते विनय करो सुनु बाई। भजहुं पवनसुत सुमति पाई॥
Tate vinay karo sunu bai. Bhajahun Pavan-sut sumati pai.
So make this prayer, hear, sister-and-brother. Sing of the son of the wind, attain right intellect.
सालासर हनुमत जिमि आवा। कहुं सकल सुनु मन समुझावा॥
Salasar Hanumat jimi aava. Kahun sakal sunu man samujhava.
How Hanuman came to Salasar. Let me tell the whole story – listen and understand within. (The next eight chaupais narrate the temple-founding legend.)
मोहनदास विप्र सब जाना। भक्ति भाव गुण ज्ञान निधाना॥
Mohandas Vipra sab jana. Bhakti bhav gun gyan nidhana.
Everyone knew Mohan Das the brahmin. A treasury of devotion, virtue, and knowledge. (Mohan Das Maharaj – the saint who founded the Salasar temple.)
उदय संगं ले खेत कमाये। एक बार हनुमत तहं आये॥
Uday sangam le khet kamaye. Ek bar Hanumat tahan aaye.
Taking his nephew Uday along, he worked the fields. One day, Hanuman came there himself.
कह कपि विप्र सुनो मम बानी। कीजे ध्यान भक्ति जिय जानी॥
Kah Kapi Vipra suno mam bani. Kije dhyan bhakti jiy jani.
The Vanara said: Brahmin, hear my word. Hold me in meditation, knowing devotion in your heart.
तब तजि मोहन विप्र विचारी। हनुमत जन सदा सुखकारी॥
Tab taji Mohan Vipra vichari. Hanumat jan sada sukh-kari.
Then Mohan – setting all else aside – considered. Hanuman is the eternal joy-giver of his devotees.
करई भजन भक्ति अरू ध्याना। नित्य होई मिलन हनुमाना॥
Karai bhajan bhakti aru dhyana. Nitya hoi milan Hanumana.
He performed bhajan, devotion, and meditation. Daily, his meeting with Hanuman would happen.
आसोटा मुरति प्रगटाये। ले ठाकुर सालासर आये॥
Asota murti pragataye. Le Thakur Salasar aaye.
At Asota the murti manifested itself. Bringing the Thakur, they came to Salasar. (The murti was discovered emerging from the ground at Asota village in Nagaur district; Mohan Das brought it to Salasar.)
विक्रम अष्टादश शत ग्यारह। आयऊ हनुमत रवि जिमि बारह॥
Vikram ashta-dash shat gyarah. Aayau Hanumat ravi jimi barah.
In Vikram Samvat eighteen-hundred-eleven (1811 = 1754 CE). Hanuman came like the sun, like the twelfth (Aditya). (The exact founding year of the temple, encoded in numerals.)
श्रावण सित नवमी शनीवारा। थायन योग भूमि असवारा॥
Shravan sit navmi Shanivara. Thayan yog bhumi asawara.
On Shravan Shukla Navami, a Saturday. The land was prepared for the installation. (25 August 1754 CE per modern calendar.)
मोहन पूजन हवन करवाई। कपि मूरति थापी सुखदाई॥
Mohan pujan havan karvai. Kapi murti thapi sukh-dai.
Mohan Das held the puja and havan. He installed the joy-giving Vanara murti.
आरती मोहन मंगल गावा। ढोल नगारा शब्द मुहावा॥
Aarti Mohan mangal gava. Dhol nagara shabd muhava.
Mohan sang the auspicious aarti. The dhol and nagara spoke their sounds.
चढे़ चूरमा भोग लगाये। भजन कीर्तन सब मिलकर गाये॥
Chadhe choorma bhog lagaye. Bhajan kirtan sab milkar gaye.
The choorma was offered as bhog. Everyone gathered and sang bhajans and kirtans. (Choorma – the Rajasthani sweet of crushed wheat-jaggery-ghee – is the signature Salasar prasad.)
एक बार मोहन मन भाई। भई प्रेरणा मुर्त सजाई॥
Ek bar Mohan man bhai. Bhai prerana murt sajai.
Once it pleased Mohan's heart. The inspiration arose to adorn the murti.
चित्र रचा जो मन सुखदाई। भये प्रसन्न हनुमत कपिराई॥
Chitra racha jo man sukh-dai. Bhaye prasanna Hanumat Kapirai.
He made an image that delighted his heart. Hanuman, the Vanara-king, became pleased.
घृत सिंदूर थाल भर लीना। मुरत लाल ललित कर दीना॥
Ghrit sindur thaal bhar lina. Murat lal lalit kar dina.
He filled a thal with ghee and sindur. He turned the murti red and beautiful. (The famous 'ghee-sindur' paste applied daily to the murti, which gives it the lal-deh appearance.)
मोहन बोले उदय बुलाई। हनुमत कहं अवराधै आई॥
Mohan bole Uday bulai. Hanumat kahan avaradhe aai.
Mohan called his nephew Uday. Come, worship Hanuman with me.
सेवहुं हनुमत लग्न लगाई। नित प्रति भगती बढै सवाई॥
Sevahun Hanumat lagn lagai. Nit prati bhagati badhai sawai.
Serve Hanuman with full attention. Daily, devotion grows greater. (Uday's lineage continues the seva at Salasar to this day; the family is known as the Pujari-paramparas.)
सालासर जयकार मुहाई। चहुंदिशी घंटा धुनि मन भाई॥
Salasar jaikar muhai. Chahundishi ghanta dhuni man bhai.
The cry of 'Salasar jai' rose. From every direction the bell-sound delighted the heart.
दिन दिन हो मंदिर विस्तारा। पूजा करे उदय परिवारा॥
Din din ho mandir vistara. Puja kare Uday parivara.
Day by day, the temple expanded. The Uday family performs the puja.
मंगल पूनम जो मन भाये। सालासर शुभ दर्शन पाये॥
Mangal punam jo man bhaye. Salasar shubh darshan paye.
Whoever feels devotion on Mangalvar Purnima. Receives the auspicious darshan of Salasar. (Tuesday-Purnima is the year's most charged Salasar day.)
ध्वजा नारियल आत चढ़ाये। खांड चूरमा भोग लगाये॥
Dhwaja nariyal aat chadhaye. Khand choorma bhog lagaye.
Offer the flag, coconut, and grain. Offer khand-choorma as bhog. (The classical Salasar offering: the saffron flag, coconut, and the choorma-mishri.)
हनुमत भजन करइ मन लाई। सालासर हनुमान मनाई॥
Hanumat bhajan karai man lai. Salasar Hanuman manai.
Sing Hanuman's bhajan with focused heart. Petition Salasar Hanuman.
एहिविधि आई धोक लगाये। मन इच्छा फल सब जन पाये॥
Ehi-vidhi aai dhok lagaye. Man iccha phal sab jan paye.
Coming this way and bowing in salutation. Every person receives the fruit of their heart's wish.
आत्म ज्ञान बढे़ नित नाया। जब ते होय हनुमत दाया॥
Atm-gyan badhe nit naya. Jab te hoy Hanumat daya.
Self-knowledge grows fresh every day. From the moment Hanuman's grace arrives.
सब विघ्न कष्ट विकार हटावे। सालासर शरणा जो जावे॥
Sab vighna kasht vikar hatave. Salasar sharana jo jave.
All obstacles, suffering, and afflictions are removed. From whoever takes shelter at Salasar.
चिंता सांपिनी ताको भाजे। जाके हिय में हनुमत राजे॥
Chinta sanpini tako bhaje. Jake hiy mein Hanumat raje.
Worry – like a serpent – flees from them. In whose heart Hanuman reigns.
हनुमत दर्शन अति मन भाई। लाल देह छवि कहि नहिं जाई॥
Hanumat darshan ati man bhai. Lal deh chhavi kahi nahin jai.
Hanuman's darshan deeply pleases the heart. The radiance of the red body cannot be described.
दूर-दूर से आवे लोग लुगाई। बड़े भाग ते दर्शन पाई॥
Door-door se aave log lugai. Bade bhag te darshan pai.
From far and wide, men and women come. By great fortune, they receive the darshan.
करहि सफल सब निज निज लोचन। करि करि दर्शन संकट मोचन॥
Karahi safal sab nij nij lochan. Kari kari darshan sankat mochan.
Everyone makes their own eyes successful. Taking darshan again and again of the trouble-remover.
हनुमत महिमा चहुंदिशि गाजे। सालासर हनुमान विराजे॥
Hanumat mahima chahundishi gaaje. Salasar Hanuman viraje.
Hanuman's glory thunders in every direction. Salasar Hanuman is enthroned.
सालासर शुभ धाम भजामी। जय जय जय बजरंग नमामि॥
Salasar shubh dham bhajami. Jai jai jai Bajrang namami.
I sing of the auspicious Salasar Dham. Hail, hail, hail – I bow to Bajrang.
इंद्रजीत कपिराई सहाई। सालासर महिमा जो गाई॥
Indrajit Kapirai sahai. Salasar mahima jo gai.
Indrajit – the Vanara-king is his support. Who has sung the glory of Salasar. (The composer's signature line.)
सालासर हनुमत चालीसा। पढें सुने शुभ करे कपीसा॥
Salasar Hanumat Chalisa. Padhen sune shubh kare Kapisa.
Whoever reads or hears the Salasar Hanuman Chalisa. The Vanara-king (Hanuman) brings auspiciousness to them.
चालीसा शुभ धाम का, गाये जो चितलाय। इंद्रजीत भगति बढें, दया करे कपिराय॥
Chalisa shubh dham ka, gaaye jo chit-laay. Indrajit bhagati badhen, daya kare Kapiray.
Whoever sings the Chalisa of the auspicious dham with focused heart. Indrajit's devotion grows; the Vanara-king shows grace.
ओम सुमर गाते रहो, नित श्री सीताराम। सालासर शरणा गहो, करि हनुमत प्रणाम॥
Om sumar gaate raho, nit Shri Sitaram. Salasar sharana gaho, kari Hanumat pranam.
Keep chanting Om and singing Shri Sitaram daily. Take shelter at Salasar, bowing to Hanuman.
Why this chalisa
What the Salasar Balaji Chalisa is recited for, and what people turn to it for.
Anchor for the Salasar Dham yatra
Salasar Dham in Sikar district, Rajasthan, sees up to 5 lakh devotees on Mangalvar Purnima and Shanivar Purnima nights, and the entire Phalgun Mela in February-March draws even larger crowds. Many pilgrims undertake a vow to walk the last few kilometres on foot from Sujangarh or from Lakshmangarh – verses 4-7 of the Chalisa name these locations directly. The Chalisa is recited at every major stop on the climb, often eleven times across the night-long jagran at the temple.
"Mannat" tradition – every wish fulfilled
Salasar Balaji is famous in Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, and Gujarat as the deity who fulfils every mannat (vow). Verse 30 names this directly: "man iccha phal sab jan paye" – 'every person receives the fruit of their heart's wish.' Many families take a vow at the temple (often a vow to return for a thanksgiving yatra after the boon is received) and recite the Chalisa daily through the waiting period. Pair with the Khatu Shyam Chalisa for the wider Rajasthan dham-cluster.
Anchor for daily Hanuman worship in the Salasar tradition
Salasar Balaji is Hanuman in his daadhi-mooch (bearded) form – the only Hanuman temple in India where the murti has facial hair. Many homes that hold Salasar as the kuldevta recite the Salasar Chalisa as the morning paath and the standard Hanuman Chalisa as the evening paath. Verse 22 names the famous ghee-sindur ritual – the daily application of ghee-sindur paste to the murti, which gives it the 'lal deh' appearance.
Help during major life difficulty and crisis
Verses 32-33 directly name the Chalisa's promise: "Sab vighna kasht vikar hatave, Salasar sharana jo jave; Chinta sanpini tako bhaje, jake hiy mein Hanumat raje" – 'all obstacles, suffering, and afflictions are removed from whoever takes shelter at Salasar; worry – like a serpent – flees from those in whose heart Hanuman reigns.' Many devotees recite the Chalisa daily through stretches of severe difficulty, often pairing with a vow to undertake the Salasar yatra after the boon is received.
Companion to Mohan Das tradition
The Chalisa names Mohan Das Vipra directly in verses 9-13 – the saint-founder of the temple. The Mohan Das Maharaj tradition is preserved by his nephew Uday's descendants (the Pujari-paramparas) who still serve the temple today. Many devotees also recite a separate Mohan Das Chalisa alongside the Salasar Balaji Chalisa as a complete morning sequence.
Companion to the wider Rajasthan dham-cluster
Salasar (Hanuman), Khatu Shyam (Krishna-Barbarika), Mehandipur Balaji (Hanuman, exorcism shrine), and Rani Sati Dadi (Jhunjhunu) are often visited together by Rajasthan-origin families as a single yatra-circuit. Many trader and Marwari families undertake this four-shrine yatra annually, with the four corresponding Chalisas recited daily through the trip. Pair with the Khatu Shyam Chalisa for the cluster's second-most-popular deity.
Origin
The Salasar Balaji Chalisa is signed in chaupai 39 and the first closing doha by Indrajit – the saint-poet whose colophon appears in the verse: "Indrajit kapirai sahai, Salasar mahima jo gai" and the closing doha "Indrajit bhagati badhen, daya kare kapiray." Beyond this signature, very little is known about Indrajit with certainty. The name was a common saint-poet name in north India between the 18th and 20th centuries, and the colophon cannot be tied to a specific historical figure. Some published copies attribute editorial work to Shri Madhavacharya, but the in-text composer signature is unambiguously Indrajit.
The Chalisa itself is generally placed in the late 19th-20th century CE – after the Salasar Dham temple's establishment in 1754 CE. Verse 15 explicitly encodes the temple's founding year using ankhanam-vamato-gatih (place-value reading right-to-left): "Vikram ashta-dash shat gyarah" = Vikram Samvat 1811. Verse 16 fixes the day: Shravan Shukla Navami, a Saturday, which corresponds to 25 August 1754 CE in the Gregorian calendar – an exceptionally precise dating for a household-level Chalisa.
Salasar Balaji himself is Hanuman in his daadhi-mooch (bearded) form, enshrined at Salasar Dham in the Sikar district of Rajasthan, near the small town of Lakshmangarh (verse 4). The temple's founding story, narrated in verses 9-19, runs as follows: the saint Mohan Das Vipra – a Brahmin who lived a life of intense devotion – was working in the fields with his nephew Uday when Hanuman appeared to him. Hanuman instructed Mohan Das to install a murti that would emerge from the village of Asota (a few kilometres away in modern Nagaur district). The Asota villagers found the murti while ploughing their fields; Mohan Das brought it to Salasar and consecrated it on Shravan Shukla Navami, Saturday, Vikram Samvat 1811. The temple has been continuously served by Mohan Das's nephew Uday's descendants for nearly 270 years.
The Chalisa's wider companions are the Hanuman Chalisa (Salasar Balaji is Hanuman; the Tulsidas Chalisa is recited as the central paath at Salasar Dham itself), the Khatu Shyam Chalisa (the other major Rajasthan deity, paired in the Khatu-Salasar-Mehandipur regional yatra-circuit), the Bajrang Baan (Hanuman's warrior hymn for crisis moments), and the Ram Chalisa (closing doha 2 ends with "sumar gaate raho nit Shri Sitaram" – the daily Ram-naam practice).
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 red or saffron, the colours of the Salasar lal-deh tradition. Sit facing north-west (toward Salasar Dham, in Sikar district, Rajasthan) or facing east. The traditional offerings are red sindur with a small drop of pure ghee (mixed into a paste – the famous Salasar bhog-anga), khand-choorma (Rajasthani crushed-wheat sweet with mishri – named in verse 28), a small saffron flag (dhwaja), a coconut, and a single ghee diya. None of this is strictly required for daily home recitation, but the choorma-bhog is traditional even at the home altar.
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Posture and start
Sit cross-legged on a mat with your spine comfortably straight. Bow once with the call "Jai Salasar Wala". Take a moment of silence to settle the mind. If reciting on Mangalvar Purnima, on Shanivar Purnima, on Phalgun Purnima, on Hanuman Jayanti, or for a specific intention (a major life decision, fertility, court matter, illness recovery), offer a brief sankalp naming the date, the place, and the matter at hand. Begin with the two opening dohas (Guru gira aru Ganpati... and Lal deh ki lalima...) slowly. Saying it aloud has its own merit, but silent reciting works just as well during travel.
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Recitation
Move through the forty chaupais without rushing. Verses 1-8 establish Salasar Dham's identity and status. Verses 9-19 narrate the Mohan Das founding story – often slowed down particularly, with awareness that the historical events encoded in verse 15 (VS 1811) and verse 16 (Shravan Shukla Navami Saturday) are exact and verifiable. Verses 20-26 narrate the daily ghee-sindur ritual and the Uday-family seva tradition. Verses 27-36 cover the practitioner-facing benefits. Verse 39 names the composer Indrajit. End with the two closing dohas. 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 standard Hanuman bija mantra Om Han Hanumate Namah recited 11, 21, or 108 times on a tulsi or red-coral mala. Others recite a few rounds of the Hare Ram Hare Ram mahamantra (closing doha 2 explicitly names this). Offer the choorma or any sweet as bhog and take a small portion as prasad. Some traditions add a closing line of namaskar to one's own guru and family deity (kuldevta), with the call "Salasar Wale, Sara karo Kalyan".
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Daily practice and special days
One paath a day – morning – is enough for steady daily practice. Saturdays and Tuesdays are especially auspicious. Mangalvar Purnima (full moon on Tuesday) and Shanivar Purnima (full moon on Saturday) are the most charged Salasar nights – many devotees commit to a 11-paath night-vigil at home if they cannot travel to the Dham. Phalgun Purnima (February-March) is the biggest annual mela. Hanuman Jayanti on Chaitra Purnima (April) is the second-largest. For specific intentions – a major life decision, a fertility difficulty, a court matter, an illness in the family – the older practice is 11, 21, 41, or 108 paaths over a fixed period, paired with a vow to undertake the Salasar yatra after the boon is received.