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Lyrics with meaning
The complete Sankatmochan Hanumanashtak – 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.
बाल समय रवि भक्षि लियो तब, तीनहुँ लोक भयो अँधियारो। ताहि सों त्रास भयो जग को, यह संकट काहु सो जात न टारो। देवन आनि करी विनती तब, छांड़ि दियो रवि कष्ट निवारो। को नहिं जानत है जगमें, कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥
Bal samay ravi bhakshi liyo tab, teenahun lok bhayo andhiyaro. Tahi son tras bhayo jag ko, yah sankat kahu so jaat na taro. Devan aani kari vinti tab, chhandi diyo ravi kasht nivaro. Ko nahin janat hai jag mein, kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo.
In your infancy, you swallowed the sun – all three worlds became dark. The world fell into terror; this calamity none could lift. Then the gods came and prayed, and you released the sun, lifting the suffering. Who in the world does not know, O Kapi, your name 'Sankatmochan' (lifter of every calamity)?
बालि की त्रास कपीस बसै, गिरिजात महाप्रभु पंथ निहारो। चौंकि महामुनि शाप दियो तब, चाहिए कौन विचार विचारो। कै द्विज रूप लिवाय महाप्रभु, सो तुम दास के सोक निवारों। को नहिं जानत है जगमें, कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥
Bali ki tras kapis basai, Girijat maha-prabhu panth nihaaro. Chaunki maha-muni shap diyo tab, chahiye kaun vichar vichaaro. Kai dvij roop livaay maha-prabhu, so tum das ke shok nivaaron. Ko nahin janat hai jag mein, kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo.
Fearing Bali, Sugriva (the kapi-king) lived on the mountain. The great rishi cast a curse – what was to be done? Taking the form of a brahmin, the great Lord (Ram), you (Hanuman) lifted your servant's sorrow. Who in the world does not know, O Kapi, your name 'Sankatmochan'?
अंगद के संग लेन गए सिय, खोज कपीस यह बैन उचारो। जीवत ना बचिहौ हम सो जु, बिना सुधि लाए इहाँ पगु धारो। हेरि थके तट सिंधु सबै तब, लाय सिया-सुधि प्राण उबारो। को नहिं जानत है जगमें, कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥
Angad ke sang len gaye Siy, khoj kapis yah bain uchaaro. Jivat na bachihau ham so ju, bina sudhi laaye ihaan pagu dhaaro. Heri thake tat sindhu sabai tab, laay Siya-sudhi pran ubaaro. Ko nahin janat hai jag mein, kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo.
With Angad, you went to find Sita; the kapi-king gave the order: 'You will not return alive without bringing news of her.' All the others tired, searching at the ocean's edge, but you brought back news of Sita and saved their lives. Who in the world does not know, O Kapi, your name 'Sankatmochan'?
रावण त्रास दई सिय को सब, राक्षसि सों कहि सोक निवारो। ताहि समय हनुमान महाप्रभु, जाय महा रंजनीचर मारो। चाहत सीय अशोक सों आगि सु, दै प्रभु मुद्रिका सोक निवारो। को नहिं जानत है जगमें, कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥
Ravan tras dayi Siy ko sab, rakshasi son kahi shok nivaaro. Tahi samay Hanuman maha-prabhu, jaay maha ranjanicar maaro. Chahat Siy Ashok son aagi su, dai Prabhu mudrika shok nivaaro. Ko nahin janat hai jag mein, kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo.
Ravana caused Sita great suffering, telling the rakshasis to torment her. At that very time, you (Hanuman) the great Lord went and slew the powerful night-stalkers. As Sita was about to set fire to herself in the Ashok grove, you gave her Ram's ring and lifted her sorrow. Who in the world does not know, O Kapi, your name 'Sankatmochan'?
बाण लग्यो उर लछिमन के तब, प्राण तजे सुत रावण मारो। लै गृह वैद्य सुषेन समेत, तबै गिरि द्रोन सुबीर उपारो। आनि संजीवनि हाथ दई तब, लछिमन के तुम प्राण उबारो। को नहिं जानत है जगमें, कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥
Baan lagyo ur Lachiman ke tab, pran taje sut Ravan maaro. Lai grih vaidya Sushen sameth, tabai giri Dron suvir upaaro. Aani sanjivani hath dayi tab, Lachiman ke tum pran ubaaro. Ko nahin janat hai jag mein, kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo.
When the arrow struck Lakshman's chest, his life began to leave him. You brought the physician Sushena and his entire house, then – brave one – uprooted the Drona mountain itself. Bringing the Sanjivani herb, you gave it into Sushena's hand and saved Lakshman's life. Who in the world does not know, O Kapi, your name 'Sankatmochan'?
रावण युद्ध अजान कियो तब, नाग की फांस सबै सिर डारो। श्री रघुनाथ समेत सबै दल, मोह भयो यह संकट भारो। आनि खगेस तबै हनुमान जु, बन्धन काटि सुत्रास निवारो। को नहिं जानत है जगमें, कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥
Ravan yuddha ajan kiyo tab, naag ki phaans sabai sir dharo. Shri Raghunath sameth sabai dal, moh bhayo yah sankat bharo. Aani Khages tabai Hanuman ju, bandhan kaati su-tras nivaaro. Ko nahin janat hai jag mein, kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo.
Ravana waged unrighteous war and cast the Naga-noose upon every head. Shri Raghunath (Ram) and the whole army were swooning – this calamity was great. You, Hanuman, brought Khageshvara (Garuda – the king of birds, who eats serpents) and cut every bond, lifting the great fear. Who in the world does not know, O Kapi, your name 'Sankatmochan'?
बंधु समेत जबै अहिरावण, लै रघुनाथ पाताल सिधारो। देवहिं पूजि भली विधि सों बलि, देउ सबै मिलि मंत्र बिचारो। जाय सहाय भयो तबही, अहिरावण सैन्य समेत संहारो। को नहिं जानत है जगमें, कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥
Bandhu sameth jabai Ahiravan, lai Raghunath patal sidharo. Devahin puji bhali vidhi son bali, deu sabai mili mantra bichaaro. Jaay sahay bhayo tabhi, Ahiravan sainya sameth sanharo. Ko nahin janat hai jag mein, kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo.
When Ahiravan abducted Ram and Lakshman to Patal-loka (the netherworld), to offer them as sacrifice to a deity, all the demons gathered to perform the ritual. You went to help, and slew Ahiravan along with his entire army. Who in the world does not know, O Kapi, your name 'Sankatmochan'?
काज किए बड़ देवन के तुम, वीर महाप्रभु देखि विचारो। कौन सो संकट मोर गरीब को, जो तुमसो नहिं जात है टारो। बेगि हरो हनुमान महाप्रभु, जो कछु संकट होय हमारो। को नहिं जानत है जगमें, कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥
Kaaj kiye bad devan ke tum, veer maha-prabhu dekhi vichaaro. Kaun so sankat mor gareeb ko, jo tum so nahin jaat hai taaro. Begi haro Hanuman maha-prabhu, jo kachhu sankat hoy hamaro. Ko nahin janat hai jag mein, kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo.
You have done great works for the gods, brave Lord – look and consider. What calamity of mine, the poor one, is too great for you to lift? Quickly remove, Hanuman, great Lord, whatever calamity is upon us. Who in the world does not know, O Kapi, your name 'Sankatmochan'?
लाल देह लाली लसे, अरु धरि लाल लंगूर। बज्र देह दानव दलन, जय जय जय कपि सूर॥
Lal deh lali lase, aru dhari lal langur. Vajra deh danav dalan, jai jai jai kapi sur.
Red body, redness shining, and the long red tail. Vajra-bodied, destroyer of demons – hail, hail, hail, brave kapi (Hanuman).
Why this chalisa
What the Sankatmochan Hanumanashtak is recited for, and what people turn to it for.
Crisis-text for acute calamity
The Sankatmochan Ashtak is taken up at the moment a calamity strikes – an unexpected court summons, a sudden illness, a stuck negotiation, a confrontation, the unexplained disappearance of someone in the family. Each of the eight verses narrates a specific Hanuman-rescue from the Ramayana – establishing the precedent, then the closing 8th verse asks: "Kaun so sankat mor gareeb ko, jo tum so nahin jaat hai taro?" – 'What calamity of mine is too great for you to lift?' Many devotees recite the Ashtak eight times in a row at the moment of crisis. Pair with the Hanuman Chalisa first as the foundation.
Each verse for a specific kind of difficulty
The eight verses each address a different kind of calamity – Verse 1 (the gods' plea against darkness): for situations where light has been lost. Verse 2 (Bali's curse): for situations of harm by a powerful enemy. Verse 3 (search for the lost): for situations where someone or something cannot be found. Verse 4 (Sita's suffering): for situations of sustained tormented waiting. Verse 5 (Sanjivani for Lakshman): for severe illness, especially sudden or life-threatening. Verse 6 (Naga-paasa): for situations of bondage – legal, financial, or relational. Verse 7 (Ahiravan-Patal-loka): for situations where someone has been taken to a place of harm. Verse 8 (the universal plea): the closing prayer that no calamity is too great. Many devotees focus on one specific verse during a specific kind of difficulty.
Companion to Tuesday/Saturday Hanuman vrats
Many homes that observe the Tuesday/Saturday Hanuman vrats include the Sankatmochan Ashtak as part of the morning paath. The standard sequence: Hanuman Chalisa first, then this Sankatmochan Ashtak, then the Bajrang Baan if the situation calls for force. Pair with the Ram Chalisa for the wider Ram-Hanuman household practice.
Companion to the Sankat Mochan Mandir tradition (Varanasi)
The Sankat Mochan Mandir at Varanasi is one of the most-visited Hanuman temples in India – established by Tulsidas himself in the 16th century, where he composed both the Hanuman Chalisa and this Ashtak. Pilgrims to Varanasi traditionally recite the Ashtak at the temple, and many bring back a sankalp – the Hanuman-naam to be recited at home through the difficulty. The temple's daily prayer-cycle includes the Ashtak.
For sustained difficulty – the 8-paath vow
Many devotees take a vow to recite the Ashtak eight times in a single sitting at moments of sustained difficulty. The vow is sometimes extended: 8 paaths daily for 8 days, then 8 paaths daily for 21 or 41 days. The traditional rule: pair with daily Hanuman Chalisa first. (This is a verse of devotional faith, not a replacement for medical care, legal counsel, or professional advice.)
Companion to the wider Tulsidas Hanuman corpus
The Sankatmochan Hanuman Ashtak is one of the four major Tulsidas Hanuman texts: (1) Hanuman Chalisa – the daily 40-verse foundation; (2) Bajrang Baan – the warrior force-text; (3) Sankatmochan Hanuman Ashtak – this 8-verse crisis-prayer; (4) Hanuman Bahuk – the body-pain healing prayer. Each serves a different purpose; together they form the complete daily-and-crisis Hanuman practice.
Origin
The Sankatmochan Hanuman Ashtak is composed by Goswami Tulsidas (c. 1532-1623 CE) – the same poet who composed the Hanuman Chalisa, the Bajrang Baan, the Hanuman Bahuk, and the Ramcharitmanas. The Ashtak is the shortest of his major Hanuman texts and is held in tradition to have been composed at the Sankat Mochan Mandir in Varanasi – the Hanuman temple Tulsidas himself established and where he composed several of his most beloved Hanuman texts.
The Ashtak is structured as 8 stanzas in the kavitt-savaiya metre – a four-line classical Hindi metre distinct from the chaupai metre of the Hanuman Chalisa and Bajrang Baan. Each stanza is denser and longer than a chaupai, and each closes with the same refrain: "Ko nahin janat hai jag mein kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo" – 'Who in the world does not know your name 'Sankatmochan' (lifter of every calamity), O Kapi (Hanuman)?' This refrain gives the Ashtak its name and its central theological claim.
The eight episodes the Ashtak narrates are drawn directly from the Ramayana – specifically from the Sundar Kand, the Yuddha Kand, and the apocryphal Patal-Khand traditions. Verses 1-2 are pre-Ramayana incidents (the swallowing of the sun, Bali's curse). Verses 3-7 narrate the Yuddha Kand sequence (Sita's search, the meeting in Lanka, Sanjivani for Lakshman, Naga-paasa, Ahiravan). Verse 8 is the universal personal plea. The eight episodes together establish the unbreakable theological claim: in every kind of cosmic difficulty, Hanuman has been the lifter – therefore in our personal difficulty too, he will lift.
The Ashtak's wider companions are the Hanuman Chalisa (paired daily), the Bajrang Baan (the warrior force-text), the Hanuman Bahuk (body-pain healing), and the Ram Chalisa (the wider Vaishnava context). The Sankat Mochan Mandir at Varanasi remains the central pilgrimage site for Ashtak devotion.
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. Sit facing south or before the home Hanuman murti / photograph. The traditional offerings: red flowers (especially red hibiscus, jaba), gud-chana, a small ghee diya, and a piece of mauli thread. Begin only after first reciting the Hanuman Chalisa as the foundation.
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Posture and start
Sit cross-legged with your spine straight. Bow once with the call "Jai Sankatmochan". Take a moment of silence. The Ashtak is a crisis-text – take a moment to set the intention: this is for a specific calamity. Offer a brief sankalp naming the matter.
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Recitation
Move through the 8 ashtak-verses without rushing. Each verse is a 4-line stanza – read steadily, with awareness that each narrates a specific Hanuman rescue. The closing line of every verse – "Ko nahin janat hai jag mein kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo" – is read with extra emphasis as the central refrain. End with the closing doha. The full recitation takes about three minutes – making it suitable for repeated paaths in sequence (8 paaths in about 25 minutes).
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After
Sit quietly with eyes closed for a moment. Many people end with the bija mantra Om Han Hanumate Namah recited 11 or 21 times, followed by Jai Sankatmochan three times. Offer the gud-chana bhog and take a small portion as prasad.
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Daily practice and special days
Tuesdays and Saturdays are the standard days. The Ashtak is most commonly recited at the moment a calamity strikes – the traditional 8-paath vow at one sitting. Hanuman Jayanti on Chaitra Purnima (April) is the major day. Pilgrims to Varanasi recite at the Sankat Mochan Mandir.