Vishnu Chalisa

विष्णु सुनिए विनय सेवक की चितलाय । कीरत कुछ वर्णन करूँ दीजै ज्ञान बताय ॥

viṣṇu sunie vinaya sevaka kī citalāya | kīrata kucha varṇana karū~ dījai jñāna batāya ||

O Vishnu, kindly listen with attention to this servant's humble prayer; grant me the wisdom to describe a little of Your glory.

नमो विष्णु भगवान खरारी । कष्ट नशावन अखिल बिहारी ॥

namo viṣṇu bhagavāna kharārī | kaṣṭa naśāvana akhila bihārī ||

Salutations to Lord Vishnu, Kharari; destroyer of sorrows, You dwell and roam throughout all creation.

प्रबल जगत में शक्ति तुम्हारी । त्रिभुवन फैल रही उजियारी ॥

prabala jagata meṃ śakti tumhārī | tribhuvana phaila rahī ujiyārī ||

Your power reigns supreme across the world; Your radiance spreads through the three worlds, Tribhuvan.

सुन्दर रूप मनोहर सूरत । सरल स्वभाव मोहनी मूरत ॥

sundara rūpa manohara sūrata | sarala svabhāva mohanī mūrata ||

Your form is beautiful and Your countenance charming; Your nature is gentle and Your image enchanting.

तन पर पीताम्बर अति सोहत । बैजन्ती माला मन मोहत ॥

tana para pītāmbara ati sohata | baijantī mālā mana mohata ||

The yellow garment, Pitambar, adorns Your body most splendidly; the Vaijanti garland delights the mind.

शंख चक्र कर गदा बिराजे । देखत दैत्य असुर दल भाजे ॥

śaṃkha cakra kara gadā birāje | dekhata daitya asura dala bhāje ||

The conch, discus and mace shine in Your hands; seeing them, hordes of demons and asuras flee.

सत्य धर्म मद लोभ न गाजे । काम क्रोध मद लोभ न छाजे ॥

satya dharma mada lobha na gāje | kāma krodha mada lobha na chāje ||

Truth and dharma resound in You; pride and greed have no place, nor do desire, anger, pride or greed touch You.

सन्तभक्त सज्जन मनरंजन । दनुज असुर दुष्टन दल गंजन ॥

santabhakta sajjana manaraṃjana | danuja asura duṣṭana dala gaṃjana ||

You delight the hearts of saints, devotees and the virtuous; You crush the hordes of demons, asuras and the wicked.

सुख उपजाय कष्ट सब भंजन । दोष मिटाय करत जन सज्जन ॥

sukha upajāya kaṣṭa saba bhaṃjana | doṣa miṭāya karata jana sajjana ||

You give rise to happiness and destroy every sorrow; You remove faults and make people virtuous.

पाप काट भव सिन्धु उतारण । कष्ट नाशकर भक्त उबारण ॥

pāpa kāṭa bhava sindhu utāraṇa | kaṣṭa nāśakara bhakta ubāraṇa ||

You cut away sin and carry devotees across the ocean of worldly life; You destroy suffering and rescue Your devotees.

करत अनेक रूप प्रभु धारण । केवल आप भक्ति के कारण ॥

karata aneka rūpa prabhu dhāraṇa | kevala āpa bhakti ke kāraṇa ||

O Lord, You take on many forms, only for the sake of devotion to You.

धरणि धेनु बन तुमहिं पुकारा । तब तुम रूप राम का धारा ॥

dharaṇi dhenu bana tumahiṃ pukārā | taba tuma rūpa rāma kā dhārā ||

When the Earth, in the form of a cow, cried out to You, You then took the form of Rama.

भार उतार असुर दल मारा । रावण आदिक को संहारा ॥

bhāra utāra asura dala mārā | rāvaṇa ādika ko saṃhārā ||

You lifted her burden and slew the hordes of demons; You destroyed Ravana and others.

आप वाराह रूप बनाया । हिरण्याक्ष को मार गिराया ॥

āpa vārāha rūpa banāyā | hiraṇyākṣa ko māra girāyā ||

You assumed the form of Varaha and struck down Hiranyaksha.

धर मत्स्य तन सिन्धु बनाया । चौदह रतनन को निकलाया ॥

dhara matsya tana sindhu banāyā | caudaha ratanana ko nikalāyā ||

Taking the form of Matsya, You churned the ocean and brought forth the fourteen treasures.

अमिलख असुरन द्वन्द मचाया । रूप मोहनी आप दिखाया ॥

amilakha asurana dvanda macāyā | rūpa mohanī āpa dikhāyā ||

You stirred strife among the greedy asuras and showed them Your Mohini form.

देवन को अमृत पान कराया । असुरन को छबि से बहलाया ॥

devana ko amṛta pāna karāyā | asurana ko chabi se bahalāyā ||

You made the gods drink the nectar of immortality and beguiled the asuras with that beauty.

कूर्म रूप धर सिन्धु मझाया । मन्द्राचल गिरि तुरत उठाया ॥

kūrma rūpa dhara sindhu majhāyā | mandrācala giri turata uṭhāyā ||

Taking the form of Kurma, You churned the ocean and at once held up Mount Mandrachal.

शंकर का तुम फन्द छुड़ाया । भस्मासुर को रूप दिखाया ॥

śaṃkara kā tuma phanda chuḍa़āyā | bhasmāsura ko rūpa dikhāyā ||

You freed Shankar from his predicament by showing Bhasmasura Your enchanting form.

वेदन को जब असुर डुबाया । कर प्रबन्ध उन्हें ढुँढवाया ॥

vedana ko jaba asura ḍubāyā | kara prabandha unheṃ ḍhu~ḍhavāyā ||

When a demon submerged the Vedas, You arranged for them to be sought out and recovered.

मोहित बनकर खलहि नचाया । उसही कर से भस्म कराया ॥

mohita banakara khalahi nacāyā | usahī kara se bhasma karāyā ||

Becoming enchanting, You made the wicked one dance, and by his own hand caused him to be reduced to ash.

असुर जलंधर अति बलदाई । शंकर से उन कीन्ह लड़ाई ॥

asura jalaṃdhara ati baladāī | śaṃkara se una kīnha laḍa़āī ||

The demon Jalandhar was exceedingly powerful; he waged war against Shankar.

हार पार शिव सकल बनाई । कीन सती से छल खल जाई ॥

hāra pāra śiva sakala banāī | kīna satī se chala khala jāī ||

Having been utterly defeated, Shiva devised a plan; the wicked one went and deceived the chaste Vrinda.

सुमिरन कीन तुम्हें शिवरानी । बतलाई सब विपत कहानी ॥

sumirana kīna tumheṃ śivarānī | batalāī saba vipata kahānī ||

Shivarani remembered You in prayer and told You the whole tale of the calamity.

तब तुम बने मुनीश्वर ज्ञानी । वृन्दा की सब सुरति भुलानी ॥

taba tuma bane munīśvara jñānī | vṛndā kī saba surati bhulānī ||

Then You became a wise sage and made Vrinda forget all awareness of her husband.

देखत तीन दनुज शैतानी । वृन्दा आय तुम्हें लपटानी ॥

dekhata tīna danuja śaitānī | vṛndā āya tumheṃ lapaṭānī ||

Seeing through that demon's deceit, Vrinda came and embraced You.

हो स्पर्श धर्म क्षति मानी । हना असुर उर शिव शैतानी ॥

ho sparśa dharma kṣati mānī | hanā asura ura śiva śaitānī ||

That touch was deemed a breach of her virtue; then, his protection gone, Shiva struck down the demon's wickedness.

तुमने ध्रुव प्रहलाद उबारे । हिरणाकुश आदिक खल मारे ॥

tumane dhruva prahalāda ubāre | hiraṇākuśa ādika khala māre ||

You rescued Dhruva and Prahlada; You slew Hiranyakashipu and other wicked ones.

गणिका और अजामिल तारे । बहुत भक्त भव सिन्धु उतारे ॥

gaṇikā aura ajāmila tāre | bahuta bhakta bhava sindhu utāre ||

You delivered Ganika and Ajamila; You have carried many devotees across the ocean of existence.

हरहु सकल संताप हमारे । कृपा करहु हरि सिरजन हारे ॥

harahu sakala saṃtāpa hamāre | kṛpā karahu hari sirajana hāre ||

Remove all our afflictions; be gracious, O Hari, Creator of all.

देखहुँ मैं निज दरश तुम्हारे । दीन बन्धु भक्तन हितकारे ॥

dekhahu~ maiṃ nija daraśa tumhāre | dīna bandhu bhaktana hitakāre ||

Let me behold Your own divine vision, O friend of the humble, benefactor of devotees.

चहत आपका सेवक दर्शन । करहु दया अपनी मधुसूदन ॥

cahata āpakā sevaka darśana | karahu dayā apanī madhusūdana ||

Your servant longs for Your darshan; show Your own mercy, O Madhusudan.

जानूं नहीं योग्य जप पूजन । होय यज्ञ स्तुति अनुमोदन ॥

jānūṃ nahīṃ yogya japa pūjana | hoya yajña stuti anumodana ||

I do not know the proper way to chant and worship, nor how sacrifice and praise ought to be duly offered.

शीलदया सन्तोष सुलक्षण । विदित नहीं व्रतबोध विलक्षण ॥

śīladayā santoṣa sulakṣaṇa | vidita nahīṃ vratabodha vilakṣaṇa ||

I lack fine qualities of virtue, mercy and contentment; I have no special understanding of vows and observances.

करहुँ आपका किस विधि पूजन । कुमति विलोक होत दुख भीषण ॥

karahu~ āpakā kisa vidhi pūjana | kumati viloka hota dukha bhīṣaṇa ||

In what manner should I worship You? Seeing my own foolishness, I suffer terrible distress.

करहुँ प्रणाम कौन विधिसुमिरण । कौन भांति मैं करहुँ समर्पण ॥

karahu~ praṇāma kauna vidhisumiraṇa | kauna bhāṃti maiṃ karahu~ samarpaṇa ||

In what manner should I bow and remember You? In what way should I offer myself to You?

सुर मुनि करत सदा सिवकाई । हर्षित रहत परम गति पाई ॥

sura muni karata sadā sivakāī | harṣita rahata parama gati pāī ||

Gods and sages ever render service to You and remain joyful, having attained the supreme state.

दीन दुखिन पर सदा सहाई । निज जन जान लेव अपनाई ॥

dīna dukhina para sadā sahāī | nija jana jāna leva apanāī ||

You are ever the helper of the humble and the suffering; know me as Your own and accept me.

पाप दोष संताप नशाओ । भव बन्धन से मुक्त कराओ ॥

pāpa doṣa saṃtāpa naśāo | bhava bandhana se mukta karāo ||

Destroy my sins, faults and afflictions; free me from the bonds of worldly existence.

सुत सम्पति दे सुख उपजाओ । निज चरनन का दास बनाओ ॥

suta sampati de sukha upajāo | nija caranana kā dāsa banāo ||

Grant children and wealth, and give rise to happiness; make me a servant at Your own feet.

निगम सदा ये विनय सुनावै । पढ़ै सुनै सो जन सुख पावै ॥

nigama sadā ye vinaya sunāvai | paḍha़ai sunai so jana sukha pāvai ||

The scriptures ever proclaim this prayer; whoever reads or hears it attains happiness.