Surya Chalisa
सूर्य चालीसा
Origin & Story
Traditional Hindi devotional hymn · Traditional · Devotional era
The Surya Chalisa, also called the Bhanu Chalisa, is a forty-verse Hindi hymn to the Sun God — the visible deity (pratyaksha devata) worshipped since Vedic times as the source of life, light and health. It garlands Surya's twelve names and forms, sets a protective shield of his rays over every limb, and promises vitality and the washing-away of sin to all who greet the rising sun with its verses.
✦ As told in scripture
The Chalisa promises that singing the Sun's twelve names destroys the sins of a thousand births, that his ray-armour shields every limb so 'no fear remains anywhere in the world', and that even ringworm and leprosy never touch the devoted reciter — echoing the Aditya Hridaya, by which Sage Agastya armed Rama to vanquish Ravana.
Complete Text with Meaning
कनक बदन कुण्डल मकर,मुक्ता माला अङ्ग। पद्मासन स्थित ध्याइए,शंख चक्र के सङ्ग॥
Kanaka badana kundala makara,mukta mala anga Padmasana sthita dhyaie,shamkha chakra ke sanga
Meaning:Of golden body, with makara-shaped earrings and a pearl garland upon his limbs — meditate upon him seated in the lotus posture, with conch and discus.
जय सविता जय जयति दिवाकर!।सहस्रांशु! सप्ताश्व तिमिरहर॥
Jaya savita jaya jayati divakara!sahasramshu! saptashva timirahara
Meaning:Victory, O Savita; victory, victory, O Diwakar (day-maker)! O thousand-rayed, seven-horsed remover of darkness!
भानु! पतंग! मरीची! भास्कर!।सविता हंस! सुनूर विभाकर॥
Bhanu! patamga! marichi! bhaskara!savita hamsa! sunura vibhakara
Meaning:O Bhanu! Patanga! Marichi! Bhaskara! Savita! Hamsa! O radiant maker of light!
विवस्वान! आदित्य! विकर्तन।मार्तण्ड हरिरूप विरोचन॥
Vivasvana! aditya! vikartanamartanda harirupa virochana
Meaning:O Vivasvan! Aditya! Vikartana! Martanda, of Hari's form, Virochana!
अम्बरमणि! खग! रवि कहलाते।वेद हिरण्यगर्भ कह गाते॥
Ambaramani! khaga! ravi kahalateveda hiranyagarbha kaha gate
Meaning:Jewel of the sky (Ambaramani), bird of the heavens (Khaga), you are called Ravi; the Vedas sing you as Hiranyagarbha.
सहस्रांशु प्रद्योतन, कहिकहि।मुनिगन होत प्रसन्न मोदलहि॥
Sahasramshu pradyotana, kahikahimunigana hota prasanna modalahi
Meaning:Calling 'thousand-rayed, all-illuminating', the sages grow joyful and attain delight.
अरुण सदृश सारथी मनोहर।हांकत हय साता चढ़ि रथ पर॥
Aruna sadrisha sarathi manoharahamkata haya sata chaढ़i ratha para
Meaning:Your charming charioteer, like Aruna, drives the seven horses, mounted upon the chariot.
मंडल की महिमा अति न्यारी।तेज रूप केरी बलिहारी॥
Mamdala ki mahima ati nyariteja rupa keri balihari
Meaning:The glory of your orb is most wondrous; I am a sacrifice to your form of splendour.
उच्चैःश्रवा सदृश हय जोते।देखि पुरन्दर लज्जित होते॥
Uchchaihshrava sadrisha haya jotedekhi purandara lajjita hote
Meaning:Yoking horses like Uchchaihshravas, even Indra (Purandara) is put to shame at the sight.
मित्र मरीचि भानु अरुण भास्कर।सविता सूर्य अर्क खग कलिकर॥
Mitra marichi bhanu aruna bhaskarasavita surya arka khaga kalikara
Meaning:Mitra, Marichi, Bhanu, Aruna, Bhaskara; Savita, Surya, Arka, Khaga, the maker of the ages —
पूषा रवि आदित्य नाम लै।हिरण्यगर्भाय नमः कहिकै॥
Pusha ravi aditya nama laihiranyagarbhaya namah kahikai
Meaning:— taking the names Pusha, Ravi, Aditya, and saying 'Hiranyagarbhaya Namah',
द्वादस नाम प्रेम सों गावैं।मस्तक बारह बार नवावैं॥
Dvadasa nama prema som gavaimmastaka baraha bara navavaim
Meaning:— singing these twelve names with love, and bowing the head twelve times,
चार पदारथ जन सो पावै।दुःख दारिद्र अघ पुंज नसावै॥
Chara padaratha jana so pavaiduhkha daridra agha pumja nasavai
Meaning:— that devotee attains the four aims of life; sorrow, poverty and heaps of sin are destroyed.
नमस्कार को चमत्कार यह।विधि हरिहर को कृपासार यह॥
Namaskara ko chamatkara yahavidhi harihara ko kripasara yaha
Meaning:This is the miracle of the salutation — it is the very essence of the grace of Brahma, Hari and Hara.
सेवै भानु तुमहिं मन लाई।अष्टसिद्धि नवनिधि तेहिं पाई॥
Sevai bhanu tumahim mana laiashtasiddhi navanidhi tehim pai
Meaning:Whoever serves you, Bhanu, with a devoted mind, attains the eight siddhis and the nine treasures.
बारह नाम उच्चारन करते।सहस जनम के पातक टरते॥
Baraha nama uchcharana karatesahasa janama ke pataka tarate
Meaning:Reciting the twelve names, the sins of a thousand births are wiped away.
उपाख्यान जो करते तवजन।रिपु सों जमलहते सोतेहि छन॥
Upakhyana jo karate tavajanaripu som jamalahate sotehi chhana
Meaning:The devotee who recounts your glory overcomes the enemy in that very moment, as if by Yama.
धन सुत जुत परिवार बढ़तु है।प्रबल मोह को फंद कटतु है॥
Dhana suta juta parivara badha़tu haiprabala moha ko phamda katatu hai
Meaning:His wealth, sons and family increase; the strong noose of delusion is cut away.
अर्क शीश को रक्षा करते।रवि ललाट पर नित्य बिहरते॥
Arka shisha ko raksha karateravi lalata para nitya biharate
Meaning:May Arka protect my head; may Ravi ever abide upon my forehead.
सूर्य नेत्र पर नित्य विराजत।कर्ण देस पर दिनकर छाजत॥
Surya netra para nitya virajatakarna desa para dinakara chhajata
Meaning:May Surya ever rest upon my eyes; may Dinakar shade the region of my ears.
भानु नासिका वासकरहुनित।भास्कर करत सदा मुखको हित॥
Bhanu nasika vasakarahunitabhaskara karata sada mukhako hita
Meaning:May Bhanu ever dwell upon my nose; may Bhaskara ever do good to my mouth.
ओंठ रहैं पर्जन्य हमारे।रसना बीच तीक्ष्ण बस प्यारे॥
Omtha rahaim parjanya hamarerasana bicha tikshna basa pyare
Meaning:May Parjanya abide upon my lips; may the sharp-rayed one dwell upon my tongue, dear one.
कंठ सुवर्ण रेत की शोभा।तिग्म तेजसः कांधे लोभा॥
Kamtha suvarna reta ki shobhatigma tejasah kamdhe lobha
Meaning:The beauty of gold-sand upon my throat; may the fiercely radiant one delight upon my shoulders.
पूषां बाहू मित्र पीठहिं पर।त्वष्टा वरुण रहत सुउष्णकर॥
Pusham bahu mitra pithahim paratvashta varuna rahata suushnakara
Meaning:Pusha upon my arms, Mitra upon my back; Tvashta and Varuna remain, giving gentle warmth.
युगल हाथ पर रक्षा कारन।भानुमान उरसर्म सुउदरचन॥
Yugala hatha para raksha karanabhanumana urasarma suudarachana
Meaning:Protection upon both my hands; Bhanuman warm upon my chest and belly.
बसत नाभि आदित्य मनोहर।कटिमंह, रहत मन मुदभर॥
Basata nabhi aditya manoharakatimamha, rahata mana mudabhara
Meaning:The charming Aditya dwells at my navel; at my waist he remains, filling the mind with joy.
जंघा गोपति सविता बासा।गुप्त दिवाकर करत हुलासा॥
Jamgha gopati savita basagupta divakara karata hulasa
Meaning:Gopati Savita dwells upon my thighs; the hidden Diwakar brings gladness.
विवस्वान पद की रखवारी।बाहर बसते नित तम हारी॥
Vivasvana pada ki rakhavaribahara basate nita tama hari
Meaning:Vivasvan guards my feet; ever dwelling without, the remover of darkness.
सहस्रांशु सर्वांग सम्हारै।रक्षा कवच विचित्र विचारे॥
Sahasramshu sarvamga samharairaksha kavacha vichitra vichare
Meaning:The thousand-rayed one guards all my limbs — a wondrous, well-conceived armour of protection.
अस जोजन अपने मन माहीं।भय जगबीच करहुं तेहि नाहीं॥
Asa jojana apane mana mahimbhaya jagabicha karahum tehi nahim
Meaning:Whoever contemplates this in the mind has no fear anywhere in the world.
दद्रु कुष्ठ तेहिं कबहु न व्यापै।जोजन याको मन मंह जापै॥
Dadru kushtha tehim kabahu na vyapaijojana yako mana mamha japai
Meaning:Ringworm and leprosy never afflict the one who recites this within the mind.
अंधकार जग का जो हरता।नव प्रकाश से आनन्द भरता॥
Amdhakara jaga ka jo haratanava prakasha se ananda bharata
Meaning:He who removes the darkness of the world and fills it with new light and bliss,
ग्रह गन ग्रसि न मिटावत जाही।कोटि बार मैं प्रनवौं ताही॥
Graha gana grasi na mitavata jahikoti bara maim pranavaum tahi
Meaning:— whom the planets can neither grasp nor extinguish — to him I bow a crore of times.
मंद सदृश सुत जग में जाके।धर्मराज सम अद्भुत बांके॥
Mamda sadrisha suta jaga mem jakedharmaraja sama adbhuta bamke
Meaning:Whose son, like Manda (Shani), is in the world; wondrous and noble, like Dharmaraja (Yama) —
धन्य-धन्य तुम दिनमनि देवा।किया करत सुरमुनि नर सेवा॥
Dhanya-dhanya tuma dinamani devakiya karata suramuni nara seva
Meaning:— blessed, blessed are you, O jewel of the day, O Deva; gods, sages and men ever serve you.
भक्ति भावयुत पूर्ण नियम सों।दूर हटतसो भवके भ्रम सों॥
Bhakti bhavayuta purna niyama somdura hatataso bhavake bhrama som
Meaning:With devotion and full observance of the rules, one moves far from the delusions of worldly existence.
परम धन्य सों नर तनधारी।हैं प्रसन्न जेहि पर तम हारी॥
Parama dhanya som nara tanadharihaim prasanna jehi para tama hari
Meaning:Most blessed is the embodied soul upon whom the remover of darkness is pleased.
अरुण माघ महं सूर्य फाल्गुन।मधु वेदांग नाम रवि उदयन॥
Aruna magha maham surya phalgunamadhu vedamga nama ravi udayana
Meaning:Aruna in Magha, Surya in Phalguna; Madhu (in Chaitra), Vedanga is the name of the rising Ravi;
भानु उदय बैसाख गिनावै।ज्येष्ठ इन्द्र आषाढ़ रवि गावै॥
Bhanu udaya baisakha ginavaijyeshtha indra ashadha़ ravi gavai
Meaning:— counted as Bhanu rising in Vaisakha; in Jyeshtha Indra, in Ashadha he is sung as Ravi;
यम भादों आश्विन हिमरेता।कातिक होत दिवाकर नेता॥
Yama bhadom ashvina himaretakatika hota divakara neta
Meaning:— Yama in Bhadrapada, in Ashwin 'Himreta'; in Kartik, Diwakar is the leader;
अगहन भिन्न विष्णु हैं पूसहिं।पुरुष नाम रवि हैं मलमासहिं॥
Agahana bhinna vishnu haim pusahimpurusha nama ravi haim malamasahim
Meaning:— in Agahan 'Bhinna', Vishnu in Pausha; in the intercalary month his name is 'Purusha'.
भानु चालीसा प्रेम युत,गावहिं जे नर नित्य। सुख सम्पत्ति लहि बिबिध,होंहिं सदा कृतकृत्य॥
Bhanu chalisa prema yuta,gavahim je nara nitya Sukha sampatti lahi bibidha,homhim sada kritakritya
Meaning:Whoever sings the Bhanu (Surya) Chalisa daily with love attains varied happiness and prosperity, and is ever fulfilled.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Surya Chalisa
The Surya Chalisa invokes Lord Surya, the Sun God, for health, vitality, energy, confidence and success.
Recites the twelve sacred names (Dvadasa Aditya) of the Sun, whose chanting is said to wipe away the sins of a thousand births.
Includes a body-part 'kavach' invoking the Sun's protection over head, eyes, ears, limbs and the whole body.
Traditionally chanted to strengthen a weak Sun in the horoscope and to relieve skin ailments and eye troubles.
Most powerful at sunrise on Sunday (Ravivar), while offering water (Arghya) to the rising sun.
Bestows the eight siddhis, nine treasures, and the four aims of life upon the devoted.
How to Chant Surya Chalisa
At sunrise after bathing, face east and offer water (Arghya) to the sun from a copper vessel while reciting. Then recite the Surya Chalisa with devotion, ideally chanting the twelve names and bowing twelve times. Sunday is most auspicious; observing it with a single meal (and avoiding salt) deepens the practice.