Surya Chalisa — Word-by-Word 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. Victory, O Savita; victory, victory, O Diwakar (day-maker)! O thousand-rayed, seven-horsed remover of darkness! O Bhanu! Patanga! Marichi! Bhaskara! Savita! Hamsa! O radiant maker of light! O Vivasvan! Aditya! Vikartana! Martanda, of Hari's form, Virochana! Jewel of the sky (Ambaramani), bird of the heavens (Khaga), you are called Ravi; the Vedas sing you as Hiranyagarbha. Calling 'thousand-rayed, all-illuminating', the sages grow joyful and attain delight. Your charming charioteer, like Aruna, drives the seven horses, mounted upon the chariot. The glory of your orb is most wondrous; I am a sacrifice to your form of splendour. Yoking horses like Uchchaihshravas, even Indra (Purandara) is put to shame at the sight. Mitra, Marichi, Bhanu, Aruna, Bhaskara; Savita, Surya, Arka, Khaga, the maker of the ages — — taking the names Pusha, Ravi, Aditya, and saying 'Hiranyagarbhaya Namah', — singing these twelve names with love, and bowing the head twelve times, — that devotee attains the four aims of life; sorrow, poverty and heaps of sin are destroyed. This is the miracle of the salutation — it is the very essence of the grace of Brahma, Hari and Hara. Whoever serves you, Bhanu, with a devoted mind, attains the eight siddhis and the nine treasures. Reciting the twelve names, the sins of a thousand births are wiped away. The devotee who recounts your glory overcomes the enemy in that very moment, as if by Yama. His wealth, sons and family increase; the strong noose of delusion is cut away. May Arka protect my head; may Ravi ever abide upon my forehead. May Surya ever rest upon my eyes; may Dinakar shade the region of my ears. May Bhanu ever dwell upon my nose; may Bhaskara ever do good to my mouth. May Parjanya abide upon my lips; may the sharp-rayed one dwell upon my tongue, dear one. The beauty of gold-sand upon my throat; may the fiercely radiant one delight upon my shoulders. Pusha upon my arms, Mitra upon my back; Tvashta and Varuna remain, giving gentle warmth. Protection upon both my hands; Bhanuman warm upon my chest and belly. The charming Aditya dwells at my navel; at my waist he remains, filling the mind with joy. Gopati Savita dwells upon my thighs; the hidden Diwakar brings gladness. Vivasvan guards my feet; ever dwelling without, the remover of darkness. The thousand-rayed one guards all my limbs — a wondrous, well-conceived armour of protection. Whoever contemplates this in the mind has no fear anywhere in the world. Ringworm and leprosy never afflict the one who recites this within the mind. He who removes the darkness of the world and fills it with new light and bliss, — whom the planets can neither grasp nor extinguish — to him I bow a crore of times. Whose son, like Manda (Shani), is in the world; wondrous and noble, like Dharmaraja (Yama) — — blessed, blessed are you, O jewel of the day, O Deva; gods, sages and men ever serve you. With devotion and full observance of the rules, one moves far from the delusions of worldly existence. Most blessed is the embodied soul upon whom the remover of darkness is pleased. Aruna in Magha, Surya in Phalguna; Madhu (in Chaitra), Vedanga is the name of the rising Ravi; — counted as Bhanu rising in Vaisakha; in Jyeshtha Indra, in Ashadha he is sung as Ravi; — Yama in Bhadrapada, in Ashwin 'Himreta'; in Kartik, Diwakar is the leader; — in Agahan 'Bhinna', Vishnu in Pausha; in the intercalary month his name is 'Purusha'. Whoever sings the Bhanu (Surya) Chalisa daily with love attains varied happiness and prosperity, and is ever fulfilled.