Hanuman Stotram: Hanuman Chalisa, Bajrang Baan & Hanuman Stotras with Lyrics
Hanuman stotras are prayers to Hanuman, also called Anjaneya, Maruti and Bajrangbali, the devotee of Rama whose strength, courage and humility are celebrated in the Ramayana. This collection has the Hanuman Chalisa and the other Awadhi prayers associated with Tulsidas, Sanskrit stotras and kavachams, the Telugu Anjaneya Dandakam, and the 12, 108 and 1000 names of Hanuman, each in Devanagari and other Indian scripts. People turn to Hanuman for courage, protection and the strength to get through difficulty. Many of these texts recall his deeds from the Ramayana, such as leaping across the ocean to Lanka and carrying the mountain with the healing herb to revive Lakshmana, and ask him to act in the same way for the person praying.
Most popular Hanuman stotras
- 1Hanuman Chalisa · हनुमान् चालीसाTulsidas's forty verses in Awadhi, the most recited Hanuman prayer, said daily and especially on Tuesdays and Saturdays.Chalisa · 40 verses
- 2Sankata Mochana Hanuman Ashtakam · सङ्कट मोचन हनुमान् अष्टकम्Eight verses asking Hanuman, the remover of troubles (Sankat Mochan), for help in a crisis.Ashtakam
- 3Hanuman Bajrang Baan · हनुमान् बजरङ्ग बाणA short, urgent prayer traditionally attributed to Tulsidas, recited in times of danger or fear.Stotram
- 4Hanuman Bahuka (Batuka) Stotram · हनुमान् बाहुका (बटुका) स्तोत्रंTulsidas's prayer for relief from bodily pain, which he is said to have composed during his own illness.Stotram · 44 verses
- 5Panchamukha Hanuman Kavacham · पञ्चमुख हनुमत्कवचम्The protective prayer to Hanuman's five-faced form.Kavacham · 21 verses
- 6Anjaneya Dandakam · आञ्जनेय दण्डकम्The Telugu dandakam beginning “Sri Anjaneyam Prasannanjaneyam”, widely recited in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.Dandakam
- 7108 Names of God HanumanThe 108 names of Hanuman, for archana and japa.Namavali · 108 verses
When to recite Hanuman stotras
- Tuesdays and Saturdays: the weekly days for Hanuman. Saturday worship of Hanuman is also traditionally believed to ease the difficulties attributed to Shani (Saturn).
- Hanuman Jayanti: Hanuman's birthday, observed on Chaitra Purnima in most of North India and on other dates in parts of the South. Devotees often recite the Hanuman Chalisa many times over that day.
- In the morning or evening: after a bath, in front of a picture of Hanuman or of Rama.
- In difficult times: the Bajrang Baan and the Sankat Mochan Ashtak are recited when facing danger, illness or fear.
- Along with the Ramayana: many people recite the Chalisa before or after reading the Sundara Kanda, the book of the Ramayana about Hanuman's journey to Lanka.
Which text to choose
- For daily recitation: the Hanuman Chalisa takes about ten minutes; the Hanuman Ashtakam or the 12 names are shorter.
- For protection: the Panchamukha Hanuman Kavacham, the Ekadasha Mukhi Hanuman Kavacham or the Hanuman Kavacham.
- For health: the Hanuman Bahuk, which Tulsidas is said to have written for his own recovery.
- For puja and archana: the 108 names, offering a flower or sindoor with each name; the 1000 names for longer pujas.
- In Telugu: the Anjaneya Dandakam, a single flowing prose-poem, is the best-known Hanuman prayer in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
All 24 Hanuman texts
Stotram (9)
Chalisa (5)
Namavali (5)
Kavacham (3)
Dandakam (1)
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote the Hanuman Chalisa?
The Hanuman Chalisa is traditionally attributed to Goswami Tulsidas, the 16th-century poet who wrote the Ramcharitmanas. It is in Awadhi, a form of Hindi, and has forty verses (chaupais) with dohas at the beginning and end.
How many times should the Hanuman Chalisa be recited?
Once a day is the usual practice. Many devotees recite it 7, 11 or 108 times on Tuesdays, Saturdays or Hanuman Jayanti, and the Chalisa's own closing verses speak of reciting it a hundred times.
What is the difference between the Hanuman Chalisa and the Bajrang Baan?
The Hanuman Chalisa praises Hanuman's qualities and deeds and is recited daily. The Bajrang Baan, “the arrow of Bajrangbali”, is an urgent call for his help and protection, and is usually kept for times of trouble.
What are the five faces of Panchamukha Hanuman?
Panchamukha Hanuman has five faces: Hanuman facing east, Narasimha facing south, Garuda facing west, Varaha facing north and Hayagriva facing upwards. The Panchamukha Hanuman Kavacham invokes this form for protection.
Can women recite the Hanuman Chalisa?
Yes. The Hanuman Chalisa and the other prayers here are recited by men and women alike, at home and in temples.