Shiva Chalisa

जय गणेश गिरिजासुवन मंगल मूल सुजान ।

Jai Ganesh Girija suvan, mangal mool sujaan

Hail Ganesha, Girija's son, wise one from whom every blessing springs

कहत अयोध्यादास तुम देउ अभय वरदान ॥

Kahat Ayodhyadas tum deu abhay vardaan

Ayodhyadas prays: give me the gift of a life without fear

जय गिरिजापति दीनदयाला । सदा करत सन्तन प्रतिपाला ॥

Jai Girijapati deendayala, sada karat santan pratipala

Hail to Girija's husband, tender toward those in need, who always looks after His devotees

भाल चन्द्रमा सोहत नीके । कानन कुण्डल नाग फनी के ॥

Bhaal chandrama sohat neeke, kaanan kundal naag phani ke

A moon sits handsomely on His forehead; hooded snakes hang as rings from His ears

अंग गौर शिर गंग बहाये । मुण्डमाल तन क्षार लगाये ॥

Ang gaur shir Gang bahaye, mundmala tan kshar lagaye

Pale of limb, He lets the Ganga stream from His head; skulls hang at His neck and ash coats His body

वस्त्र खाल बाघम्बर सोहे । छवि को देखि नाग मन मोहे ॥

Vastra khaal baaghmbar sohe, chhavi ko dekhi naag man mohe

His only clothing is a tiger's pelt; one look at Him and even the snakes lose their hearts

मैना मातु कि हवे दुलारी । वाम अंग सोहत छवि न्यारी ॥

Maina matu ki have dulaari, vaam ang sohat chhavi nyaari

Mother Maina's cherished daughter (Parvati) sits at His left, a vision beyond compare

कर त्रिशूल सोहत छवि भारी । करत सदा शत्रुन क्षयकारी ॥

Kar trishool sohat chhavi bhari, karat sada shatran kshayakari

The trident gleams in His grip, an awesome sight, and with it He forever lays enemies low

नंदी गणेश सोहैं तहं कैसे । सागर मध्य कमल हैं जैसे ॥

Nandi Ganesh sohain tahan kaise, saagar madhy kamal hain jaise

There Nandi and Ganesha stand in beauty, the way lotuses float on the open sea

कार्तिक श्याम और गणराऊ । या छवि कौ कहि जात न काऊ ॥

Kartik Shyam aur Ganrau, ya chhavi ko kahi jaat na kaun

Dark Kartikeya and the chief of the ganas are there too; no one could put that scene into words

देवन जबहीं जाय पुकारा । तबहिं दुख प्रभु आप निवारा ॥

Devan jabahin jaay pukaara, tabahin dukh prabhu aap nivaara

Whenever the gods went to Him calling for help, the Lord Himself put an end to their suffering

किया उपद्रव तारक भारी । देवन सब मिलि तुमहिं जुहारी ॥

Kiya upadrav Taarak bhari, devan sab mili tumahin juhaari

Taraka the demon spread terror far and wide, and the gods gathered to plead before You

तुरत षडानन आप पठायौ । लव निमेष महं मारि गिरायौ ॥

Turat shadaanan aap pathhayau, lav nimesh mahin maari giraayau

At once You dispatched six-headed Kartikeya, and in the blink of an eye he struck the demon down

आप जलंधर असुर संहारा । सुयश तुम्हार विदित संसारा ॥

Aap Jalandhar asur sanhaara, suyash tumhaar vidit sansaara

With Your own hands You destroyed the demon Jalandhar; the whole world knows that glorious deed

त्रिपुरासुर सन युद्ध मचाई । तबहिं कृपा कर लीन बचाई ॥

Tripurasur san yudh machaayi, tabahin kripa kar leen bachaayi

You took the fight to Tripurasura, and when it was done Your mercy saved all

किया तपहिं भागीरथ भारी । पुरब प्रतिज्ञा तासु पुरारी ॥

Kiya tapahin Bhagirath bhari, purab pratigya taasu puraari

Bhagiratha practised hard penance for years, and You, Purari (Tripura's conqueror), honoured his long-standing vow

दानिन महं तुम सम कोउ नाहीं । सेवक स्तुति करत सदाहीं ॥

Daanin mahin tum sam kou naahin, sevak stuti karat sadaahin

No giver anywhere can match You; Your servants never stop singing of it

वेद माहि महिमा तुम गाई । अकथ अनादि भेद नहीं पाई ॥

Ved maahi mahima tum gaayi, akath anaadi bhed nahin paayi

The Vedas themselves praise Your greatness, yet You have no beginning and no words reach You; Your secret stays unfound

प्रकटे उदधि मंथन में ज्वाला । जरत सुरासुर भए विहाला ॥

Pragate udadhi manthan mein jwaala, jarat suraasur bhae vihaala

When the ocean was churned a blaze of poison appeared, and gods and demons alike writhed in its heat

कीन्ह दया तहं करी सहाई । नीलकंठ तब नाम कहाई ॥

Keenh daya tahan kari sahaayi, Neelkanth tab naam kahaayi

Pitying them, You came to the rescue and drank it; from that day You have been called Neelkanth, the one with the blue throat

पूजन रामचंद्र जब कीन्हां । जीत के लंक विभीषण दीन्हा ॥

Poojan Ramchandra jab keenhan, jeet ke Lank Vibheeshan deenha

After Ramachandra offered You worship, He won Lanka and handed it to Vibhishana

सहस कमल में हो रहे धारी । कीन्ह परीक्षा तबहिं त्रिपुरारी ॥

Sahas kamal mein ho rahe dhaari, keenh pareeksha tabahin Tripuraari

Rama had set out a thousand lotuses for You, and You, Tripurari, chose that moment to test Him

एक कमल प्रभु राखेउ जोई । कमल नयन पूजन चहं सोई ॥

Ek kamal prabhu raakheu joi, kamal nayan poojan chahan soi

You hid one lotus away, so the lotus-eyed Rama resolved to offer His own eye in its place

कठिन भक्ति देखी प्रभु शंकर । भये प्रसन्न दिए इच्छित वर ॥

Kathin bhakti dekhi prabhu Shankar, bhaye prasann diye ichchhit var

Moved by devotion that hard, Lord Shankar was delighted and gave Rama the blessing He sought

जय जय जय अनंत अविनाशी । करत कृपा सबके घट वासी ॥

Jai jai jai anant avinaashi, karat kripa sabke ghat vaasi

Hail, hail, hail to the endless and undying One, who lives in every heart and showers it with grace

दुष्ट सकल नित मोहि सतावैं । भ्रमत रहौं मोहे चैन न आवैं ॥

Dusht sakal nit mohi satvaain, bhramat rahauñ mohe chain na aavain

Day after day cruel people hound me; I roam about and cannot find a moment's rest

त्राहि त्राहि मैं नाथ पुकारो । यह अवसर मोहि आन उबारो ॥

Traahi traahi main naath pukaaro, yah avasar mohi aan ubaaro

Help me, help me, Lord, I call out to You; now is the time, come and lift me out of this

ले त्रिशूल शत्रुन को मारो । संकट से मोहिं आन उबारो ॥

Le trishool shatran ko maaro, sankat se mohi aan ubaaro

Raise Your trident and strike down those who wrong me; come and pull me free of this danger

मात पिता भ्राता सब कोई । संकट में पूछत नहिं कोई ॥

Maat pita bhrata sab koi, sankat mein poochhat nahin koi

Mother, father, brothers, everyone I have: when trouble strikes, not one of them checks on me

स्वामी एक है आस तुम्हारी । आय हरहु मम संकट भारी ॥

Swami ek hai aas tumhaari, aay harahu mam sankat bhari

Master, You are the one hope I have left; come and take this crushing burden from me

धन निर्धन को देत सदा ही । जो कोई जांचे सो फल पाहीं ॥

Dhan nirdhan ko det sada hi, jo koi jaanche so fal paahin

You are always giving riches to those who have none; whoever asks of You gets what they came for

अस्तुति केहि विधि करों तुम्हारी । क्षमहु नाथ अब चूक हमारी ॥

Astuti kehi vidhi karon tumhaari, kshamahu naath ab chook hamaari

In what way could I ever praise You properly? Pardon my mistakes now, Lord

शंकर हो संकट के नाशन । मंगल कारण विघ्न विनाशन ॥

Shankar ho sankat ke naashan, mangal kaaran vighn vinaashan

Shankar, You are the one who wipes out trouble, the source of good fortune, the breaker of obstacles

योगी यति मुनि ध्यान लगावैं । शारद नारद शीश नवावैं ॥

Yogi yati muni dhyaan lagaavain, Sharad Naarad sheesh navaavain

Yogis, renouncers and seers sit in meditation on You; Sharada (Saraswati) and Narada bend their heads low

नमो नमो जय नमः शिवाय । सुर ब्रह्मादिक पार न पाय ॥

Namo namo jai namah Shivaay, sur Brahmaadik paar na paay

I bow, I bow, hail, Namah Shivaya; Brahma and the other gods have never reached Your far shore

जो यह पाठ करे मन लाई । ता पर होत हैं शम्भु सहाई ॥

Jo yah paath kare man laayi, taa par hot hain Shambhu sahaayi

Anyone who reads this with the heart fully in it will find Shambhu standing by their side

रनियां जो कोई हो अधिकारी । पाठ करे सो पावन हारी ॥

Raniyaan jo koi ho adhikaari, paath kare so paavan haari

Any woman who is fit to recite it, and does so, is cleansed and set free of her troubles

पुत्र होन की इच्छा जोई । निश्चय शिव प्रसाद तेहि होई ॥

Putra hon ki ichchha joi, nishchay Shiv prasaad tehi hoi

Someone who wishes for a son will certainly receive one through Shiva's kindness

पण्डित त्रयोदशी को लावे । ध्यान पूर्वक होम करावे ॥

Pandit trayodashi ko laave, dhyaan poornak hom karaave

On the thirteenth lunar day invite a priest and have the fire offering performed with care

त्रयोदशी व्रत करै हमेशा । तन नहिं ताके रहै कलेशा ॥

Trayodashi vrat karai hamesha, tan nahin taake rahai kalesha

Keep the fast of the thirteenth day without fail, and illness will not linger in your body

धूप दीप नैवेद्य चढ़ावे । शंकर सम्मुख पाठ सुनावे ॥

Dhoop deep naivedya chadhaave, Shankar sammukh paath sunaave

Light incense and a lamp, set out food for Him, and read these verses aloud in front of Shankar

जन्म जन्म के पाप नसावे । अन्त धाम शिवपुर में पावे ॥

Janam janam ke paap nasaave, ant dhaam Shivpur mein paave

The wrongs of countless lifetimes fall away, and when life closes one reaches Shiva's own abode

कहैं अयोध्यादास आस तुम्हारी । जानि सकल दुख हरहु हमारी ॥

Kahain Ayodhyadaas aas tumhaari, jaani sakal dukh harahu hamaari

Ayodhyadas says: all my trust rests in You; You know my every pain, so please lift it from me

नित नेम उठि प्रातःही पाठ करो चालीस ।

Nit nem uthi praatah hi paath karo chaalees

Make it a daily habit: rise at first light and read these forty verses

तुम मेरी मनकामना पूर्ण करो जगदीश ॥

Tum meri manokaamana poorn karo Jagadeesh

Then, Jagadish, Lord of all creation, grant the wishes my heart holds