People often chant the Hanuman Chalisa Lyrics in English to seek strength, courage, and protection.
Hanuman Chalisa Chaupai 33 in English with Meaning & Analysis
Hanuman Chalisa Chaupai 33 Karma and Rebirth
तुम्हरे भजन
राम को पावै ।
जनम जनम के दुख
बिसरावै ॥
Tumhare bhajan
Ram ko pavai.
Janam-janam ke dukh
bisraavai.
Singing your praises
leads to Ram.
Sorrows accumulated over lifetimes
are hence forgotten.
Hanuman Chalisa Chaupai 33 Meaning in English
In this verse, we learn that the benefit of adoring Hanuman is not to just get fruits in this life, but also to forget the sorrows of multiple lives, by finding Ram. The idea of living multiple lives distinguishes the India faiths from Abrahamic faiths. In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, we live multiple lives, whereas in Judaism, Christianity and Islam it is believed that we live only one life.
In one-life cultures, we have one life to lead a perfect life; in multiple-life cultures, every life is an outcome of the ones that came before. In one-life cultures, the quest is to align oneself to the rules of God revealed through His messenger; in multiple-life cultures, the quest is to either stop the cycle of rebirths, or overpower the suffering that comes as a carry-over from each life. In one-life cultures, God is outside, watching us, loving us, judging us, as we live our one and only life; in multiple-life cultures, God is within, awaiting discovery patiently over multiple lives.
Karma means action. Karma also means the reaction to that action. Reactions to past actions create the circumstances that we encounter in our present life. Thus, when we face an opportunity, it is because of something we did in our past. And if we face a threat, it is also because of something we did in our past. How we react to an opportunity or a threat determines our present and our future.
This is karma. This is very different from the popular understanding of karma as some kind of cosmic justice: as you sow, so you reap. And certainly not fatalism: your life is determined by past deeds. All the things that are not in our control are born of past actions.
What is in our control is our current action. If the circumstances in our life are full of sorrow and misfortune, it indicates the terrible burden of past actions. Can we change the circumstances? No. What, then, can we do? This verse suggests we sing the song of Hanuman and find Ram.
The Ramayana reveals how bad things happen to the best of people for no fault of theirs, for reasons beyond their control. Ram is exiled to the forest, because of circumstances, because his father made a promise to his stepmother and because his stepmother was ambitious and because he, as a prince, was obliged to uphold a royal promise.
It was not because he was a bad person or because anyone in his household hated him or wanted to hurt him. Likewise, Sita was doing a good deed: she was feeding a hungry man. But the results were bad: the hungry man turned out to be a demon who abducted her.
Neither Ram nor Sita are ever angry. or upset with the people around them, nor do they blame them for their misfortune. They suffer, without judging others, and find the inner strength to cope with the suffering. That inner strength comes from atma. Aham makes us blame.
In Hindu mythology, even God is not outside the realm of karma. In the Naradeya Purana, one hears the story of how once Narada asked Vishnu to give him Hari’s face. Hari is a proper noun, the name of Vishnu, as well as a common noun, referring to a monkey. Narada wanted Vishnu’s face to impress a princess but Vishnu gave him a monkey’s face.
When the princess saw Narada’s new face she burst out laughing. When Narada discovered Vishnu’s prank he cursed Vishnu that when he would descend on earth as Ram his success would depend on a monkey. So it came to pass that Ram needed Hanuman’s help to find Sita and overpower Ravana. Curse is a mythological tool to explain karma. Even Vishnu, who is God, cannot escape the reaction to his actions.
Hanuman Chalisa Chaupai 33 Analysis in English
tumhare bhajana rama ko pavai
janama janama ke dukha bisaravai ||33||
By singing your praises, one obtains Rama,
And sorrows of many-many past
lives are forgotten. (33)
The freedom that Hanuman enjoyed in Ayodhya was probably unlike that experienced by anyone else. He had won the heart of not just Lord Rama, but also of every citizen of Ayodhya. If anyone was loved the most after Rama, it was definitely Hanuman.
His innocence and purity was the reason for such openness in accepting him as a part of every family in Ayodhya, especially the royal household. No one ever stopped him from entering the royal household. That’s why when he followed Sita everywhere one day, no one questioned him, nor did Sita mind it.
He was like an innocent son, oversized but a little child at heart. A day before, Hanuman had seen the way Rama expressed his love for Sita; and of course he had been a part of the whole war Rama had waged to get her back. He understood that Rama loved her too much but he what he could not fathom was why.
There must be some secret Sita held, due to which Rama loved her so madly. If only he could wrangle out Sita’s secret then he too could be loved by Rama as much. That was his single point agenda for the day. He decided he would keep Mother Sita under constant vigilance for a whole day and surely then, he would stumble upon the secret.
Sita noticed Hanuman’s strange behaviour the whole day. She realized that he was up to something. But she didn’t want to confront or embarrass him. Everything he did was somehow always about trying to please Rama. How he did things was not always conventional or even the most acceptable, but she just tolerated his obvious snooping around, observing her constantly.
Finally evening came and she sat in front of a huge mirror and began decorating herself. Hanuman stood at a distance with his finger on his lips, thoughtfully observing her getting ornamented. Though he didn’t find much meaning in all those ornaments she wore, he kept his keen observation centred on her. Finally, he observed her do something he didn’t quite comprehend. Sita took a pinch of red vermillion and placed it on her forehead slightly rubbing it into the parting of her hair. That seemed strange to Hanuman.
He immediately stepped forward and inquired from Sita what she had just done. Sita wondered how to explain a monkey the deep meaning behind the ritual of wearing a red vermillion paste on the parting of hair for a married woman. That too, to Hanuman, who being a brahmachari, or a lifelong celibate, had no experience of the nuances of a married life. She wanted to make it simple for him in a language that he best understood. So she said that this little red dot on her head pleased Lord Rama a lot and also ensured a long life span for Him.
That was it! Hanuman had found what he was looking for. He could now end his long day of research and observation. He had stumbled upon Sita’s secret. Her secret of how she managed to please Lord Rama had finally leaked out. He ran out of the bedroom with great joy.
Sita couldn’t understand what had come over him so suddenly that he ran away right in the middle of a discussion. Anyway, it was futile trying to understand his ways. While she continued decorating herself, Hanuman ran through the streets of Ayodhya in a frenzy.
He ran and ran until he came across a shop that he was looking for. Running into that shop, he asked the shopkeeper for some red vermillion that Sita applied on her forehead. The shopkeeper handed over a little box containing red vermillion. Hanuman was surprised at the tiny quantity the shopkeeper offered him.
He asked for more and the shopkeeper gave him four small boxes containing red vermillion. He told Hanuman that it would last Sita for at least six months even if she applied thrice a day. Hanuman didn’t want to argue with him. He simply asked him where he stocked the red vermillion powder. The clueless shopkeeper pointed to a storeroom that was at the back of his shop.
Hanuman walked into that storeroom and after a few minutes walked out with a huge sack over his shoulder. Walking right into the middle of the street, Hanuman emptied the contents of that sack on the ground and spread the red vermillion powder.
By then, many onlookers had gathered to watch the humorous actions of Hanuman. Throwing away the empty sack, Hanuman began to roll on the ground, all over the red vermillion powder. Soon every inch of Hanuman’s body was covered with the red powder. The red monkey stood up.
Peals of laughter vibrated from every corner of the street. No one had ever seen a red monkey. Hanuman then began to walk with a proud gait towards the royal courtroom. When he entered the courtroom, a serious discussion was going on. As soon as he stepped in, giggles could be heard from different corners.
Soon Rama noticed that everyone was laughing hysterically. He turned towards the door of the courtroom and found a red monkey standing there with folded hands. The whole scene was so hilarious that Rama couldn’t control his laughter. Soon Rama was laughing his heart out too. Seeing their king in so much mirth, the entire courtroom drowned in laugher.
Rama’s expansive laughter gave much satisfaction to Hanuman’s heart. He had always wanted to please the Lord. Rama not just seemed pleased but supremely pleased with him. After everyone had laughed to their hearts’ content, Rama asked Hanuman what had he done to himself. Why was he red all over? With an innocent childlike smile, Hanuman explained how he had discovered Sita’s secret of pleasing him.
He told Rama how Sita had revealed that putting a little red dot on her head pleased him and also increased his life span. “If a little red dot on her head can please you so much and increase your life span considerably, then I thought how much you would be pleased if I completely covered myself from top to bottom in red vermillion. Not just that, how much would your lifespan increase if I applied so much red powder all over myself!”
Lord Rama’s heart simply melted at Hanuman’s innocence and intense desire to please him. He blessed Hanuman with a benediction that anyone who worshipped Hanuman with red vermillion will never have difficulties and suffering in their lives. tumhare bhajana rama ko pavai ijanama janama ke dukha bisarāvai. If one worships Hanuman, one finds Rama and also finds the end of innumerable miseries. Hanuman always responds to the call of his devotees and grants them their cherished prayers, irrespective of time and place.