Hindu Devotional Texts
Chalisas, Aartis & Mantras
The most widely-recited prayers of the Hindu tradition — full Devanagari text with Roman transliteration and English meaning. Read, learn the pronunciation, and understand what each verse actually says.
Chalisas
40-verse devotional hymns. The Hanuman Chalisa by Tulsidas is the most-recited; chalisas to Shiva, Durga, Ganesha and others share the same 40-verse structure.
Hanuman Chalisa
Hanuman · Goswami Tulsidas
The Hanuman Chalisa was composed by Goswami Tulsidas in the late 16th century in Awadhi (a dialect of Hindi). It is a 40-verse devotional hymn — chālīsā literally means "of forty" — addressed to Lord Hanuman, the monkey-god of the Ramayana known for his unmatched strength, devotion to Rama, and ability to dispel fear.
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Shiv Chalisa
Shiva · Ayodhyadas
The Shiv Chalisa is a 40-verse devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Shiva — the destroyer in the Hindu trinity, the Mahadev who is also the supreme yogi, the consort of Parvati, and the easiest of all gods to please.
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Aartis
Sung at the conclusion of every Hindu puja while waving a lit lamp before the deity. Universal aartis like Om Jai Jagdish Hare work for any deity; deity-specific aartis honor a particular form.
Om Jai Jagdish Hare
Vishnu (Universal Lord) · Pandit Shraddha Ram Phillauri
"Om Jai Jagdish Hare" was composed by Pandit Shraddha Ram Phillauri in 1870 and is the most widely-sung Hindu aarti in India. Though dedicated to Vishnu (Hari) as the universal preserver, it is sung at the conclusion of pujas to virtually any deity — Lakshmi, Ganesha, Hanuman, Shiva — making it the de-facto closing aarti of Hindu worship.
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Jai Ganesh Deva
Ganesha
Ganesh ji is invoked first in every Hindu ceremony — as the remover of obstacles (Vighnaharta) and the lord of beginnings, no Vedic ritual proceeds without his blessing. "Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh Deva" is the standard aarti sung at the start of any puja, before the main worship begins.
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Mantras
Sanskrit verses from the Vedas — the most ancient and powerful Hindu prayers. Recited with concentration in repetitions of 11, 27, or 108. The Gayatri and Mahamrityunjaya are universal.
Mahamrityunjaya Mantra
Shiva (Tryambaka) · Rishi Vasishtha
The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra ("the great death-conquering mantra") appears in the Rigveda (Mandala 7, Hymn 59, Verse 12) and is one of the oldest and most-revered mantras in the Vedic tradition. It is also called the Tryambakam Mantra after its opening word — Shiva's epithet meaning "the three-eyed one."
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Gayatri Mantra
Savitr (Solar Aspect) · Rishi Vishvamitra
The Gayatri Mantra appears in the Rigveda (Mandala 3, Hymn 62, Verse 10) and is attributed to the rishi Vishvamitra. It is composed in the Gayatri meter — 24 syllables across three feet of 8 syllables each — which gives the mantra its name.
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More prayers — Durga Chalisa, Ganesh Chalisa, Krishna Chalisa, Sai Baba Chalisa, Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki, Vishnu Sahasranamam — are being added regularly. Want a specific one prioritised? Let us know