Shani Chalisa: Lyrics with Meaning in English

जय गणेश गिरिजा सुवन मंगल करण कृपाल।दीनन के दुख दूर करि कीजै नाथ निहाल॥

Jai Ganesh Girija suvan, mangal karan kripalDeenan ke dukh door kari, keejai nath nihal

Glory to Ganesha, son of Girija, kind bringer of good; Lord, take away the sorrows of the humble and bless them.

जय जय श्री शनिदेव प्रभु सुनहु विनय महाराज।करहु कृपा हे रवि तनय राखहु जनकी लाज॥

Jai jai Shri Shanidev prabhu, sunahu vinay MaharajKarahu kripa he Ravi tanay, rakhahu jan ki laj

Glory to Lord Shani Dev; great King, hear my prayer. Son of the Sun, show your grace and protect your devotee's honour.

जयति जयति शनिदेव दयाला।करत सदा भक्तन प्रतिपाला॥

Jayati jayati Shanidev dayalaKarat sada bhaktan pratipala

Glory, glory to the kind Shani Dev, who always protects his devotees.

चारि भुजा तनु श्याम विराजै।माथे रतन मुकुट छबि छाजै॥

Chari bhuja tanu shyam virajaiMathe ratan mukut chhabi chhajai

You have four arms and a dark body, and a jewelled crown shines on your head.

परम विशाल मनोहर भाला।टेढ़ी दृष्टि भृकुटि विकराला॥

Param vishal manohar bhalaTedhi drishti bhrikuti vikrala

Your forehead is broad and handsome; your gaze is sidelong and your brows are fierce.

कुण्डल श्रवण चमाचम चमके।हिये माल मुक्तन मणि दमकै॥

Kundal shravan chamacham chamakeHiye mal muktan mani damakai

Your earrings glitter brightly, and a garland of pearls and gems gleams on your chest.

कर में गदा त्रिशूल कुठारा।पल बिच करैं अरिहिं संहारा॥

Kar mein gada trishul kutharaPal bich karain arihin sanhara

In your hands are a mace, a trident and an axe, with which you destroy enemies in a moment.

पिंगल कृष्णो छाया नन्दन।यम कोणस्थ रौद्र दुख भंजन॥

Pingal Krishno Chhaya nandanYam Konasth Raudra dukh bhanjan

Pingala, Krishna, son of Chhaya, Yama, Konastha, Raudra, the destroyer of sorrow:

सौरी मन्द शनी दश नामा।भानु पुत्र पूजहिं सब कामा॥

Sauri Mand Shani dash namaBhanu putra poojahin sab kama

Sauri, Manda, Shani: these are your ten names. Worship the Sun's son and every wish is fulfilled.

जापर प्रभु प्रसन्न ह्वैं जाहीं।रंकहुँ राव करैं क्षण माहीं॥

Japar prabhu prasann hvain jahinRankahun Rav karain kshan mahin

Whoever the Lord is pleased with, he turns from a pauper into a king in a moment.

पर्वतहू तृण होइ निहारत।तृणहू को पर्वत करि डारत॥

Parvatahu trin hoi niharatTrinahu ko parvat kari darat

At your glance a mountain becomes a blade of grass, and a blade of grass becomes a mountain.

राज मिलत बन रामहिं दीन्हयो।कैकेइहुँ की मति हरि लीन्हयो॥

Raj milat ban Ramahin deenhyoKaikeihun ki mati hari leenhyo

Just as Rama was to receive the kingdom, you sent him to the forest, taking away Kaikeyi's good sense.

बनहूँ में मृग कपट दिखाई।मातु जानकी गई चुराई॥

Banahun mein mrig kapat dikhaiMatu Janaki gai churai

In the forest you showed the false golden deer, and Mother Janaki was carried off.

लषणहिं शक्ति विकल करिडारा।मचिगा दल में हाहाकारा॥

Lashanahin shakti vikal karidaraMachiga dal mein hahakara

The Shakti weapon struck Lakshmana down, and an outcry rose in Rama's army.

रावण की गति-मति बौराई।रामचन्द्र सों बैर बढ़ाई॥

Ravan ki gati mati bauraiRamchandra son bair badhai

You confused Ravana's mind, and he deepened his enmity with Ramchandra.

दियो कीट करि कंचन लंका।बजि बजरंग बीर की डंका॥

Diyo keet kari kanchan LankaBaji Bajrang beer ki danka

You turned golden Lanka to dust, and the drum of brave Bajrang (Hanuman) sounded.

नृप विक्रम पर तुहिं पगु धारा।चित्र मयूर निगलि गै हारा॥

Nrip Vikram par tuhin pagu dharaChitra mayur nigali gai hara

When you set foot on King Vikram, a painted peacock swallowed a necklace,

हार नौंलखा लाग्यो चोरी।हाथ पैर डरवायो तोरी॥

Har naulakha lagyo choriHath pair darvayo tori

he was accused of stealing the precious necklace, and his hands and feet were broken.

भारी दशा निकृष्ट दिखायो।तेलहिं घर कोल्हू चलवायो॥

Bhari dasha nikrisht dikhayoTelahin ghar kolhu chalvayo

You showed him the worst of hard times and made him turn an oil press in an oil-maker's house.

विनय राग दीपक महँ कीन्हयों।तब प्रसन्न प्रभु ह्वै सुख दीन्हयों॥

Vinay rag Deepak mahan keenhyonTab prasann prabhu hvai sukh deenhyon

When he prayed to you in Raag Deepak, you were pleased, Lord, and gave him happiness again.

हरिश्चंद्र नृप नारि बिकानी।आपहुं भरें डोम घर पानी॥

Harishchandra nrip nari bikaniAapahun bharein Dom ghar pani

King Harishchandra's wife was sold, and he himself carried water in a cremation-keeper's house.

तैसे नल पर दशा सिरानी।भूंजी-मीन कूद गई पानी॥

Taise Nal par dasha siraniBhunji meen kood gai pani

So too Nala's fortunes fell, until even a roasted fish leapt back into the water.

श्री शंकरहिं गह्यो जब जाई।पारवती को सती कराई॥

Shri Shankarahin gahyo jab jaiParvati ko Sati karai

When you seized Lord Shankar, you made Parvati (in her birth as Sati) give herself to the fire.

तनिक विलोकत ही करि रीसा।नभ उड़ि गयो गौरिसुत सीसा॥

Tanik vilokat hi kari reesaNabh udi gayo Gaurisut seesa

With just a glance in anger, the head of Gauri's son flew off into the sky.

पाण्डव पर भै दशा तुम्हारी।बची द्रौपदी होति उघारी॥

Pandav par bhai dasha tumhariBachi Draupadi hoti ughari

Your period fell on the Pandavas, and Draupadi was saved only just from being disrobed.

कौरव के भी गति मति मारयो।युद्ध महाभारत करि डारयो॥

Kaurav ke bhi gati mati maryoYuddh Mahabharat kari daryo

You struck down the Kauravas' sense too, and brought about the Mahabharata war.

रवि कहँ मुख महँ धरि तत्काला।लेकर कूदि परयो पाताला॥

Ravi kahan mukh mahan dhari tatkalaLekar koodi paryo patala

You at once seized the Sun in your mouth and leapt down into the netherworld.

शेष देव-लखि विनति लाई।रवि को मुख ते दियो छुड़ाई॥

Shesh dev lakhi vinati laiRavi ko mukh te diyo chhudai

Seeing this, the gods begged you, and you released the Sun from your mouth.

वाहन प्रभु के सात सुजाना।जग दिग्गज गर्दभ मृग स्वाना॥

Vahan prabhu ke sat sujanaJag diggaj gardabh mrig svana

The Lord has seven vehicles: the elephant, the horse, the donkey, the deer, the dog,

जम्बुक सिंह आदि नख धारी।सो फल ज्योतिष कहत पुकारी॥

Jambuk sinh aadi nakh dhariSo phal jyotish kahat pukari

the jackal and the clawed lion; astrology describes the result of each.

गज वाहन लक्ष्मी गृह आवैं।हय ते सुख सम्पत्ति उपजावैं॥

Gaj vahan Lakshmi grih avainHay te sukh sampatti upjavain

On the elephant, Lakshmi comes into the home; on the horse, happiness and wealth arise.

गर्दभ हानि करै बहु काजा।सिंह सिद्धकर राज समाजा॥

Gardabh hani karai bahu kajaSinh siddhkar raj samaja

On the donkey, much work is spoiled; on the lion, one succeeds in royal society.

जम्बुक बुद्धि नष्ट कर डारै।मृग दे कष्ट प्राण संहारै॥

Jambuk buddhi nasht kar daraiMrig de kasht pran sanharai

On the jackal, judgement is lost; on the deer, there is suffering and danger to life.

जब आवहिं प्रभु स्वान सवारी।चोरी आदि होय डर भारी॥

Jab avahin prabhu svan savariChori aadi hoy dar bhari

When the Lord rides the dog, there is great fear of theft and the like.

तैसहि चारी चरण यह नामा।स्वर्ण लौह चाँदि अरु तामा॥

Taisahi chari charan yah namaSwarn lauh chandi aru tama

In the same way, his four 'feet' are named gold, iron, silver and copper.

लौह चरण पर जब प्रभु आवैं।धन जन सम्पत्ति नष्ट करावैं॥

Lauh charan par jab prabhu avainDhan jan sampatti nasht karavain

When the Lord comes on the iron foot, wealth, family and property suffer losses.

समता ताम्र रजत शुभकारी।स्वर्ण सर्व सुख मंगल भारी॥

Samata tamra rajat shubhkariSwarn sarv sukh mangal bhari

Copper brings balance, silver brings good fortune, and gold brings every happiness and great blessings.

जो यह शनि चरित्र नित गावै।कबहुं न दशा निकृष्ट सतावै॥

Jo yah Shani charitra nit gavaiKabahun na dasha nikrisht satavai

Whoever sings this story of Shani every day is never troubled by a bad Saturn period.

अद्भुत नाथ दिखावैं लीला।करैं शत्रु के नशि बलि ढीला॥

Adbhut nath dikhavain leelaKarain shatru ke nashi bali dheela

The Lord shows wondrous leelas and weakens the strength of one's enemies.

जो पण्डित सुयोग्य बुलवाई।विधिवत शनि ग्रह शांति कराई॥

Jo pandit suyogya bulvaiVidhivat Shani grah shanti karai

Whoever invites a learned priest and has the Saturn pacification done properly,

पीपल जल शनि दिवस चढ़ावत।दीप दान दै बहु सुख पावत॥

Peepal jal Shani divas chadhavatDeep dan dai bahu sukh pavat

and on Saturdays offers water to the peepal tree and donates a lamp, finds great happiness.

कहत राम सुन्दर प्रभु दासा।शनि सुमिरत सुख होत प्रकाशा॥

Kahat Ram Sundar prabhudasaShani sumirat sukh hot prakasha

Ram Sundar, the Lord's servant, says: remembering Shani, happiness dawns.

पाठ शनिश्चर देव को कीन्हों विमल तैयार।करत पाठ चालीस दिन हो भवसागर पार॥

Path Shanishchar dev ko, keenhon Vimal taiyarKarat path chalis din, ho bhavsagar par

Vimal prepared this hymn to Lord Shani. Reading it for forty days, one crosses the ocean of worldly life.