The Hanuman Chalisa is a hymn in praise of Hanuman written by Tulsidas Goswami. It is as well known as his magnum opus, the Ramcharita Manas. Later, it became a practice to write hymns to other deities that were identically structured.
Chalisa – A Hymn of 40 Quatrains
In Hindi “chalis” means "forty." Chalisa is a collection of forty units. In the context of time it is used for a period of 40 days. In the context of poetry it refers to a poem with 40 verses.
The verses in the Chalisa are quatrains. They are not any quatrains, but specific quatrains known in Hindi literature as chaupais. Each line of the chaupais has a meter with four syllables and the second and fourth lines of the chaupai have similar end rhymes. Very often, for convenience, the chaupai is written in two lines, the first and the second line together and the third and fourth lines are together.
Hanuman Chalisa
Hanuman Chalisa is by far the most popular Chalisa. One reason is that the authorship of the hymn is known. Tulsidas has attained eternal renown because of his Ramcharita Manas and his being the author of Hanuman Chalisa adds value to that work as well. Rama is one of the two most revered avatars of Vishnu, the other being Krishna. Hanuman is Rama’s eternal assistant. Tulsidas believed that just as it is important to flatter the secretary in order to get a suitable appointment with the boss, it is essential to please Hanuman for getting in touch with God.
Hanuman Chalisa is like a character sketch of Hanuman. It describes his lineage and physical appearance. It eulogizes his strength and wisdom and lists his many achievements. And above all it praises his devotion to Rama. Tulsidas informs of the benefit of reciting the Hanuman Chalisa in the hymn. He says those who read the Hanuman Chalisa a hundred times will be free from the bondage of rebirth and merge with the divine forever. He adds that this has been ordained by Shiva of the Hindu Trinity, who is the godfather of Hanuman.
There are two specific reasons that devotees recite the Hanuman Chalisa. Hanuman is known as “Sankat Mochan” or the remover of obstacles and those in any kind of business trouble or facing personal problems invoke his assistance by reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. Also it is believed that Hanuman keeps ghosts and ghouls at bay. Those suffering from nightmares recite the Hanuman Chalisa before going to bed.
Chalisa Hymns for Other Deities
Few would argue the claim that the human mind is creative. Once the popularity of Hanuman Chalisa was established, similar compositions to other deities were formulated. These include Ganga, Durga, Santoshi Ma, Shani Dev, Shirdi Sai, Ganesh, Rama, Lakshman and many others. Perhaps the next most popular Chalisa after Hanuman Chalisa is Radha Chalisa, dedicated to the consort of Krishna.
Unfortunately this act of expressing devotion through the Chalisa has today extended to venerating politician and entertainment celebrities. The former prime minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first to have a Chalisa dedicated to him. Politician Lalu Prasad Yadav and Bollywood actor Amitabh Bacchhan are other personalities to be honored with the Chalisa. This has reduced the religious significance of this special hymn form.
Sources:
Hanuman Chalisa, Ammas.com
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