Hari Anant Hari Katha Ananta
हरि अनन्त हरि कथा अनन्ता
Also known as: hari anant hari katha ananta · hari anant hari katha ananta kahahin sunahin bahubidhi sab santa · ramchandra ke charit suhae · tulsidas hari katha ananta · hari ananta hari katha ananta
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✦ Meaning
This beloved couplet from Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas (Bala Kanda) celebrates the boundlessness of the Lord and of His glories. It declares that since Hari Himself is infinite, the stories of Hari are likewise infinite, told and heard by the saints in countless ways; and that the lovely deeds of Sri Ramachandra could not be fully sung even in ten million aeons. It instils humility and ever-fresh wonder before the limitless glory of God.
Origin & Story
Ramcharitmanas of Goswami Tulsidas (Bala Kanda) · Goswami Tulsidas · 16th century CE
In the Bala Kanda of the Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas, before and during his narration, reflects on the boundless nature of the Lord and His stories. In the dialogue tradition of the text, the truth that 'Hari is infinite and Hari's stories are infinite' is voiced to convey that no scripture or singer can ever exhaust the glory of Sri Rama. The couplet has become one of the most cherished and oft-quoted lines about the inexhaustibility of hari-katha.
✦ As told in scripture
Devotees and kathavachaks (storytellers) take this verse as assurance that the well of Rama's glory never runs dry — that however many times the Ramayana is told, each telling reveals new sweetness, so that hari-katha remains forever fresh and ever fruitful for the listener.
The Mantra
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हरि अनन्त हरि कथा अनन्ता । कहहिं सुनहिं बहुबिधि सब संता ॥ रामचन्द्र के चरित सुहाए । कलप कोटि लगि जाहिं न गाए ॥
Hari Ananta Hari Katha Ananta | Kahahin Sunahin Bahu-Bidhi Sab Santa || Ramachandra Ke Charita Suhae | Kalapa Koti Lagi Jahin Na Gae ||
Meaning:The Lord Hari is infinite, and infinite too are the stories of Hari; in many and varied ways do all the saints narrate and hear them. The charming deeds of Sri Ramachandra are such that, even were one to sing them for ten million aeons, they could never be exhausted.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Hari Anant Hari Katha Ananta
Instils reverence for the infinite, inexhaustible glory of the Lord
Inspires love for hari-katha — listening to and reciting the stories of Rama and Hari
Cultivates humility, reminding the devotee that God's greatness is beyond full telling
A fitting invocation before any Rama katha, Ramcharitmanas recitation, or kirtan
Keeps devotion ever fresh, as there is always more of the Lord's glory to discover
Easy to remember and dear to all reciters of the Ramcharitmanas
How to Chant Hari Anant Hari Katha Ananta
Recite this couplet with devotion as a reflection on the boundless glory of the Lord, ideally before beginning to read or hear the Ramcharitmanas or any Rama katha. Let it remind you that no telling can exhaust Hari's glories, and listen and recite with humble, eager love. It may also be repeated during satsang as an affirmation of the inexhaustible joy of hari-katha.