Ramcharitmanas Balkand Mangalacharan Meaning — Line by Line

श्रीरामचरितमानस बालकाण्ड मंगलाचरण

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Meaning — Line by Line

Every verse of Ramcharitmanas Balkand Mangalacharan with its English meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.

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Verse 1. varṇānām arthasaṃghānāṃ rasānāṃ chandasām api
Verse 2. bhavānīśaṅkarau vande śraddhāviśvāsarūpiṇau
Verse 3. vande bodhamayaṃ nityaṃ guruṃ śaṅkararūpiṇam
Verse 4. sītārāmaguṇagrāmapuṇyāraṇyavihāriṇau
Verse 5. udbhavasthitisaṃhārakāriṇīṃ kleśahāriṇīm
Verse 6. yanmāyāvaśavarti viśvam akhilaṃ brahmādidevāsurā

Verse 1#

वर्णानामर्थसंघानां रसानां छन्दसामपि। मङ्गलानां च कर्त्तारौ वन्दे वाणीविनायकौ॥1॥

varṇānām arthasaṃghānāṃ rasānāṃ chandasām api maṅgalānāṃ ca karttārau vande vāṇīvināyakau (1)

MeaningI bow to Vani (Saraswati) and Vinayaka (Ganesha), the makers of the sounds and the meanings, the sentiments and the metres, and the authors of all that is auspicious. (1)

Verse 2#

भवानीशङ्करौ वन्दे श्रद्धाविश्वासरूपिणौ। याभ्यां विना न पश्यन्ति सिद्धाः स्वान्तःस्थमीश्वरम्॥2॥

bhavānīśaṅkarau vande śraddhāviśvāsarūpiṇau yābhyāṃ vinā na paśyanti siddhāḥ svāntaḥsthamīśvaram (2)

MeaningI bow to Bhavani and Shankara, the very embodiments of faith and conviction, without whom even the perfected ones cannot behold the Lord seated within their own hearts. (2)

Verse 3#

वन्दे बोधमयं नित्यं गुरुं शङ्कररूपिणम्। यमाश्रितो हि वक्रोऽपि चन्द्रः सर्वत्र वन्द्यते॥3॥

vande bodhamayaṃ nityaṃ guruṃ śaṅkararūpiṇam yamāśrito hi vakro'pi candraḥ sarvatra vandyate (3)

MeaningI bow to the eternal Guru, the embodiment of pure knowledge in the form of Shankara, resting on whom even the crooked crescent moon is honoured everywhere. (3)

Verse 4#

सीतारामगुणग्रामपुण्यारण्यविहारिणौ। वन्दे विशुद्धविज्ञानौ कवीश्वरकपीश्वरौ॥4॥

sītārāmaguṇagrāmapuṇyāraṇyavihāriṇau vande viśuddhavijñānau kavīśvarakapīśvarau (4)

MeaningI bow to Valmiki, the lord of poets, and Hanuman, the lord of monkeys, both of pure and perfect wisdom, who ever roam in the holy forest of Sita-Rama's virtues. (4)

Verse 5#

उद्भवस्थितिसंहारकारिणीं क्लेशहारिणीम्। सर्वश्रेयस्करीं सीतां नतोऽहं रामवल्लभाम्॥5॥

udbhavasthitisaṃhārakāriṇīṃ kleśahāriṇīm sarvaśreyaskarīṃ sītāṃ nato'haṃ rāmavallabhām (5)

MeaningI bow to Sita, the beloved of Rama, who causes the creation, sustenance and dissolution of the world, who removes all afflictions, and who bestows every blessing. (5)

Verse 6#

यन्मायावशवर्ति विश्वमखिलं ब्रह्मादिदेवासुरा यत्सत्त्वादमृषैव भाति सकलं रज्जौ यथाहेर्भ्रमः। यत्पादप्लवमेकमेव हि भवाम्भोधेस्तितीर्षावतां वन्देऽहं तमशेषकारणपरं रामाख्यमीशं हरिम्॥6॥

yanmāyāvaśavarti viśvam akhilaṃ brahmādidevāsurā yatsattvād amṛṣaiva bhāti sakalaṃ rajjau yathāher bhramaḥ yatpādaplavam ekam eva hi bhavāmbhodhes titīrṣāvatāṃ vande'haṃ tam aśeṣakāraṇaparaṃ rāmākhyam īśaṃ harim (6)

MeaningI bow to that Lord Hari, named Rama, who is the supreme cause beyond all causes — by whose Maya the entire universe, with Brahma and the other gods and demons, is controlled; by whose reality alone all this appears real, as a rope is mistaken for a snake; and whose feet are the one and only raft for those longing to cross the ocean of worldly existence. (6)

Word-by-Word Breakdown

वर्णानाम्

varṇānām

of letters/sounds (of the alphabet)

अर्थसंघानाम्

arthasaṃghānām

of groups of meanings

रसानाम्

rasānām

of poetic sentiments (rasas)

छन्दसाम् अपि

chandasām api

and of metres also

मङ्गलानां च कर्त्तारौ

maṅgalānāṃ ca karttārau

and the two authors/makers of all auspiciousness

वन्दे वाणीविनायकौ

vande vāṇīvināyakau

I bow to Vani (Saraswati) and Vinayaka (Ganesha)

भवानीशङ्करौ

bhavānīśaṅkarau

to Bhavani (Parvati) and Shankara (Shiva)

श्रद्धाविश्वासरूपिणौ

śraddhāviśvāsarūpiṇau

who are the embodiments of faith (shraddha) and conviction (vishvasa)

स्वान्तःस्थम् ईश्वरम्

svāntaḥstham īśvaram

the Lord seated within one's own heart

बोधमयं नित्यं गुरुम्

bodhamayaṃ nityaṃ gurum

the Guru who is eternal and the embodiment of pure knowledge

शङ्कररूपिणम्

śaṅkararūpiṇam

who is in the form of Shankara (Shiva)

वक्रः अपि चन्द्रः

vakraḥ api candraḥ

even the crooked (crescent) moon

सर्वत्र वन्द्यते

sarvatra vandyate

is honoured/worshipped everywhere (because it rests on Shiva's head)

कवीश्वरकपीश्वरौ

kavīśvarakapīśvarau

the lord of poets (Valmiki) and the lord of monkeys (Hanuman)

क्लेशहारिणीम्

kleśahāriṇīm

remover of afflictions and sorrows

रामवल्लभाम्

rāmavallabhām

the beloved consort of Rama (Sita)

यन्माया वशवर्ति विश्वम्

yanmāyā vaśavarti viśvam

by whose Maya the whole universe is governed

रज्जौ यथा अहेः भ्रमः

rajjau yathā aheḥ bhramaḥ

as the illusion of a snake (appears) on a rope

भवाम्भोधेः तितीर्षावताम्

bhavāmbhodhes titīrṣāvatām

for those who wish to cross the ocean of worldly existence

रामाख्यम् ईशं हरिम्

rāmākhyam īśaṃ harim

to the Lord Hari known by the name Rama, I bow

Origin & History

Source: Ramcharitmanas, Bala Kanda — opening Mangalacharan (Goswami Tulsidas)

Author: Goswami Tulsidas

Period: 16th century CE (c. 1574)

Goswami Tulsidas opened his Ramcharitmanas at Ayodhya in 1574 with a sequence of Sanskrit benedictory shlokas before turning to Awadhi. Following the tradition of mangalacharan, he first invokes Saraswati and Ganesha (sound and meaning, and remover of obstacles), then Shiva and Parvati as faith and conviction, the Guru as embodied knowledge, Valmiki and Hanuman as the lords of poetry and devotion, mother Sita as the power behind creation, and finally Lord Rama as the supreme Brahman beyond all causes — thereby consecrating the entire work and the act of its reading.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Balkand Mangalacharan?▼

It is the set of opening Sanskrit invocatory verses (mangalacharan) at the very beginning of the Bala Kanda of Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, before the Awadhi chaupais start. In them the poet salutes the deities, the Guru, the sages and finally Lord Rama to invoke an auspicious beginning.

Why are the first verses in Sanskrit and not Awadhi?▼

Although Tulsidas wrote the bulk of the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi for the common people, he composed the benedictory invocations and several key shlokas in classical Sanskrit, following tradition, to formally invoke the deities and the Guru at the outset.

What is the meaning of the famous first verse?▼

'Varnanam Arthasanghanam...' salutes Saraswati (Vani) and Ganesha (Vinayaka) as the source of letters, meanings, poetic sentiments and metres, and as the authors of all auspiciousness — a fitting invocation before composing or reciting poetry.

When should these verses be recited?▼

They are recited at the start of any Ramcharitmanas parayan (continuous reading) or daily path, and are an excellent invocation before beginning study, learning, or any auspicious undertaking.

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