ramadhyanasita-ramaraghuvamsha

Dhyayed Ajanu Bahum (Sri Rama Dhyana)

ध्यायेदाजानुबाहुं (श्रीराम ध्यान) in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Before reciting the Ramaraksha Stotra or Rama bhajans, during morning worship, and on Rama Navami·📜 Traditional dhyana shloka of Sri Rama, recited as the meditation verse preceding the Ramaraksha Stotra and Rama worship

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

This is the classic dhyana verse recited before Sri Rama worship and the Ramaraksha Stotra, presenting a complete meditative portrait of Lord Rama. It pictures him long-armed and lotus-eyed, bow and arrow in hand, seated in padmasana with Sita on his left lap, dark as a rain-cloud and crowned with matted locks. Meditating on this image fixes Rama's serene, majestic form in the heart before prayer.

Origin & Story

Traditional dhyana shloka of Sri Rama, recited as the meditation verse preceding the Ramaraksha Stotra and Rama worship · Traditional (associated with the Ramaraksha Stotra tradition of Budha Kaushika) · Classical / medieval devotional period

Dhyana-shlokas establish the form of the deity in the mind before worship, and this verse serves that role for Rama. Placed before the celebrated Ramaraksha Stotra, it assembles Rama's auspicious marks — the knee-length arms, lotus eyes, bow and arrow, lotus posture, yellow robes, cloud-dark hue, and matted-lock crown — together with Sita on his lap, giving the devotee a single, complete image of Sita-Rama to meditate upon.

✦ As told in scripture

Devotees of the Ramaraksha tradition hold that meditating on this form of Rama before reciting the stotra surrounds the worshipper with the Lord's protection, for tradition says Rama himself, pleased by such loving contemplation, shields his devotee from every fear just as his name and form guarded the sage who received the Ramaraksha in a dream.

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The Mantra

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Dhyayed ajanu-bahum dhrita-shara-dhanusham baddha-padmasanastham, Pitam vaso vasanam nava-kamala-dala-spardhi-netram prasannam, Vamankarudha-sita-mukha-kamala-milal-lochanam niradabham, Nanalankara-diptam dadhatam uru-jata-mandalam ramachandram.

Meaning:One should meditate upon Sri Ramachandra — his arms reaching to his knees, holding bow and arrow, seated firm in the lotus posture, clad in yellow, his serene eyes rivalling fresh lotus petals; his gaze meeting the lotus face of Sita seated on his left lap; dark and radiant as a rain-cloud, shining with many ornaments and bearing a great crown of matted locks.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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dhyayet🔊one should meditate upon

ajanu-bahum🔊having arms reaching down to the knees (a mark of greatness)

dhrita-shara-dhanusham🔊holding an arrow and a bow

baddha-padmasanastham🔊seated firmly in the lotus posture

pitam vaso vasanam🔊clad in yellow garments

nava-kamala-dala-spardhi-netram🔊with eyes that rival the petals of a fresh lotus

prasannam🔊serene, gracious, of pleasing countenance

vamankarudha🔊seated upon his left lap

sita-mukha-kamala🔊the lotus face of Sita

milal-lochanam🔊whose gaze meets (is united with the lotus face of Sita)

niradabham🔊dark and lustrous like a rain-cloud

nanalankara-diptam🔊shining with various ornaments

uru-jata-mandalam🔊bearing a large circle of matted locks (as a crown)

dadhatam🔊bearing, wearing

ramachandram🔊Sri Ramachandra, Lord Rama

Benefits of Chanting ध्यायेदाजानुबाहुं (श्रीराम ध्यान)

✦

Fixes the complete, majestic form of Sri Rama with Sita in the mind for meditation

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The standard dhyana recited before the Ramaraksha Stotra and Rama worship

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Invokes Rama's serene, gracious presence, bringing calm and protection

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Deepens devotion to Sita-Rama together, the ideal of divine harmony

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Each detail offers a focus, steadying the mind for prayer and japa

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Meditating on the lotus-eyed, cloud-dark Rama is held to bestow peace and auspiciousness

How to Chant ध्यायेदाजानुबाहुं (श्रीराम ध्यान)

Repetitions3times

Best TimeBefore reciting the Ramaraksha Stotra or Rama bhajans, during morning worship, and on Rama Navami

Sit calmly and, as you chant, build the image part by part — the long arms with bow and arrow, the lotus posture, the yellow garments, the serene lotus-petal eyes, Sita on the left lap, the cloud-dark form, the ornaments and the crown of matted locks. Recite this dhyana once or three times to establish Rama's form in the mind before beginning the Ramaraksha Stotra, other Rama stotras, or meditation.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete ध्यायेदाजानुबाहुं (श्रीराम ध्यान) written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is the well-known dhyana (meditation) verse on Lord Rama, traditionally recited before the Ramaraksha Stotra and Rama worship. It describes Rama's form in detail — long-armed, lotus-eyed, bow and arrow in hand, seated in the lotus posture with Sita on his left lap.

'Ajanu-bahu' (arms reaching to the knees) is a traditional mark of a great and noble personage (mahapurusha) in Indian iconography, indicating strength, generosity, and divine majesty. It is one of the auspicious bodily signs attributed to Rama.

It is chanted as the opening meditation verse before the Ramaraksha Stotra, before other Rama stotras and bhajans, and during daily Rama puja, especially on Rama Navami, to visualise the Lord before prayer.

Depicting Sita 'vamanka-arudha' (seated on the left lap) with their gazes meeting expresses the loving union of the divine couple and the completeness of worshipping Sita-Rama together rather than Rama alone.