सीता चालीसा — Word-by-Word Meaning
सीता चालीसा
Every Sanskrit word explained in English
Word-by-Word Breakdown
बन्दौं चरण सरोज
Bandaun Charana Saroja
I bow to the lotus feet
जनकलली
Janakalali
The cherished daughter of King Janaka
सुखधाम
Sukhadhama
Abode of happiness
राम प्रिय
Rama Priya
The beloved of Lord Rama
सुमिरौं आठों याम
Sumiraun Athon Yama
I remember (you) through all eight watches of the day
दुःख भंजन सियराम
Dukha Bhanjana Siyarama
Sita-Rama, the destroyers of sorrow
बैदेही
Baidehi
Vaidehi, princess of Videha
सुरसरि सब पाप नसाई
Surasari Saba Papa Nasai
Like the celestial Ganga, she destroys all sins
दिव्य धरा सों उपजी
Divya Dhara Son Upaji
Born from the sacred earth (found in the furrow)
रच्यो स्वयंवर
Rachyo Svayamvara
King Janaka arranged the Svayamvara (bride's choice)
भारी शिव धनु
Bhari Shiva Dhanu
The mighty bow of Shiva (Pinaka)
खंड खंड करि
Khanda Khanda Kari
Rama broke it (the bow) into pieces in an instant
चौदह बरस बनवासा
Chaudaha Barasa Banavasa
Fourteen years of forest exile
माया मृग
Maya Mriga
The illusory (golden) deer (Maricha)
हनुमान प्रभु लाए अंगूठी
Hanumana Prabhu Lae Anguthi
Hanuman brought Rama's ring (to Sita in Lanka)
चूड़ामणि
Chudamani
The crest-jewel Sita gave to Hanuman as a token
सेतु बांधि लंका जीती
Setu Bandhi Lanka Jiti
Building the bridge, Rama conquered Lanka
लवकुश जन्म
Lavakusha Janma
The birth of Lava and Kusha (at Valmiki's hermitage)
बसुंधरा सिय के हिय धारन
Basundhara Siya Ke Hiya Dharana
Mother Earth received Sita back into her bosom
पतिव्रता मर्यादित माता
Pativrata Maryadita Mata
The chaste and dignified Mother; to Sita the chaste I bow my head
Complete Translation
इस चालीसा में जनक की दुलारी, सुखधाम, रामप्रिया सीता के चरणकमलों की वन्दना कर आठों याम उनके स्मरण की प्रार्थना की गई है। चौपाइयों में बैदेही की कीर्ति गाई गई है—दिव्य धरा से सीता का प्राकट्य, जनक द्वारा स्वयंवर रचना, राम द्वारा शिव-धनुष भंग एवं सीता का वरण, विवाह तथा अवधपुर वापसी, मंथरा का कुचक्र और चौदह वर्ष का वनवास, स्वर्ण मृग प्रसंग एवं साधु-वेषधारी रावण द्वारा सीता-हरण, हनुमान का अंगूठी लाना और चूड़ामणि पाना, सेतुबंध एवं लंका विजय, विमान से वापसी, रजक-वचन के पश्चात् वाल्मीकि-आश्रय, लव-कुश जन्म, तथा सतीत्व-प्रमाण हेतु वसुंधरा में समाना। अन्त में पतिव्रता, मर्यादित माता सीता को मस्तक नवाया गया है—जनकसुता, अवनिसुता, रामप्रिया, लवमाता, जिनके हृदय में राम के चरणकमल बसते हैं; प्रातःकाल सीता का स्मरण करो।
Origin & History
Source: Traditional Hindi devotional literature (Rama bhakti tradition)
Author: Traditional (anonymous)
Period: Modern devotional period
The Sita Chalisa is a popular forty-verse Hindi hymn that compresses the life of Sita as told in Valmiki's Ramayana and Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas into devotional chaupais. From her miraculous birth in the furrow of Mithila to her final return to the earth, it celebrates Sita as the embodiment of chastity, devotion and patient strength, and as the inseparable consort of Lord Rama worshipped as 'Siya-Rama'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Goddess Sita?▼
Sita, also called Vaidehi and Janaki, is the daughter of King Janaka of Mithila and the consort of Lord Rama. Revered as an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, she is the central heroine of the Ramayana and the supreme exemplar of chastity, devotion and forbearance in Hindu tradition.
What story does the Sita Chalisa tell?▼
It narrates Sita's entire life: her birth from the earth, her Svayamvara where Rama broke Shiva's bow, her marriage, the fourteen-year exile, her abduction by Ravana, Hanuman's mission, the conquest of Lanka, her return, and finally her merging back into Mother Earth to prove her purity.
When should the Sita Chalisa be recited?▼
It is best recited at dawn, as the closing verse advises, and especially on Vivah Panchami (Sita-Rama's wedding day), Ram Navami, Tuesdays and during Navratri.
What blessings does the Sita Chalisa give?▼
Devotees recite it for marital harmony, family well-being, and the virtues of patience and purity that Sita embodies. The opening verse promises that reading her glory accomplishes one's tasks and removes sorrow.
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