The forty-verse Hindi hymn to Shiva, from the invocation of Ganesha to the closing request at dawn.
Follows the widely printed Hindi text, cross-checked against the digital edition at sanskritdocuments.org (siva40), which carries 40 chaupais plus the signature couplet.
Not included here
This transliterates the script letter for letter - it is not a pronunciation guide. The inherent vowel is always written (हनुमान → hanumāna), so every akshara on screen has exactly one syllable under it. Hindi and Awadhi text uses ISO 15919, because IAST has no symbol for ड़ at all - so here कृपा is kr̥pā and बड़ाई is baṛāī.
जय गणेश गिरिजासुवन मंगल मूल सुजान
कहत अयोध्यादास तुम देउ अभय वरदान
jaya gaṇeśa girijāsuvana maṁgala mūla sujāna
kahata ayodhyādāsa tuma deu abhaya varadāna
Victory to Ganesha, son of Girija, root of all good fortune and knower of all. Ayodhyadas asks that you give the boon of fearlessness.
Shiv Chalisa · 1/43
जय गिरिजापति दीनदयाला
सदा करत सन्तन प्रतिपाला
jaya girijāpati dīnadayālā
sadā karata santana pratipālā
Victory to the lord of Girija, kind to the lowly, who always keeps the holy ones in his care.
भाल चन्द्रमा सोहत नीके
कानन कुण्डल नाग फनी के
bhāla candramā sohata nīke
kānana kuṇḍala nāga phanī ke
The moon sits beautifully on your brow; the hoods of serpents are the rings at your ears.
अंग गौर शिर गंग बहाये
मुण्डमाल तन क्षार लगाये
aṁga gaura śira gaṁga bahāye
muṇḍamāla tana kṣāra lagāye
Your body is fair and the Ganga runs from your head; a garland of skulls hangs on you and ash is smeared over your limbs.
वस्त्र खाल बाघम्बर सोहे
छवि को देखि नाग मन मोहे
vastra khāla bāghambara sohe
chavi ko dekhi nāga mana mohe
A tiger's hide is your garment; serpents are drawn out of themselves at the sight of your beauty.
मैना मातु कि हवे दुलारी
वाम अंग सोहत छवि न्यारी
mainā mātu ki have dulārī
vāma aṁga sohata chavi nyārī
Maina's darling daughter graces your left side, a loveliness apart from all others.
कर त्रिशूल सोहत छवि भारी
करत सदा शत्रुन क्षयकारी
kara triśūla sohata chavi bhārī
karata sadā śatruna kṣayakārī
The trident in your hand is a grand sight, and it has always undone those who stood against you.
नंदी गणेश सोहैं तहं कैसे
सागर मध्य कमल हैं जैसे
naṁdī gaṇeśa sohaiṁ tahaṁ kaise
sāgara madhya kamala haiṁ jaise
Nandi and Ganesha stand there as fine as lotuses in the middle of the sea.
कार्तिक श्याम और गणराऊ
या छवि कौ कहि जात न काऊ
kārtika śyāma aura gaṇarāū
yā chavi kau kahi jāta na kāū
Kartikeya, Shyama and the lord of the ganas - no one can put this beauty into words.
देवन जबहीं जाय पुकारा
तबहिं दुख प्रभु आप निवारा
devana jabahīṁ jāya pukārā
tabahiṁ dukha prabhu āpa nivārā
Whenever the gods went and cried out to you, lord, you put their sorrow away that very moment.
किया उपद्रव तारक भारी
देवन सब मिलि तुमहिं जुहारी
kiyā upadrava tāraka bhārī
devana saba mili tumahiṁ juhārī
When Taraka's violence grew heavy, all the gods together came before you.
तुरत षडानन आप पठायौ
लव निमेष महं मारि गिरायौ
turata ṣaḍānana āpa paṭhāyau
lava nimeṣa mahaṁ māri girāyau
You sent the six-faced one at once, and in the blink of an eye the demon was struck down.
आप जलंधर असुर संहारा
सुयश तुम्हार विदित संसारा
āpa jalaṁdhara asura saṁhārā
suyaśa tumhāra vidita saṁsārā
You destroyed the demon Jalandhara; your good name is known through the world.
त्रिपुरासुर सन युद्ध मचाई
तबहिं कृपा कर लीन बचाई
tripurāsura sana yuddha macāī
tabahiṁ kr̥pā kara līna bacāī
You joined battle with Tripurasura, and in that same mercy you saved them all.
किया तपहिं भागीरथ भारी
पुरब प्रतिज्ञा तासु पुरारी
kiyā tapahiṁ bhāgīratha bhārī
puraba pratijñā tāsu purārī
Bhagiratha performed a heavy austerity, and you, Purari, kept the promise made to him long before.
दानिन महं तुम सम कोउ नाहीं
सेवक स्तुति करत सदाहीं
dānina mahaṁ tuma sama kou nāhīṁ
sevaka stuti karata sadāhīṁ
Among givers there is none your equal; your servants sing your praise without stopping.
वेद माहि महिमा तुम गाई
अकथ अनादि भेद नहीं पाई
veda māhi mahimā tuma gāī
akatha anādi bheda nahīṁ pāī
The Vedas sing your greatness, and yet you are unspeakable and without beginning, and your secret is not reached.
प्रकटे उदधि मंथन में ज्वाला
जरत सुरासुर भए विहाला
prakaṭe udadhi maṁthana meṁ jvālā
jarata surāsura bhae vihālā
When the ocean was churned a flame broke out, and gods and demons alike were scorched and undone.
कीन्ह दया तहं करी सहाई
नीलकंठ तब नाम कहाई
kīnha dayā tahaṁ karī sahāī
nīlakaṁṭha taba nāma kahāī
There you showed mercy and came to their help, and from then you are called Nilakantha.
पूजन रामचंद्र जब कीन्हां
जीत के लंक विभीषण दीन्हा
pūjana rāmacaṁdra jaba kīnhāṁ
jīta ke laṁka vibhīṣaṇa dīnhā
When Ramachandra worshipped you, Lanka was won and handed to Vibhishana.
सहस कमल में हो रहे धारी
कीन्ह परीक्षा तबहिं त्रिपुरारी
sahasa kamala meṁ ho rahe dhārī
kīnha parīkṣā tabahiṁ tripurārī
A thousand lotuses were held ready for you, and then, Tripurari, you set a test.
एक कमल प्रभु राखेउ जोई
कमल नयन पूजन चहं सोई
eka kamala prabhu rākheu joī
kamala nayana pūjana cahaṁ soī
You kept one lotus back, and the lotus-eyed one, wishing to finish the worship, offered his own eye in its place.
कठिन भक्ति देखी प्रभु शंकर
भये प्रसन्न दिए इच्छित वर
kaṭhina bhakti dekhī prabhu śaṁkara
bhaye prasanna die icchita vara
Seeing that hard-won devotion, lord Shankara was pleased and gave the boon that had been wished for.
जय जय जय अनंत अविनाशी
करत कृपा सबके घट वासी
jaya jaya jaya anaṁta avināśī
karata kr̥pā sabake ghaṭa vāsī
Victory, victory, victory, endless and undying one; you show grace and live in every heart.
दुष्ट सकल नित मोहि सतावैं
भ्रमत रहौं मोहे चैन न आवैं
duṣṭa sakala nita mohi satāvaiṁ
bhramata rahauṁ mohe caina na āvaiṁ
The wicked torment me day after day; I wander about and find no rest.
त्राहि त्राहि मैं नाथ पुकारो
यह अवसर मोहि आन उबारो
trāhi trāhi maiṁ nātha pukāro
yaha avasara mohi āna ubāro
Save me, save me - so I call out, my lord; come at this moment and lift me clear.
ले त्रिशूल शत्रुन को मारो
संकट से मोहिं आन उबारो
le triśūla śatruna ko māro
saṁkaṭa se mohiṁ āna ubāro
Take up your trident and strike down those who stand against me; come and lift me out of this distress.
मात पिता भ्राता सब कोई
संकट में पूछत नहिं कोई
māta pitā bhrātā saba koī
saṁkaṭa meṁ pūchata nahiṁ koī
Mother, father, brother - when trouble comes not one of them asks after me.
स्वामी एक है आस तुम्हारी
आय हरहु मम संकट भारी
svāmī eka hai āsa tumhārī
āya harahu mama saṁkaṭa bhārī
Master, you alone are my hope; come and carry off this heavy trouble of mine.
धन निर्धन को देत सदा ही
जो कोई जांचे सो फल पाहीं
dhana nirdhana ko deta sadā hī
jo koī jāṁce so phala pāhīṁ
The verse says that you always give wealth to the poor, and that whoever asks obtains the fruit of the asking.
This promise belongs to the hymn. AstroZivi makes no claim that reciting it produces any outcome, health-related or otherwise.
अस्तुति केहि विधि करों तुम्हारी
क्षमहु नाथ अब चूक हमारी
astuti kehi vidhi karoṁ tumhārī
kṣamahu nātha aba cūka hamārī
By what means am I to praise you? Forgive, lord, the lapses that are ours.
शंकर हो संकट के नाशन
मंगल कारण विघ्न विनाशन
śaṁkara ho saṁkaṭa ke nāśana
maṁgala kāraṇa vighna vināśana
Shankara, you are the undoing of distress, the cause of good fortune, the breaker of obstacles.
योगी यति मुनि ध्यान लगावैं
शारद नारद शीश नवावैं
yogī yati muni dhyāna lagāvaiṁ
śārada nārada śīśa navāvaiṁ
Yogis, ascetics and sages fix their meditation on you; Sarada and Narada bow their heads.
नमो नमो जय नमः शिवाय
सुर ब्रह्मादिक पार न पाय
namo namo jaya namaḥ śivāya
sura brahmādika pāra na pāya
Homage, homage, victory - homage to Shiva. The gods and Brahma and the rest never reach your far shore.
जो यह पाठ करे मन लाई
ता पर होत हैं शम्भु सहाई
jo yaha pāṭha kare mana lāī
tā para hota haiṁ śambhu sahāī
The verse says that Shambhu extends his protection to whoever recites this text with the mind set on it.
This promise belongs to the hymn. AstroZivi makes no claim that reciting it produces any outcome, health-related or otherwise.
रनियां जो कोई हो अधिकारी
पाठ करे सो पावन हारी
raniyāṁ jo koī ho adhikārī
pāṭha kare so pāvana hārī
The verse says that whoever is weighed down by debt and takes up this recitation is made clean of it. This edition prints the opening word as ranriyan; others print rniya, and both are read as the debtor.
This promise belongs to the hymn. AstroZivi makes no claim that reciting it produces any outcome, health-related or otherwise.
पुत्र होन की इच्छा जोई
निश्चय शिव प्रसाद तेहि होई
putra hona kī icchā joī
niścaya śiva prasāda tehi hoī
The verse says that whoever wishes for a son receives one, and receives it certainly, by Shiva's favour.
This promise belongs to the hymn. AstroZivi makes no claim that reciting it produces any outcome, health-related or otherwise.
पण्डित त्रयोदशी को लावे
ध्यान पूर्वक होम करावे
paṇḍita trayodaśī ko lāve
dhyāna pūrvaka homa karāve
On the thirteenth lunar day one calls a learned priest and has the fire offering made with a settled mind.
त्रयोदशी व्रत करै हमेशा
तन नहिं ताके रहै कलेशा
trayodaśī vrata karai hameśā
tana nahiṁ tāke rahai kaleśā
The verse says that whoever always keeps the trayodashi fast is left with no affliction in the body.
This promise belongs to the hymn. AstroZivi makes no claim that reciting it produces any outcome, health-related or otherwise.
धूप दीप नैवेद्य चढ़ावे
शंकर सम्मुख पाठ सुनावे
dhūpa dīpa naivedya caṛhāve
śaṁkara sammukha pāṭha sunāve
One offers incense, a lamp and food, and recites the text in front of Shankara.
जन्म जन्म के पाप नसावे
अन्त धाम शिवपुर में पावे
janma janma ke pāpa nasāve
anta dhāma śivapura meṁ pāve
The verse says that the sins of birth upon birth are undone for such a reciter, who at the last attains a place in Shiva's city.
This promise belongs to the hymn. AstroZivi makes no claim that reciting it produces any outcome, health-related or otherwise.
कहैं अयोध्यादास आस तुम्हारी
जानि सकल दुख हरहु हमारी
kahaiṁ ayodhyādāsa āsa tumhārī
jāni sakala dukha harahu hamārī
Ayodhyadas says: you are my hope; knowing all of it, carry off our sorrow.
नित नेम उठि प्रातःही पाठ करो चालीस
तुम मेरी मनकामना पूर्ण करो जगदीश
nita nema uṭhi prātaḥhī pāṭha karo cālīsa
tuma merī manakāmanā pūrṇa karo jagadīśa
Rise at dawn and make the recitation of the forty a daily rule; lord of the world, fulfil the wish of my heart.
Your place is kept on this device. Finishing a reading records one repetition on the jaap counter - which is also what stops today's chant reminder from nudging you again.
Traditionally recited on Monday and on Pradosh and Shivaratri. One complete reading counts as one repetition on the counter below.
The text here is centuries old and in the public domain, but a recording of it carries a separate copyright: s.27 of India's Copyright Act gives a sound recording 60 years from publication, independent of the age of the work recorded. Well-known recitations are therefore still protected. AstroZivi will add audio only when it is either commissioned under a written agreement or covered by a verifiable Creative Commons licence.
The text shown here is public domain and reproduced verbatim; the English and Hindi meanings are AstroZivi's own prose, not a copy of any published translation. Where a verse promises an outcome, that promise belongs to the hymn - AstroZivi makes no claim, health-related or otherwise, that reciting it produces any result. For educational purposes.