Saraswati Chalisa Lyrics in English, With Meaning

Saraswati Chalisa lyrics and meaning

Below are the 32 passages of Saraswati Chalisa as sung in the recording Diya plays, in the order they are sung. Each row gives the words in English letters under the original script, and their meaning in English. The meaning of 2 passages is still being reviewed and is marked.

Words (original script and transliteration)	Meaning in English
जनक जननी पद्म रज निज मस्तक पर धारी बन्दौ मातु सरस्वती बुद्धि बल दे दातारी Janak janani padma raj Nij mastak par dhaari Bandau maatu Saraswati Buddhi bal de daataari	Placing the dust of my father's and mother's lotus feet upon my head, I bow to Mother Saraswati. O Giver, grant me intelligence and strength.
पूर्ण जगत में व्याप्त तव महिमा अमित अनन्त दुष्ट जनों के पाप को मातु तु ही अब हन्तु Poorn jagat mein vyaapt tav mahima Amit anant Dusht janon ke paap ko Maatu tu hee ab hantu	Your immeasurable, endless glory fills the whole world. Mother, remove the sins of wicked people now; you alone can do this.
जय श्री सकल बुद्धि बल रासी जय सर्वज्ञ अमर अविनाशी jai shree sakal buddhi bal raasee jai sarvagya amar avinaashee	Glory to you, treasure of all intelligence and strength! Glory to you, all-knowing, immortal and indestructible Mother!
जय जय जय वीणा कर धारी करती सदा सुहंस सवारी jai jai jai veenaa kar dhaaree karatee sadaa suhans savaaree	Glory, glory, glory to you, holding the veena in your hands and always riding a beautiful swan!
रूप चतुर्भुज धारी माता सकल विश्व अन्दर विख्याता roop chaturbhuj dhaaree maataa sakal vishv andar vikhyaataa	Mother, you take a form with four arms, renowned throughout the whole world.
जग में पाप बुद्धि जब होती तब ही धर्म की फीकी ज्योति तब ही मातु का निज अवतारी पाप हीन करती महतारी jag mein paap buddhi jab hotee tab hee dharm kee pheekee jyoti tab hee maatu kaa nij avataaree paap heen karatee mahataaree	When sinful thinking arises in the world and the light of dharma grows dim, the Mother herself appears and frees the world from sin.
वाल्मीकि जी थे हत्यारा तव प्रसाद जानै संसारा रामचरित जो रचे बनाई आदि कवि की पदवी पाई vaalmiki jee the hatyaaraa tav prasaad jaanai sansaaraa raamacharit jo rache banaaee aadi kavi ki padvi paai	Valmiki was once a murderer. The world knows your grace: he composed the story of Rama and gained the title of the first poet.
कालिदास जी भए विख्याता तेरी कृपा दृष्टि से माता तुलसी सूर आदि विद्वाना भए और जो ज्ञानी नाना तिनहूँ न आन रह्यो अवलंबा केवल कृपा आपकी अम्बा Kaalidaas jee bhaye vikhyaataa teree kripaa drishti se maataa Tulsee Soor aadi vidvaanaa bhaye aur jo gyaanee naanaa Tinahoon na aan rahyo avalambaa keval kripaa aapkee ambaa	Mother, Kalidasa became renowned through your gracious gaze. Tulsi, Sur and the many other learned and wise people who arose had no support but your grace, Amba.
करहु कृपा सोइ मातु भवानी दुखित दीन निज दास ही जानी Karahu kripaa soi maatu bhavaanee dukhit deen nij daas hee jaanee	Mother Bhavani, grant me that same grace, knowing me to be your suffering, humble servant.
पुत्र करत अपराध बहूता तेहि न धरइ चित माता राखु लाज जननी अब मेरी विनय करूँ भाँति बहुतेरी Putra karat aparaadh bahootaa tehi na dharai chit maataa Raakhu laaj janani ab meree vinay karoon bhaanti bahuteree	A son commits many offenses, yet his mother does not hold them in her heart. Mother, preserve my honor now; I plead with you in many ways.
मैं अनाथ तेरी अवलम्बा कृपा करौ जय जय जगदम्बा Main anaath teree avalambaa Kripaa karau jai jai jagadambaa	I have no protector but you. Have mercy on me. Glory, glory to you, Jagadamba!
मधु कैटभ जो अति बलवाना बाहु युद्ध विष्णु से ठाना समर हजार पाँच में घोरा फिर भी मुख उनसे नहिं मोरा Madhu kaitabh jo ati balvaanaa Baahu yuddh vishnu se thaanaa Samar hazaar paanch mein ghoraa Phir bhee mukh unse nahin moraa	The mighty Madhu and Kaitabha challenged Vishnu to combat with their arms. The fierce battle went on for five thousand years, yet they did not turn away from him.
मातु सहाय कीन्ह तेहि काला बुद्धि विपरीत भई खलहाला तेहि ते मृत्यु भई खल केरी पुरवहु मातु मनोरथ मेरी Maatu sahaay keenh tehi kaalaa Buddhee vipareet bhayee khalhaalaa Tehi te mrityu bhayee khal keree Puravahu maatu manorath meree	Mother, you helped at that moment. The villains' thinking went astray, and this brought about their death. Mother, fulfill my heart's desires.
चण्ड मुण्ड जो थे विख्याता क्षण महुँ संहारे उन माता Chand mund jo the vikhyaataa Kshan mahun sanhaare un maataa	Mother, you destroyed the renowned Chanda and Munda in an instant.
रक्तबीज से समरथ पापी सुर मुनि हृदय धरा सब कांपी काटेउ सिर जिमि कदली खम्बा बार बार बिनवऊँ जगदम्बा Raktbeej se samrath paapee Sur muni hriday dharaa sab kaampee Kaateu sir jimi kadalee khambaa Baar baar binavau jagadambaa	Powerful sinners such as Raktabija made the hearts of gods and sages, and the earth itself, tremble. You severed their heads as though cutting down banana trunks. Again and again I plead with you, Jagadamba.
जग प्रसिद्ध जो शुम्भ निशुम्भा क्षण में बाँधे ताहि तू अम्बा Jag prasiddh jo shumbh nishumbhaa Kshan mein baandhe taahi too ambaa	Amba, you bound the world-famous Shumbha and Nishumbha in an instant.
भरत मातु बुद्धि फेरेउ जाई रामचन्द्र बनवास कराई एहि विधि रावण वध तू कीन्हा सुर नर मुनि सब को सुख दीन्हा Bharat maatu buddhi phereu jaayee Raamachandra banvaas karaayee Ehi vidhi raavan vadh too keenhaa Sur nar muni sab ko sukh deenhaa	Mother, you went and changed the mind of Bharata's mother, causing Ramachandra's exile to the forest. In this way you brought about Ravana's death, bringing happiness to gods, human beings and sages.
को समरथ तब यश गुन गाना निगमादि अनन्त बखाना Ko samrath tab yash gun gaanaa Nigamaadi anant bakhaanaa	Who, then, can sing your glory and virtues? The Vedas and other scriptures describe them as endless.
विष्णु रुद्र अज सकहिं न मारी जिनकी हो तुम रक्षाकारी Vishnu rudra aj sakahin na maaree Jinkee ho tum rakshaakaaree	Even Vishnu, Rudra and Aja (Brahma) cannot kill those whom you protect.
रक्तदन्तिका और शताक्षी नाम अपार है दानव भक्षी Raktadantikaa aur shataakshee Naam apaar hai daanav bhakshee	You are Raktadantika, with blood-red teeth, and Shatakshi, with a hundred eyes. Your names are countless, O devourer of demons!
दुर्गम काज धरा पर कीन्हा दुर्गा नाम सकल जग लीन्हा Durgam kaaj dharaa par keenhaa Durgaa naam sakal jag leenhaa	You accomplished difficult deeds upon the earth, and the whole world came to call you Durga.
दुर्ग आदि हरनी तू माता कृपा करहु जब जब सुखदाता Durg aadi harnee too maataa Kripaa karahu jab jab sukhdaataa	Mother, remover of difficulties and other troubles, grant your grace time and again, O giver of happiness.
नृप कोपित को मारन चाहे कानन में घेरे मृगनाहे सागर मध्य पोत के भंजे अति तूफान नहीं कोउ संगे भूत प्रेत बाधा या दुख में हो दरिद्र अथवा संकट में नाम जपे मंगल सब होई संशय इसमें करै न कोई Nrip kopit ko maaran chaahe Kaanan mein ghere mrignaahe Saagar madhya pot ke bhanje Ati toofaan naheen kou sange Bhoot pret baadhaa yaa dukh mein Ho daridr athavaa sankat mein Naam jape mangal sab hoee Sanshay ismein karai na koee	When a king threatens death, lions surround someone, a storm wrecks their boat, or spirits, grief, poverty or danger afflict them, chanting your name brings every blessing. Let no one doubt this.
पुत्रहीन जो आतुर भाई सब छोड़ पूजे यही माई करै पाठ नित यह चालीसा होय पुत्र सुंदर गुण ईशा Putraheen jo aatur bhaai Sab chhod pooje yahee maai Karai paath nit yah chaaleesaa Hoy putra sundar gun eeshaa	Brother, whoever is distressed at having no son should leave everything else and worship this Mother. By reciting this Chalisa daily, he will have a handsome son, outstanding in virtue.
धूपादिक नैवेद्य चढ़ावै संकट रहित अवश्य हो जावै Dhoopaadik naivedya chadhaavai Sankat rahit avashya ho jaavai	Whoever offers incense and other gifts, including food offerings, will surely become free of trouble.
भक्ति मातु की करै हमेशा निकट न आवै ताहि कलेशा Bhakti maatu kee karai hameshaa nikat na aavai taahi kalesha	Affliction never comes near the one who always remains devoted to you, Mother.
बन्दि पाठ करै सत बारा बन्दि पाश दूर हो सारा bandi paath karai sat baara bandi paash door ho saara	If a prisoner recites this prayer one hundred times, all their fetters of imprisonment will be removed.
राम सागर बन्धि हेतु भवानी raam saagar bandhi hetu bhavaani	Meaning still under review.
कीजै कृपा दास निज जानी keejai kripaa daas nij jaani	Show me grace, knowing me to be your own servant.
मातु सूर्य कान्त तव अन्धकार मम रूप maatu surya kaanta tava andhakaar mam roop	Meaning still under review.
डूबन से रक्षा करहु परूँ न मैं भव कूप dooban se raksha karahu paroon na main bhav koop	Protect me from drowning. May I not fall into the well of worldly existence.
बल बुद्धि विद्या देहु मोहि सुनहु सरस्वति मातु राम सागर अधम को आश्रय तू ही दे दातु bal buddhi vidya dehu mohi sunahu sarasvati maatu raam saagar adham ko aashray too hee de daatu	Hear me, Mother Saraswati: give me strength, intelligence and learning. You alone, O Giver, grant refuge to this lowly Ram Sagar.

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Diya's English explains each passage in plain language; it is not a word-for-word translation.

About Saraswati Chalisa

Saraswati Chalisa is a Hindi prayer to the goddess Saraswati. Diya's listening library notes: The supplied ending names Ram Sagar as the supplicant; this supports the conventional internal attribution to Ramsagar, but an independently established historical identity, composition date and author biography were not found in the inspected witnesses.

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Download the Saraswati Chalisa PDF

Download the Saraswati Chalisa lyrics in English (PDF): the full text in the original script with transliteration, and the meaning of each passage, ready to print.

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