श्री रामचन्द्र कृपालु भजु मन

When to sing: On Ram Navami, Dussehra and Diwali, on Thursdays, at the end of Ramayan or Sundar Kand path, and in the evening aarti of the Ram Darbar.

About Shri Ramchandra Kripalu

Shri Ramchandra Kripalu Bhaju Man is a hymn to Lord Rama by Goswami Tulsidas, from his Vinaya Patrika. In five short verses it paints Rama as a lotus-eyed prince, dark as a new rain cloud, dressed in yellow silk that flashes like lightning: the husband of Sita, the joy of the Raghu clan, the bow-bearing victor over Khara and Dushana. It ends with Tulsidas’s prayer that Rama may live in the lotus of his heart and destroy the gang of desires within.

In many families it is sung as the evening Rama aarti, and it is the hymn most people sing on Ram Navami, on Dussehra and at the close of the Sundar Kand.

Meaning, verse by verse

Shri Ramchandra kripalu bhaju man, harana bhavabhaya daarunam: O mind, worship the compassionate Shri Ramchandra, who removes the terrible fear of worldly life. Nava kanja lochana, kanja mukha, kara kanja, pada kanjaarunam: His eyes are like fresh lotuses, his face, hands and feet are lotuses too, rosy red.

Kandarpa aganita amita chhavi, nava neela neerada sundaram: His beauty surpasses countless Kamadevas; he is lovely as a fresh blue-dark rain cloud. Patapeeta maanahu tadita ruchi: His yellow robe shines like lightning. Shuchi naumi Janaka sutaavaram: I bow to the pure one, the husband of Janaka’s daughter, Sita.

Bhaju deenabandhu dinesha: Worship the friend of the humble, radiant as the sun, daanava daitya vansha nikandanam: who uproots the race of demons. Raghunanda aananda kanda Kaushala chanda Dasharatha nandanam: The joy of the Raghus, the root of bliss, the moon of Kosala, the son of Dasharatha.

Sira mukuta kundala tilaka chaaru, udaaru anga vibhooshanam: A crown on his head, earrings and a beautiful tilak, ornaments on every limb. Aajaanu bhuja shara chaapa dhara, sangraama jita Khara-Dooshanam: His arms reach his knees, he holds bow and arrow, and he conquered Khara and Dushana in battle.

Iti vadati Tulsidas, Shankara Shesha muni mana ranjanam: So says Tulsidas: he delights the hearts of Shiva, Shesha and the sages. Mama hridaya kanja nivaasa kuru, kaamaadi khaladala ganjanam: Make your home in the lotus of my heart, and destroy the band of villains within me: desire, anger and the rest.

When and how to sing it

Sing it slowly, in the evening, before the Ram Darbar (Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman), after lighting a ghee diya. It is traditional on Ram Navami at noon, on Dussehra evening, on Diwali when Rama’s return to Ayodhya is remembered, and after reading the Sundar Kand or the Hanuman Chalisa.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote Shri Ramchandra Kripalu?

Goswami Tulsidas, the 16th-century poet of the Ramcharitmanas, wrote this stuti in the Vinaya Patrika, his collection of devotional hymns. He names himself in the last verse, "iti vadati Tulsidas".

Is Shri Ramchandra Kripalu an aarti?

Strictly it is a stuti (hymn of praise) in Sanskritised Awadhi, but it is sung as the evening aarti of Lord Rama in many homes and temples, especially on Ram Navami, Dussehra and Diwali and after the Sundar Kand.

What does "harana bhavabhaya daarunam" mean?

It means "the one who removes the terrible fear of worldly existence". The opening line asks the mind (man) to worship Shri Ramchandra, the compassionate one, who frees us from that fear.