Vishnu Chalisa

The Vishnu Chalisa is a forty-chaupai hymn of praise structured in three movements: praise of Vishnu’s form and nature (chaupais 1–10), a roll-call of his avatars and famous deeds (chaupais 11–28), and a personal plea by the devotee for refuge and grace (chaupais 29–40). It opens with a single invocatory doha and, in the popular form, closes without a doha.

Opening doha — the devotee’s plea

“Vishnu, hear the humble prayer of your servant, who fixes his mind upon you. I sing a small fragment of your glory — grant me the knowledge to do so.” The opening doha sets the posture of the hymn: not authoritative praise from a poet, but the request of a devotee who admits he does not know how to praise his Lord adequately.

Chaupais 1–4 — Vishnu’s form and beauty

Vishnu is hailed as Kharārī — the slayer of Khara, a Rakshasa killed by Rama in Dandakaranya — and as the remover of all suffering, the universal Bihārī. His power fills the three worlds with light. His form is beautiful and captivating — mohanī mūrata, “a form that bewitches.” He wears the pītāmbara (yellow silk) and the baijantī mālā (the famous wildflower garland that Vishnu and Krishna wear). Each of the first four chaupais lingers on a different aspect — colour, ornament, posture.

Chaupais 5–6 — weapons and the dispelling of evil

In his hands he holds the śaṅkha (conch), cakra (discus), and gadā (mace). At his sight, the armies of demons flee. Anger, greed, lust and pride find no foothold in his presence — the chaupai lists the inner enemies alongside the outer ones.

Chaupais 7–10 — saint and devotee

He is the joy of saints and devotees, and the destroyer of demons. He creates happiness and dispels every affliction; he ferries devotees across the bhava-sindhu, the ocean of worldly existence. He has taken on many forms — aneka rūpa — for one reason alone: the love of his devotees.

Chaupais 11–12 — the Rama avatara

When the earth-cow (dharaṇi-dhenu) cried out under the burden of evil, Vishnu took the form of Rama. He lifted the burden, defeated the asura armies, and finally slew Ravana and his kin.

Chaupais 13–14 — Varaha and Matsya

As Varaha (the boar), he killed Hiranyaksha and lifted the earth from the cosmic ocean. As Matsya (the fish), he is said in the hymn to have brought out the fourteen ratnas — a poetic compression that telescopes the Matsya and Kurma episodes of the samudra-manthan into a single image of Vishnu’s mastery over the deep.

Chaupais 15–16 — Mohini and the amrita

When the gods and demons quarrelled over the amṛta (nectar of immortality), Vishnu took the form of Mohini — the enchantress — and tricked the demons. He distributed the nectar to the gods, while the demons sat captivated by Mohini’s beauty.

Chaupais 17–18 — Kurma and Bhasmasura

As Kurma (the tortoise), he held up Mount Mandara while the gods and demons churned the ocean. He freed Shankara from the Bhasmāsura trap — the famous episode in which Shiva had granted Bhasmasura the boon that whoever he touched on the head would be reduced to ash, only for Bhasmasura to turn on Shiva himself. Vishnu took the form of Mohini once more, and through dance, brought Bhasmasura to place his own hand on his head — ending the asura by his own boon.

Chaupais 19–20 — the Vedas recovered, and the close of Bhasmasura

When asuras submerged the Vedas, Vishnu arranged their recovery — a reference to the Hayagriva avatara (and to the Madhu-Kaiṭabha episode in which Vishnu slew the asuras who had stolen the Vedas). Chaupai 20 then returns to the Bhasmasura story: “becoming the enchantress, you made the wicked one dance — and by his own hand, you had him burned to ash.”

Chaupais 21–26 — the Jalandhar–Vrinda episode

These six chaupais retell the dense Jalandhar story, which appears in several Puranas — most fully in the Padma Purana. The asura Jalandhar grew so powerful that even Shiva could not defeat him; the cause of his invincibility was the absolute pativratā (chastity-vow) of his wife, Vrinda. Shiva, defeated in battle, returned to Kailash. Sati — called Śivarānī (Shiva’s queen) in the chalisa — implored Vishnu for help. Vishnu took the form of Jalandhar himself and approached Vrinda; when Vrinda touched him believing him to be her husband, her vow was broken. At that very moment, Shiva was able to slay Jalandhar. Vrinda, on discovering the deception, mourned terribly; the Puranas say she became the tulasī plant, sacred to Vishnu ever after. The chalisa compresses this whole episode into six lines that praise Vishnu’s willingness to take even a morally complex role for the protection of the gods.

Chaupais 27–28 — the four saved devotees

The chalisa now turns to the salvation of human devotees: Dhruva (the boy who became the polestar), Prahlada (saved from Hiranyakashipu by the Narasimha avatara), Hiranyakashipu and the other demons slain along the way, Ganika (the courtesan saved by chance utterance of Hari’s name), and Ajamil (the sinful brahmin saved by calling out for his son “Narayan” at the moment of death). “Many devotees, the chalisa says, have you ferried across the ocean of worldly existence.”

Chaupais 29–30 — the plea turns inward

“Remove our every affliction; show your mercy, O Hari, creator of all. Let me see your direct vision — friend of the helpless, doer-of-good for devotees.”

Chaupais 31–40 — the humble devotee’s prayer

The final ten chaupais are pure vinaya — humble plea. The devotee admits he does not know the proper rituals — “I do not know whether I am fit for your puja, whether yajna and stuti are appropriate.” He confesses his lack of inner virtues — “I do not know śīla, dayā, santoṣa, vrata-bodha — none of these.” He wonders aloud: “how should I bow, how should I remember, how should I surrender?” Gods and sages, the chalisa says, serve you forever — they remain blessed by attaining the supreme state. Be the constant helper of the wretched and the suffering, take me as your own, destroy my sins and afflictions, free me from the bondage of worldly existence, grant me sons and prosperity, make me a servant at your feet. The chalisa closes with its phala-śruti: “This humble prayer the Vedas always carry; whoever reads or hears it attains happiness.”

The Vishnu Chalisa belongs to a large family of Hindi-language chalisa compositions that flourished from the late 19th century onwards, modelled in form and metre on the much older Hanuman Chalisa of Goswami Tulsidas (16th century). The Hanuman Chalisa established the template — forty chaupais in Awadhi, bracketed by dohas, a roll-call of deeds, and a phala-śruti (declaration of fruits). The chalisa-genre expanded through the colonial-period printing boom to cover almost every deity in the Hindu pantheon — Durga, Ganesh, Saraswati, Shiva, Surya, Kali, and Vishnu among them.

The popular Hindi Vishnu Chalisa beginning “namo viṣṇu bhagavāna kharārī” — the version offered here — is a product of this later devotional flowering. Its precise authorship is not definitely known. The standard printed form is widely circulated through 20th-century Gita Press and Khemraj Shrikrishnadas editions, but no author signature appears within the text itself (unlike Tulsidas, who signs the Hanuman Chalisa in its 39th chaupai with “Tulasīdāsa sadā Hari cerā”). Some compilations attribute it to Pandit Sundarlal Tripathi of the early 20th century; others mark it as anonymous traditional composition. The hymn is in Khari Boli (modern standard Hindi) with mild Awadhi and Braj inflections — a hybrid that supports the early-modern dating.

The hymn’s content is drawn from the standard Vaishnava puranic corpus — the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, Padma Purana, and Devi Bhagavata. Its avatar-list does not match any single source; rather, it compresses episodes from across the Puranas into forty rhymed chaupais. The Jalandhar–Vrinda episode (chaupais 21–26), in particular, has its fullest Sanskrit treatment in the Padma Purana.

In contemporary practice, the Vishnu Chalisa is recited especially on Thursdays (the day of Vishnu and Brihaspati), at Vaikuntha Ekadashi and Devuthani Ekadashi, and at family observances of the Satyanarayan Katha. It is included in nearly every Hindi-belt household chalisa-anthology, alongside the chalisas of Hanuman, Durga, Ganesh, and Shiva.

• Day — Thursday is the most auspicious day, sacred to Vishnu. Ekadashi (the 11th day of each lunar fortnight) is also particularly auspicious; Vaikuntha Ekadashi (Margashirsha/Pausha) and Devuthani Ekadashi (Kartik) are the most special.
• Time — Morning after bathing is preferred; the evening sandhya is also traditional. Many households recite the chalisa as part of morning puja-paath alongside the Vishnu Sahasranama.
• Posture — Face east or north, with a clean cloth or asana under you. Keep the back straight.
• Before beginning — Light a ghee or sesame lamp before an image of Vishnu or his avatars (Krishna, Rama). If available, offer tulasī leaves — sacred to Vishnu — along with sandalwood paste and yellow or white flowers.
• Repetitions — One reading is sufficient daily. For specific intentions, 11 or 21 repetitions are common. A sata-pāṭha (100 recitations) is undertaken at Vaikuntha Ekadashi or during a difficult life passage.
• Pronunciation — The Hindi pronunciation is straightforward; perfect Sanskrit articulation is not required. Devanagari is available on the Hindi version of this page.

No restriction of caste, gender, or age applies. The text itself contains no such restriction.

The Vishnu Chalisa plays two roles at once in the bhakti tradition — a compact roll-call of Vishnu’s most loved deeds, and the devotee’s personal plea for refuge.

The avatara-roll as the heart of the hymn. Of the forty chaupais, eighteen (chaupais 11–28) are devoted to specific avatars and deeds. The chalisa names — directly or by allusion — Rama, Varaha, Matsya, Mohini, Kurma, Hayagriva (or Matsya-as-Veda-rescuer), Narasimha (via Prahlada), and Vamana (implicit in the Bali tradition). Krishna is implicit throughout: the pītāmbara, baijantī mālā, and epithets like Madhusūdana are all Krishna-references. The Jalandhar–Vrinda episode is given exceptional weight — six chaupais — possibly because it dramatises Vishnu’s willingness to act for the gods’ protection even at moral cost, a theme that resonates strongly in Vaishnava devotional thought.

The Jalandhar–Vrinda episode and the moral complexity of avatara. The story (chaupais 21–26) is the most theologically intricate in the chalisa. Jalandhar was invincible only because of Vrinda’s pativratā vow; Shiva could not slay him. Vishnu intervened by taking Jalandhar’s form and deceiving Vrinda — an act that, in any other context, would be a transgression. Vrinda, on realising the truth, cursed Vishnu (in some Puranas) and chose to die; from her body sprang the tulasī plant, which Vishnu accepted thereafter as eternally dear. The chalisa, in compressing this episode, honours both the deception (as protective necessity) and its cost (Vrinda’s tragedy). The tulasī on every Vaishnava altar is a continuing memorial.

The protective devotee-stories. Chaupais 27–28 name four devotees — Dhruva, Prahlada, Ganika, and Ajamil — each a paradigm: the child of pure devotion (Dhruva), the child who survived demonic persecution (Prahlada), the casual utterance saved by name-grace (Ganika), and the deathbed utterance saved by name-grace (Ajamil). These four together form the bhakti-sampradāya’s standard portfolio of saved-by-grace stories. To name them in the chalisa is to enrol the present devotee in their lineage.

The final ten chaupais — śaraṇāgati (surrender). From chaupai 31 onwards, the chalisa shifts from praise to plea. The devotee admits ignorance of ritual, of inner virtue, of method — and asks only for refuge. This is the prapatti tradition of Vaishnavism: the doctrine that one is saved not by knowledge or merit, but by complete surrender to the Lord. The chalisa, ending on this surrender rather than on a triumphant note, places śaraṇāgati at the heart of Vishnu-bhakti.

Daily devotion paired with the Vishnu Sahasranama. In households where Vishnu is the primary deity, the chalisa is often paired with the Vishnu Sahasranama — the chalisa as brief daily devotion, the Sahasranama as the longer weekly or monthly recitation. The chalisa is also commonly read on its own on Thursdays, on Ekadashi, and before the Satyanarayan Katha.

Who composed the Vishnu Chalisa?

The popular Hindi Vishnu Chalisa is traditional and anonymous in its standard form. Unlike the Hanuman Chalisa, which Tulsidas signs within the text, the Vishnu Chalisa contains no author signature. Some 20th-century editions attribute it to Pandit Sundarlal Tripathi; other sources mark it as anonymous early-modern devotional composition. The text dates from the late 19th to early 20th century, the period of the chalisa-genre’s expansion across the Hindi-speaking belt.

In what language is the Vishnu Chalisa written?

It is written in Khari Boli (modern standard Hindi) with mild Awadhi and Braj influences — a hybrid that supports its early-modern dating. Most Hindi readers can follow it without difficulty; non-Hindi readers can use the IAST transliteration and the line-by-line meaning above.

When is the best time to chant the Vishnu Chalisa?

Thursday is the most auspicious day, sacred to Vishnu and Brihaspati. Ekadashi — especially Vaikuntha Ekadashi (Margashirsha/Pausha) and Devuthani Ekadashi (Kartik) — is particularly significant. Morning after bathing is preferred, but the chalisa can be recited at any time when the mind is calm.

How many times should the Vishnu Chalisa be chanted?

A single recitation per day is the common practice. For specific intentions, 11 or 21 repetitions are recommended. A sata-pāṭha (100 recitations) is undertaken at Vaikuntha Ekadashi or in times of difficulty.

Can women chant the Vishnu Chalisa?

Yes. There is no scriptural restriction in the text. Most contemporary teachers affirm that the chalisa is open to all devotees regardless of gender, caste, or age.

Why does the chalisa give so much space to the Jalandhar–Vrinda story?

The Jalandhar–Vrinda story (chaupais 21–26) is the longest single narrative in the chalisa. It dramatises Vishnu’s willingness to act in morally complex ways for the protection of the cosmic order — a theme central to Vaishnava devotional thought. It also commemorates the origin of the tulasī plant, sacred to Vishnu, from Vrinda’s transformation. The expanded treatment is likely a Padma Purana inheritance: that Purana gives the fullest Sanskrit version of the story.

How does the Vishnu Chalisa differ from the Vishnu Sahasranama?

The Vishnu Sahasranama — from the Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva — is the Sanskrit hymn of one thousand names of Vishnu, sometimes called the most sacred Vaishnava recitation. The Vishnu Chalisa is a much shorter Hindi hymn — forty chaupais — focused on Vishnu’s form, his avatars, and the devotee’s plea. Many households recite the chalisa daily and the Sahasranama on Thursdays or on Ekadashi. The two are complementary: the Sahasranama for depth, the chalisa for daily devotion.

Which avatars does the Vishnu Chalisa mention?

The chalisa names or alludes to: Matsya (chaupai 14), Kurma (17), Varaha (13), Narasimha (implicit via Prahlada in 27), Vamana (implicit), Rama (11–12), Krishna (implicit throughout — pītāmbara, Madhusūdana), and Mohini (15–18, on which the chalisa lingers especially). Hayagriva is alluded to in chaupai 19. The Parashurama, Buddha, and Kalki avatars are not specifically addressed in this version. The hymn focuses on the avatars most loved in north-Indian devotional tradition.