Chitragupt Chalisa – Lyrics, Meaning & Benefits | Karma & Justice
Chitragupt Chalisa Lyrics (हिंदी में)
॥ दोहा ॥
सुमिर चित्रगुप्त ईश को, सतत नवाऊ शीश ।
ब्रह्मा विष्णु महेश सह, रिनिहा भए जगदीश ॥
करो कृपा करिवर वदन, जो सरशुती सहाय ।
चित्रगुप्त जस विमलयश, वंदन गुरूपद लाय ॥
॥ चौपाई ॥
जय चित्रगुप्त ज्ञान रत्नाकर । जय यमेश दिगंत उजागर ॥१॥
अज सहाय अवतरेउ गुसांई । कीन्हेउ काज ब्रम्ह कीनाई ॥२॥
श्रृष्टि सृजनहित अजमन जांचा । भांति-भांति के जीवन राचा ॥३॥
अज की रचना मानव संदर । मानव मति अज होइ निरूत्तर ॥४॥
भए प्रकट चित्रगुप्त सहाई । धर्माधर्म गुण ज्ञान कराई ॥५॥
राचेउ धरम धरम जग मांही । धर्म अवतार लेत तुम पांही ॥६॥
अहम विवेकइ तुमहि विधाता । निज सत्ता पा करहिं कुघाता ॥७॥
श्रष्टि संतुलन के तुम स्वामी । त्रय देवन कर शक्ति समानी ॥८॥
पाप मृत्यु जग में तुम लाए । भयका भूत सकल जग छाए ॥९॥
महाकाल के तुम हो साक्षी । ब्रम्हउ मरन न जान मीनाक्षी ॥१०॥
धर्म कृष्ण तुम जग उपजायो । कर्म क्षेत्र गुण ज्ञान करायो ॥११॥
राम धर्म हित जग पगु धारे । मानवगुण सदगुण अति प्यारे ॥१२॥
विष्णु चक्र पर तुमहि विराजें । पालन धर्म करम शुचि साजे ॥१३॥
महादेव के तुम त्रय लोचन । प्रेरकशिव अस ताण्डव नर्तन ॥१४॥
सावित्री पर कृपा निराली । विद्यानिधि माँ सब जग आली ॥१५॥
रमा भाल पर कर अति दाया । श्रीनिधि अगम अकूत अगाया ॥१६॥
ऊमा विच शक्ति शुचि राच्यो । जाकेबिन शिव शव जग बाच्यो ॥१७॥
गुरू बृहस्पति सुर पति नाथा । जाके कर्म गहइ तव हाथा ॥१८॥
रावण कंस सकल मतवारे । तव प्रताप सब सरग सिधारे ॥१९॥
प्रथम् पूज्य गणपति महदेवा । सोउ करत तुम्हारी सेवा ॥२०॥
रिद्धि सिद्धि पाय द्वैनारी । विघ्न हरण शुभ काज संवारी ॥२१॥
व्यास चहइ रच वेद पुराना । गणपति लिपिबध हितमन ठाना ॥२२॥
पोथी मसि शुचि लेखनी दीन्हा । असवर देय जगत कृत कीन्हा ॥२३॥
लेखनि मसि सह कागद कोरा । तव प्रताप अजु जगत मझोरा ॥२४॥
विद्या विनय पराक्रम भारी । तुम आधार जगत आभारी ॥२५॥
द्वादस पूत जगत अस लाए । राशी चक्र आधार सुहाए ॥२६॥
जस पूता तस राशि रचाना । ज्योतिष केतुम जनक महाना ॥२७॥
तिथी लगन होरा दिग्दर्शन । चारि अष्ट चित्रांश सुदर्शन ॥२८॥
राशी नखत जो जातक धारे । धरम करम फल तुमहि अधारे ॥२९॥
राम कृष्ण गुरूवर गृह जाई । प्रथम गुरू महिमा गुण गाई ॥३०॥
श्री गणेश तव बंदन कीना । कर्म अकर्म तुमहि आधीना ॥३१॥
देववृत जप तप वृत कीन्हा । इच्छा मृत्यु परम वर दीन्हा ॥३२॥
धर्महीन सौदास कुराजा । तप तुम्हार बैकुण्ठ विराजा ॥३३॥
हरि पद दीन्ह धर्म हरि नामा । कायथ परिजन परम पितामा ॥३४॥
शुर शुयशमा बन जामाता । क्षत्रिय विप्र सकल आदाता ॥३५॥
जय जय चित्रगुप्त गुसांई । गुरूवर गुरू पद पाय सहाई ॥३६॥
जो शत पाठ करइ चालीसा । जन्ममरण दुःख कटइ कलेसा ॥३७॥
विनय करैं कुलदीप शुवेशा । राख पिता सम नेह हमेशा ॥३८-४०॥
॥ दोहा ॥
ज्ञान कलम, मसि सरस्वती, अंबर है मसिपात्र ।
कालचक्र की पुस्तिका, सदा रखे दंडास्त्र ॥
पाप पुन्य लेखा करन, धार्यो चित्र स्वरूप ।
श्रृष्टिसंतुलन स्वामी सदा, सरग नरक कर भूप ॥
Chitragupt Chalisa – Transliteration (English)
|| Doha ||
Sumir Chitragupt Ish ko, satat navaun sheesh,
Brahma Vishnu Mahesh sah, riniha bhae Jagadeesh.
Karo kripa karivar vadan, jo Sarasuti sahay,
Chitragupt jas vimalayash, vandan Gurupad laay.
|| Chaupai ||
Jay Chitragupt gyan ratnakar, jay Yamesh digant ujaagar. (1)
Aj sahaay avatarau Gusaaen, kinheun kaaj Brahm kinaai. (2)
Srishti srijanahit ajman jaancha, bhaanti-bhaanti ke jeevan raacha. (3)
Aj ki rachna manav sundar, manav mati aj hoi niruttar. (4)
Bhae prakat Chitragupt sahaai, dharmadharm gun gyaan karaai. (5)
Racheun dharam dharam jag maanhi, dharm avatar let tum paanhi. (6)
Aham vivekai tumahi vidhaata, nij satta paa karahin kughaata. (7)
Srishti santulan ke tum svaami, tray devan kar shakti samaani. (8)
Paap mrityu jag mein tum laaye, bhayaka bhoot sakal jag chhaaye. (9)
Mahakaal ke tum ho saakshi, Brahmau maran na jaan Meenaakshi. (10)
Dharm Krishna tum jag upjaayo, karm kshetra gun gyaan karaayo. (11)
Ram dharm hit jag pagu dhare, manav gun sadgun ati pyaare. (12)
Vishnu chakra par tumahi virajen, palan dharm karam shuchi saaje. (13)
Mahadev ke tum tray lochan, prerak Shiv as taandav nartan. (14)
Savitri par kripa niraali, vidyanidhi maan sab jag aali. (15)
Rama bhaal par kar ati daayaa, shrinidhi agam akoot agaayaa. (16)
Uma vich shakti shuchi raachyo, jaakebin Shiv shav jag baachyo. (17)
Guru Brihaspati sur pati natha, jaake karm gahai tav haatha. (18)
Ravan Kans sakal matvare, tav pratap sab sarag sidhaare. (19)
Pratham poojya Ganapati Mahadeva, sou karat tumhari seva. (20)
Riddhi Siddhi paay dvainaari, vighn haran shubh kaaj sanvaari. (21)
Vyas chahai rach Ved purana, Ganapati lipibadh hitman thaana. (22)
Pothi masi shuchi lekhani dinha, asavar dey jagat krit kinha. (23)
Lekhani masi sah kaagad kora, tav pratap aju jagat majhora. (24)
Vidya vinay paraakram bhaari, tum aadhaar jagat aabhaari. (25)
Dvadas poot jagat as laaye, raashi chakra aadhaar suhaaye. (26)
Jas puta tas raashi rachaana, jyotish ketum janak mahaana. (27)
Tithi lagan hora digdarshan, chaar asht chitraansh sudarshan. (28)
Raashi nakhat jo jaatak dhare, dharam karam phal tumahi adhaare. (29)
Ram Krishna Guruvar grih jaai, pratham guru mahima gun gaai. (30)
Shri Ganesh tav bandan kina, karm akarm tumahi aadhina. (31)
Devavrat jap tap vrat kinha, ichchha mrityu param var dinha. (32)
Dharmahin Saudas kuraaja, tap tumhaar Vaikuntha viraaja. (33)
Hari pad dinh dharm Hari naama, Kaayath parijan param pitaama. (34)
Shur shuyashma ban jaamaataa, kshatriy vipr sakal aadaata. (35)
Jay jay Chitragupt Gusaaen, Guruvar guru pad paay sahaai. (36-40)
|| Doha ||
Gyaan kalam, masi Sarasvati, ambar hai masipaatr,
Kaalchakra ki pustika, sada rakhe dandaastr.
Paap puny lekha karan, dhaaryo chitr svaroop,
Srishtisantulan svaami sada, sarag narak kar bhoop.
Meaning & Significance
The Chitragupt Chalisa is a forty-verse devotional hymn dedicated to Chitragupta, the divine scribe and accountant of karma who serves alongside Yama, the god of death and justice. The opening doha bows to Chitragupta as equal in cosmic standing to Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh - a bold theological statement that elevates him from a subordinate to Yama to a figure of cosmic sovereignty. The forty chaupais develop this vision: Chitragupta emerged from the body of Brahma to serve as the moral conscience of creation, recording every living being's deeds (dharma and adharma) with perfect impartiality. The chalisa weaves Chitragupta into the entire fabric of Hindu cosmology; he is the cosmic witness (sakshi) present in Vishnu's wheel, in Shiva's three eyes, in the knowledge of Saraswati and the wealth of Lakshmi. The poem celebrates his role as the progenitor of the Kayastha community, which venerates him as their ancestor and patron deity. It connects Chitragupta to the traditions of writing, astronomy, and the Jyotisha calendar, attributing to him the authorship of the astrological system. The closing doha presents a powerful image: knowledge is his pen, Saraswati is his ink, and the sky itself is his inkpot; he writes the cosmic ledger of karma for all time.
About Chitragupta
Chitragupta is one of the most distinctive deities in Hindu tradition - not a warrior, not a creator in the conventional sense, but the divine keeper of cosmic records. According to the Garuda Purana and Yama Smriti, when Brahma created the world, the beings he made needed their deeds to be impartially recorded so that Yama could dispense justice after death. Brahma meditated for a long time, and Chitragupta emerged from his body (chitra = picture/mind, gupta = hidden/secret), fully formed, holding a pen, inkpot, and book. He was thus "born of the body of Brahma" - both a child of the creator and an independent cosmic principle. Chitragupta maintains the book of karma for every soul, and at the moment of death it is his ledger that determines the soul's next destination. He is the deity of writing, record-keeping, accounting, and the rule of law - qualities that make him the patron of the Kayastha community of scribes and administrators. His wife is Iravati (or, in some texts, Shobhavati), and he has twelve sons who are credited as the ancestors of the twelve sub-clans of the Kayastha community. Chitragupta Puja is celebrated with great fervour on the second day after Diwali (Yama Dwitiya or Bhaidooj), and the festival includes the ritual of worshipping pens, inkpots, and books.
Benefits of Reciting the Chitragupt Chalisa
- Reciting the Chitragupt Chalisa is believed to foster righteous conduct and moral accountability, as the devotee meditates on a deity who records every action without bias.
- Students, writers, accountants, legal professionals, and those in service of justice invoke Chitragupta's blessings for clarity of thought, accuracy, and success in their fields.
- The chalisa is held to reduce the accumulated burden of past negative karma when recited with sincere awareness of one's actions.
- Reciting the chalisa one hundred times is said by the text itself to cut through the suffering of repeated birth and death.
- Members of the Kayastha community traditionally recite this chalisa on Chitragupta Jayanti and Yama Dwitiya as an ancestral devotional duty.
- The chalisa deepens understanding of karma, dharma, and the cosmic balance that underlies all justice - insights valuable to any practitioner of dharmic living.
How to Recite (Vidhi)
- Bathe and sit in a clean place; set up an image of Chitragupta - traditionally depicted seated at a writing desk with a pen and book - and light a lamp and incense.
- Place a pen, inkpot (or pen and paper symbolically), and books on the altar as traditional offerings to the deity of writing and karma.
- Begin with the invocation "Jai Chitragupta Maharaj" and bow with joined palms before starting the doha.
- Recite the chalisa clearly and attentively; the verses reference a wide range of cosmic and mythological events, so unhurried recitation aids absorption.
- On Chitragupta Puja day (Yama Dwitiya, the day after Diwali), worship the instruments of writing and recite the chalisa as part of the full puja ritual.
- Conclude by offering prasad - traditionally sweets or fruits - and by sitting briefly in gratitude and self-reflection.
Best Day & Time to Recite
The most auspicious day for reciting the Chitragupt Chalisa is Chitragupta Jayanti - the second day of the bright fortnight of Kartik (just after Diwali), also called Yama Dwitiya or Bhaidooj. On this day, the Kayastha community and all devotees of Chitragupta perform his puja with writing instruments and recite the chalisa. Wednesday (Budhvar), associated with Mercury and the arts of writing and commerce, is the recommended day for regular weekly recitation. Early morning - after bathing and before beginning the day's work - is the preferred time, as it is fitting to begin one's labours by honouring the cosmic keeper of records. The Diwali festival period more broadly is considered highly auspicious for Chitragupta devotion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Chitragupta and why is he worshipped?
Chitragupta is the divine keeper of karma - the cosmic accountant who records every thought, word, and deed of every living being across the universe. He serves alongside Yama (the god of death) and provides the impartial karmic record that determines a soul's destiny after death. He is worshipped as the deity of writing, justice, and accountability, and revered as the progenitor of the Kayastha community. His worship reminds devotees of the permanence of their actions and the importance of living righteously.
What is the connection between Chitragupta and the Kayastha community?
According to the Chitragupta Purana, Chitragupta's twelve sons are considered the ancestors of the twelve sub-clans of the Kayastha community - a caste traditionally associated with writing, record-keeping, and administrative service. The Chalisa specifically refers to Chitragupta as "Kaayath parijan param pitaama" - the supreme forefather of the Kayastha family. Chitragupta Puja is therefore both a religious observance and an ancestral commemoration for millions of Kayastha families across North and Central India.
When is Chitragupta Puja celebrated?
Chitragupta Puja falls on Yama Dwitiya, the second day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartik in the Hindu calendar - typically one or two days after Diwali, coinciding with or adjacent to Bhai Dooj. On this day, members of the Kayastha community and other devotees perform a formal puja for Chitragupta that includes worshipping writing instruments (pen, paper, inkpot), reciting the chalisa, and seeking his blessings for skill, knowledge, and righteous living in the year ahead.
Chitragupta: the divine accountant and the chalisa that honours him
Lord Chitragupta occupies a distinctive and philosophically rich place in the Hindu cosmological order as the meticulous keeper of every soul's karmic ledger, recording deeds with an impartiality that no earthly court can match. The tradition holds that he is the deity who both witnesses and accounts for the full spectrum of human action, and his worship carries with it an implicit invitation to self-examination - to live with the awareness that one's choices matter and are seen. The Chitragupt Chalisa belongs to the rich popular tradition of forty-verse hymns that make devotional access to complex theological realities available to ordinary householders through the medium of simple, memorisable verse. It is particularly beloved in the Kayastha community, for whom Chitragupta holds the significance of a clan deity and ancestral patron.
The chalisa is traditionally recited on Chitragupta Puja, observed on the second day after Diwali in the month of Kartik, when devotees offer worship to him along with their books, pens, and tools of livelihood - a beautiful gesture acknowledging that honest labour itself is a form of dharmic offering. Devotees believe that sincere recitation of this chalisa brings clarity of conscience, fairness in dealings, success in professional and legal matters, and the removal of karmic burdens accumulated through past actions. In the Jyotish tradition, Chitragupta's role as the recorder of karma connects naturally to Saturn's domain of accountability and consequence, and his worship is considered supportive for those seeking to make peace with the weight of past actions and begin afresh with greater integrity.