Mahavir Chalisa – Lyrics in Hindi, Meaning & Benefits
Mahavir Chalisa Lyrics (हिंदी में)
॥ दोहा ॥
सिद्ध समूह नमों सदा, अरु सुमरूं अरहन्त।
निर आकुल निर्वांच्छ हो, गए लोक के अंत॥
मंगलमय मंगल करन, वर्धमान महावीर।
तुम चिंतत चिंता मिटे, हरो सकल भव पीर॥
॥ चौपाई ॥
जय महावीर दया के सागर। तुम हो जगत के भव-भय-भागर॥
कुण्डलपुर में जन्म लिया था। सिद्धार्थ के घर सुख दिया था॥
त्रिशला माता कोख पले थे। तीस स्वप्न शुभ जिनसे मिले थे॥
इन्द्र ने महोत्सव था मनाया। तीनों लोकों ने यश गाया॥
बाल्यकाल में चमत्कार किये। देव दानव सब नत शिर हिये॥
नाम वर्धमान हुआ जाना। महावीर ने लिया पहचाना॥
तीस वर्ष राज में बिताये। माता पिता के गुण गाये॥
फिर लिया दीक्षा का संकल्प। संसार से किया विकल्प॥
केश लुंचन करके वन गये। अर्द्धनग्न तप में लगे॥
बारह वर्ष घोर तप साधा। लोहे का सा था मन बाधा॥
ऋजुकूला नदी के तीरे। बैठ ध्यान में लगे धीरे॥
केवलज्ञान तब हुआ प्राप्त। जगत की सब सत्ता हुई आप्त॥
देव मनुज सब द्वार पर आये। केवलज्ञान की ज्योति जगाये॥
समवसरण में बैठकर बोले। अहिंसा के द्वार सबने खोले॥
पंचमहाव्रत का दिया ज्ञान। संयम तप औ' अहिंसा मान॥
सत्य बोलो और असत्य छोड़ो। परिग्रह से मन को मोड़ो॥
ब्रह्मचर्य का पथ दिखाया। अपरिग्रह का मर्म बताया॥
गौतम स्वामी बने प्रमुख। इन्द्रभूति ने पाया सुख॥
स्त्री पुरुष सब शिष्य बनाये। द्वादशांग का उपदेश सुनाये॥
चतुर्विध संघ की स्थापना। भव्य जीवों की संगठना॥
तीस वर्ष तक धर्म प्रचारा। अहिंसा ही जगत का आधारा॥
जीव दया का पाठ पढ़ाया। जगत को मोक्ष पथ दिखाया॥
पावापुरी में दीप बुझाया। निर्वाण तब महावीर पाया॥
देवों ने मिलकर पर्व मनाया। दीपावली का उजास आया॥
अष्ट कर्म से सदा निपटे। आत्मा के बंधन कट जाते॥
नव तत्व का जो ज्ञान पाये। वो मोक्ष का पथ बना जाये॥
जिनवाणी जो भक्ति से पढ़े। उसके जीवन में सुख जुड़े॥
रोग शोक दारिद्र्य हरे। महावीर की महिमा बड़े॥
कलह कलेश कुटुम्ब से जाये। शत्रु शमित हो सुख उपजाये॥
पापकर्म सब ताप मिटाये। जन्म जन्म के बंधन जाये॥
शरण तुम्हारी लिये जो आये। चारों गति से वह पार जाये॥
संसार-सागर तिरा जाये। महावीर यश सुमर गाये॥
जय जय जय जिनेन्द्र महान। चारों ओर हो तेरा गुणगान॥
भक्त जनों को राखो मान। नमो नमो अरहन्त भगवान॥
॥ सोरठा ॥
करे पाठ चालीस दिन, नित चालीसहिं बार।
खेवै धूप सुगन्ध पढ़, श्री महावीर अगार॥
Mahavir Chalisa – Transliteration (English)
|| Doha ||
Siddha samūha namoṃ sadā, aru sumarūṃ arahant,
Nira ākul nirvāṃccha ho, gae lok ke aṃt.
Maṃgalmay maṃgal karan, vardhamān mahāvīr,
Tum ciṃtat ciṃtā miṭe, haro sakal bhav pīr.
|| Caupāī ||
Jay mahāvīr dayā ke sāgar, tum ho jagat ke bhav-bhay-bhāgar,
Kuṇḍalpur meṃ janm liyā thā, siddhārth ke ghar sukh diyā thā.
Triśalā mātā kokh pale the, tīs svapna śubh jinase mile the,
Indra ne mahotsav thā manāyā, tīnoṃ lokoṃ ne yaś gāyā.
Bālyakāl meṃ camatkār kiye, dev dānav sab nat śir hiye,
Nām vardhamān huā jānā, mahāvīr ne liyā pahacānā.
Tīs varṣ rāj meṃ bitāye, mātā pitā ke guṇ gāye,
Phir liyā dīkṣā kā saṃkalp, saṃsār se kiyā vikalp.
Keś luṃcan karake van gaye, ardhanagn tap meṃ lage,
Bārah varṣ ghor tap sādhā, lohe kā sā thā man bādhā.
Ṛjukūlā nadī ke tīre, baiṭh dhyān meṃ lage dhīre,
Kevalajñān tab huā prāpt, jagat kī sab sattā huī āpt.
Dev manuj sab dvār par āye, kevalajñān kī jyoti jagāye,
Samavasaraṇ meṃ baiṭhakar bole, ahiṃsā ke dvār sabane khole.
Paṃcamahāvrat kā diyā jñān, saṃyam tap au ahiṃsā mān,
Satya bolo aur asatya choṛo, parigrah se man ko moṛo.
Brahmacary kā path dikhāyā, aparigraha kā marm batāyā,
Gautam svāmī bane pramukh, indrabhaūti ne pāyā sukh.
Strī puruṣ sab śiṣya banāye, dvādaśāṃg kā upadeś sunāye,
Caturvidh saṃgh kī sthāpanā, bhavya jīvoṃ kī saṃgaṭhanā.
Tīs varṣ tak dharm pracārā, ahiṃsā hī jagat kā ādhārā,
Jīv dayā kā pāṭh paṛhāyā, jagat ko mokṣ path dikhāyā.
Pāvāpurī meṃ dīp bujhāyā, nirvāṇ tab mahāvīr pāyā,
Devoṃ ne milakar parv manāyā, dīpāvalī kā ujās āyā.
Aṣṭ karm se sadā nipaṭe, ātmā ke bandhan kaṭ jāte,
Nav tattv kā jo jñān pāye, vo mokṣ kā path banā jāye.
Jinavāṇī jo bhakti se paṛhe, uske jīvan meṃ sukh juṛe,
Rog śok dāridrya hare, mahāvīr kī mahimā baṛhe.
Kalah kleś kuṭumb se jāye, śatru śamit ho sukh upajāye,
Pāpakarm sab tāp miṭāye, janm janm ke bandhan jāye.
Śaraṇ tumhārī liye jo āye, cāroṃ gati se vah pār jāye,
Saṃsār-sāgar tirā jāye, mahāvīr yaś sumar gāye.
Jay jay jay jineṃdra mahān, cāroṃ or ho terā guṇagān,
Bhakta janoṃ ko rākho mān, namo namo arahant bhagavān.
|| Sorathā ||
Kare pāṭh cālīs din, nit cālīsahiṃ bār,
Khevai dhūp sugandh paṛh, śrī mahāvīr agār.
Meaning & Significance
The Mahavir Chalisa is a forty-verse devotional hymn in the Hindi chalisa tradition, dedicated to Lord Mahavira, the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara of the present cosmic cycle in Jainism. The opening doha salutes the collective of Siddhas (liberated souls) and Arihantas (enlightened ones free from attachment), establishing the Jain cosmological framework from the outset. The chaupais move through the entire arc of Mahavira's life - his miraculous birth to King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala in Kundalapur, his thirty years of princely life, his renunciation and twelve years of intense austerity, his attainment of Kevala Jnana (omniscience) on the banks of the Rijukula river, and finally his nirvana at Pavapuri. The closing soratha prescribes the recitation practice: forty days with forty repetitions each day, accompanied by incense, for the full spiritual benefit. The text is composed in straightforward Braj-influenced Hindi, accessible to lay Jain devotees.
About Bhagwan Mahavir Swami
Lord Mahavira (Vardhamana Mahavira) is the twenty-fourth Tirthankara of Jainism and is historically estimated to have lived between 599 BCE and 527 BCE, or by some scholarly accounts around 540–468 BCE. He was born in Kundagrama (modern Vaishali district, Bihar) to King Siddhartha of the Ikshvaku lineage and Queen Trishala. After thirty years of householder life, he renounced his kingdom and family, underwent twelve years of intensive ascetic practice including silence, fasting, and exposure to the elements, and attained omniscience (Kevala Jnana) at the age of forty-two. For the next thirty years he travelled across the Gangetic plains teaching the path of ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (celibacy), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness) - the Panchamahavratas. He established a four-fold sangha of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. He attained nirvana at Pavapuri in Bihar; the night of his nirvana is celebrated as Diwali by Jains. His teachings form the foundation of Jain philosophy and ethics.
Benefits of Reciting the Mahavir Chalisa
- Cultivates ahimsa (non-violence) as a living principle in thought, speech, and action
- Removes karma-related obstacles and purifies the soul through steady devotional practice
- Bestows clarity of mind, equanimity, and inner peace through meditation on Mahavira's qualities
- Removes disease, grief, and poverty when recited with sincere faith
- Promotes harmony in family relationships and protection from adversaries
- Guides the practitioner toward the path of liberation by keeping Mahavira's teachings alive in daily life
How to Recite (Vidhi)
- Bathe and wear clean white clothing, the colour associated with purity in Jain practice
- Set up a clean altar with a portrait or idol of Bhagwan Mahavira, facing east
- Offer fresh flowers, sandalwood paste, and incense as described in the closing soratha
- Begin with the Navkar Mantra before reciting the chalisa
- Recite the chalisa slowly, reflecting on each verse's meaning rather than rushing through the text
- Conclude with a moment of silent meditation and prostration before the altar
Best Day & Time to Recite
Mahavir Jayanti, which falls on the thirteenth day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra (March–April), is the most auspicious occasion for reciting the Mahavir Chalisa with extended devotion. The Paryushana Parva (Jain festival of forgiveness, August–September) is another highly sacred period. Daily recitation is best performed in the early morning between approximately 5:00 and 7:00 AM, when the mind is undisturbed. The closing soratha specifically recommends forty days of sustained practice for maximum spiritual benefit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Mahavir Chalisa a canonical Jain scripture?
The Mahavir Chalisa is not part of the canonical Jain Agamas (the ancient scriptural corpus). It is a devotional hymn in the popular chalisa format, composed in Hindi for lay devotees to use in daily worship. The canonical Jain scriptures include texts such as the Acharanga Sutra and the Kalpa Sutra; the chalisa belongs to the broader bhakti devotional literature tradition that grew alongside canonical texts.
Can people who are not Jain recite the Mahavir Chalisa?
The Mahavir Chalisa is a hymn of devotion to a great spiritual figure whose teachings on ahimsa (non-violence) and compassion are universally applicable. There is no restriction on who may recite it. Many Hindus and practitioners of other faiths who are moved by Mahavira's life and teachings recite this chalisa as part of their devotional practice, particularly on Mahavir Jayanti.
What is the difference between the Navkar Mantra and the Mahavir Chalisa?
The Navkar Mantra (Namokar Mantra) is the supreme prayer of Jainism, saluting the five supreme beings - Arihantas, Siddhas, Acharyas, Upadhyayas, and Sadhus - and is considered a canonical text recited by all Jain traditions. The Mahavir Chalisa is a later devotional composition specifically honouring Lord Mahavira's life and qualities in the forty-verse chalisa format. The two texts complement each other: the Navkar Mantra is typically recited before beginning the chalisa.
The Jina's path rendered in forty verses of devotion
The Mahavir Chalisa offers a devotional approach to Lord Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara of the Jain tradition, the great ford-maker whose life and teachings became the foundation of contemporary Jainism. Unlike devotional hymns addressed to theistic deities who intervene in human affairs, this Chalisa approaches Mahavira in the mode appropriate to the Jain understanding: he is the Arihant, the conqueror of the inner enemies of attachment and aversion, who serves as the supreme exemplar rather than a divine intervener. The forty verses honour his supreme omniscience (Keval Jnana), his tireless compassion, his establishment of the fourfold sangha, and the liberation (moksha) he attained. Reciting the Chalisa becomes an act of remembering and aspiring toward these qualities rather than petitioning for favours.
The Mahavir Chalisa holds special significance during Mahavir Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the Tirthankara celebrated with great ceremony in Jain communities across India and worldwide. It is also recited during Paryushana Parva, the most sacred period in the Jain calendar, a time of deep introspection, fasting, and forgiveness. Many Jain devotees incorporate the Chalisa into their daily Samayika practice, the period of meditative equanimity that forms a cornerstone of lay Jain observance. In this context, the hymn serves as a gentle anchor for the mind, directing it toward the qualities of the Jina and away from the distractions of everyday life - a beautifully practical form of devotional self-cultivation.