श्री कृष्ण चालीसा

बंशी शोभित कर मधुर नील जलद तन श्याम।

His sweet hands are adorned with a flute, and his dark body is like a blue lotus.

अरुण अधर जनु बिम्बफल नयन कमल अभिराम॥

His lips are red like the bimba fruit, and his eyes are beautiful like lotuses.

पूर्ण इन्द्र अरविन्द मुख पीताम्बर शुभ साज।

His face is like the full moon and a blooming lotus, and he is auspiciously adorned in yellow silk.

जय मनमोहन मदन छवि कृष्णचन्द्र महाराज॥

Glory to the mind-enchanting King Krishnachandra, whose beauty surpasses that of Cupid.

जय यदुनंदन जय जगवंदन।
जय वसुदेव देवकी नन्दन॥

Glory to the son of Yadu who is revered by the world; glory to the son of Vasudeva and Devaki.

जय यशुदा सुत नन्द दुलारे।
जय प्रभु भक्तन के दृग तारे॥

Glory to the son of Yashoda and the darling of Nanda; glory to Krishna ji who is the star of their people's eyes.

जय नटनागर नाग नथइया।
कृष्ण कन्हैया धेनु चरैया॥

Glory to the supreme dancer who subdued the Kaliya serpent; O Krishna Kanhaiya, the herder of cows.

पुनि नख पर प्रभु गिरिवर धारो।
आओ दीनन कष्ट निवारो॥

O Krishna ji, You held the great mountain on Your fingernail; please come and remove the sorrows of the destitute.

वंशी मधुर अधर धरि टेरौ।
होवे पूर्ण मनोरथ मेरो॥

Place the sweet flute to Your lips and play it, so that my desires may be completely fulfilled.

आओ हरि पुनि माखन चाखो।
आज लाज भक्तन की राखो॥

Come, O Hari, and taste the butter once again; protect the honour of your own today.

गोल कपोल, चिबुक अरुणारे।
मृदु मुस्कान मोहिनी डारे॥

Your cheeks are round, Your chin is reddish, and Your gentle smile casts a spell of enchantment.

रंजित राजिव नयन विशाला।
मोर मुकुट वैजन्तीमाला॥

Your large eyes are like beautiful lotuses, and You wear a peacock-feather crown and the Vaijayanti garland.

कुंडल श्रवण, पीत पट आछे।
कटि किंकिणी काछन काछे॥

Earrings adorn Your ears, You wear fine yellow garments, and a waistband of tinkling bells is tied around Your waist.

नील जलज सुन्दर तनु सोहे।
छबि लखि, सुर नर मुनि मन मोहे॥

Your beautiful body shines like a blue lotus; seeing Your murti, the minds of gods, men, and sages are captivated.

मस्तक तिलक अलक घुँघराले।
आओ कृष्ण बांसुरी वाले॥

Your forehead bears a tilak and Your hair is curly; please come, O Krishna, the flute-player.

करि पय पान, पूतनहि तार्यो।
अका बका कागासुर मार्यो॥

By drinking her milk, You liberated Putana; You also killed the asuras Aghasura, Bakasura, and Kagasura.

मधुवन जलत अगिन जब ज्वाला।
भै शीतल लखतहिं नंदलाला॥

When the Madhuvan forest was burning with fierce flames, it became cool the moment it saw You, O Nandalaal.

सुरपति जब ब्रज चढ़्यो रिसाई।
मूसर धार वारि वर्षाई॥

When the king of gods angrily attacked Braj, he poured down torrential rain.

लगत लगत व्रज चहन बहायो।
गोवर्धन नख धारि बचायो॥

When Braj was on the verge of being washed away, You saved it by lifting the Govardhan mountain on Your nail.

लखि यसुदा मन भ्रम अधिकाई।
मुख मंह चौदह भुवन दिखाई॥

Seeing mother Yashoda's mind filled with great confusion, You showed her the fourteen worlds within Your mouth.

दुष्ट कंस अति उधम मचायो।
कोटि कमल जब फूल मंगायो॥

When the wicked Kamsa caused great turmoil, he demanded ten million lotus flowers.

नाथि कालियहिं तब तुम लीन्हें।
चरण चिह्न दै निर्भय कीन्हें॥

Then You subdued the Kaliya serpent, leaving Your footprints on him and making him fearless.

करि गोपिन संग रास विलासा।
सबकी पूरण करी अभिलाषा॥

Performing the joyful Raas dance with the Gopis, You fulfilled the desires of everyone.

केतिक महा असुर संहार्यो।
कंसहि केस पकड़ि दै मार्यो॥

You destroyed countless great asuras, and You killed Kamsa by grabbing him by the hair.

मात पिता की बन्दि छुड़ाई।
उग्रसेन कहँ राज दिलाई॥

You freed Your parents from captivity and restored the kingdom to Ugrasena.

महि से मृतक छहों सुत लायो।
मातु देवकी शोक मिटायो॥

You brought back the six dead sons from the earth, thereby erasing mother Devaki's grief.

भौमासुर मुर दैत्य संहारी।
लाये षट दश सहसकुमारी॥

Slaying the asuras Bhaumasura and Mura, You rescued the sixteen thousand princesses.

दै भीमहि तृण चीर सहारा।
जरासिन्धु राक्षस कहं मारा॥

By tearing a blade of grass to give a hint to Bhima, You caused the death of the asura Jarasandha.

असुर बकासुर आदिक मार्यो।
भक्तन के तब कष्ट निवार्यो॥

You killed asuras like Bakasura and others, thereby removing the troubles of your own.

दीन सुदामा के दुःख टार्यो।
तंदुल तीन मूंठ मुख डार्यो॥

You removed the sorrow of poor Sudama by tossing three handfuls of his dry rice into Your mouth.

प्रेम के साग विदुर घर माँगे।
दुर्योधन के मेवा त्यागे॥

You lovingly asked for simple greens at Vidura's house, rejecting the rich dry fruits of Duryodhana.

लखी प्रेम की महिमा भारी।
ऐसे श्याम दीन हितकारी॥

Seeing the immense glory of love, such is Shyam ji, the benefactor of the destitute.

भारत के पारथ रथ हाँके।
लिये चक्र कर नहिं बल थाके॥

You drove the chariot of Partha in the Mahabharata war, and holding the discus in Your hand, Your strength never tired.

निज गीता के ज्ञान सुनाए।
भक्तन हृदय सुधा वर्षाए॥

You imparted the wisdom of Your Gita, raining nectar into the hearts of your own.

मीरा थी ऐसी मतवाली।
विष पी गई बजाकर ताली॥

Mirabai was so intoxicated with devotion that she drank poison while clapping her hands in joy.

राणा भेजा साँप पिटारी।
शालीग्राम बने बनवारी॥

When the Rana sent a basket with a snake, You, O Banvari, turned it into a Shaligram stone.

निज माया तुम विधिहि दिखायो।
उर ते संशय सकल मिटायो॥

You revealed Your divine illusion to Brahma, erasing all doubts from his heart.

तब शत निन्दा करि तत्काला।
जीवन मुक्त भयो शिशुपाला॥

When Shishupala immediately hurled a hundred insults at You, he was liberated from life by You.

जबहिं द्रौपदी टेर लगाई।
दीनानाथ लाज अब जाई॥

When Draupadi called out to You, crying, "O lord of the destitute, my honour is now being lost!"

तुरतहि वसन बने नंदलाला।
बढ़े चीर भै अरि मुँह काला॥

Instantly, You, O Nandalaal, became her garments; the cloth kept extending, and the enemies' faces were blackened in defeat.

अस अनाथ के नाथ कन्हइया।
डूबत भंवर बचावत नैया॥

Such is Kanhaiya, the lord of the orphans, who saves the sinking boat from the whirlpool.

सुन्दरदास आस उर धारी।
दया दृष्टि कीजै बनवारी॥

Sundardas holds this hope in his heart: please cast a glance of compassion upon me, O Banvari.

नाथ सकल मम कुमति निवारो।
क्षमहु बेगि अपराध हमारो॥

O Krishna ji, remove all my wicked thoughts and quickly forgive my offenses.

खोलो पट अब दर्शन दीजै।
बोलो कृष्ण कन्हइया की जै॥

Open the doors now and grant me Your divine vision; everyone say, "Glory to Krishna Kanhaiya!"

यह चालीसा कृष्ण का पाठ करै उर धारि।

Whoever recites this Chalisa of Krishna, holding it in their heart,

अष्ट सिद्धि नवनिधि फल लहै पदारथ चारि॥

Will attain the eight perfections, the nine treasures, and the four ultimate goals of life.