The Hanumat Pancharatnam is a compact hymn to Hanuman, the son of the Wind and the devoted servant of Rama. Pancharatnam means five gems, and the five verses are the gems, each one a small portrait. The printed edition this text comes from attributes it to Adi Shankaracharya. Scholars debate which stotras are truly his, so it is wise to treat that as a traditional attribution.
The verses do not narrate a story at length. They look at Hanuman in turn: his freedom from craving, his tears of joy, his face glowing like the early sun, his lotus-like eyes, his lips like the red bimba fruit, and his role as the one who brought comfort to Sita and made Rama’s greatness known. A sixth verse states the benefit that the text claims for reading it.
On this page each verse appears in Devanagari with a simple transliteration and a meaning in plain English, followed by notes on recitation, tradition and pronunciation. Many devotees turn to Hanuman on Hanuman Jayanti, and dates are given there each year.
The text, transliteration and meaning
Five verses describe Hanuman, and the sixth speaks of the result of reading them.
Verse 1
वीताखिलविषयेच्छं
जातानन्दाश्रुपुलकमत्यच्छम् ।
सीतापतिदूताद्यं
वातात्मजमद्य भावये हृद्यम् ॥
Vitakhilavishayechchham
Jatanandashrupulakamatyachchham
Sitapatidutadyam
Vatatmajamadya bhavaye hridyam
MeaningToday I meditate on the dear son of the Wind: free of every wish for the objects of the senses, his body moved by tears of joy and a thrill of hair standing on end, utterly pure, the first among the messengers of Sita's husband.
Verse 2
तरुणारुणमुखकमलं
करुणारसपूरपूरितापाङ्गम् ।
सजीवनमाशासे
मञ्जुलमहिमानमञ्जनाभाग्यम् ॥
Tarunarunamukhakamalam
Karunarasapurapuritapangam
Sajivanamashase
Manjulamahimanamanjanabhagyam
MeaningHis lotus face is like the young morning sun, and the corners of his eyes are full of a flood of compassion. I long for the grace of that charming, glorious one, the life-giving fortune of Anjana.
Verse 3
शम्बरवैरिशरातिग-
मम्बुजदलविपुललोचनोदारम् ।
कम्बुगलमनिलदिष्टं
बिम्बज्वलितोष्ठमेकमवलम्बे ॥
Shambaravairisharatiga-
Mambujadalavipulalochanodaram
Kambugalamaniladishtam
Bimbajvalitoshthamekamavalambe
MeaningBeyond the reach of the arrows of Kama, wide-eyed like lotus petals and generous, with a neck like a conch and born of the Wind's gift, his lips shining like the bimba fruit: that one I take as my support.
Verse 4
दूरीकृतसीतार्तिः
प्रकटीकृतरामवैभवस्फूर्तिः ।
दारितदशमुखकीर्तिः
पुरतो मम भातु हनुमतो मूर्तिः ॥
Durikritasitartih
Prakatikritaramavaibhavasphurtih
Daritadashamukhakirtih
Purato mama bhatu hanumato murtih
MeaningHe removed the distress of Sita, made plain the glory and greatness of Rama, and tore down the fame of the ten-headed Ravana. May the form of Hanuman shine before me.
Verse 5
वानरनिकराध्यक्षं
दानवकुलकुमुदरविकरसदृशम् ।
दीनजनावनदीक्षं
पवनतपः पाकपुञ्जमद्राक्षम् ॥
Vanaranikaradhyaksham
Danavakulakumudaravikarasadrisham
Dinajanavanadiksham
Pavanatapah pakapunjamadraksham
MeaningLeader of the host of monkeys, like the rays of the sun to the night lily of the demon clan, pledged to protect the afflicted: I have seen him, the ripened store of the Wind's own austerity.
Benefit verse
एतत्पवनसुतस्य
स्तोत्रं यः पठति पञ्चरत्नाख्यम् ।
चिरमिह निखिलान्भोगा-
न्भुक्त्वा श्रीरामभक्तिभाग्भवति ॥
Etatpavanasutasya
Stotram yah pathati pancharatnakhyam
Chiramiha nikhilanbhoga-
Nbhuktva shriramabhaktibhagbhavati
MeaningThe text says that whoever reads this hymn of five gems to the son of the Wind, after enjoying all pleasures here for a long time, becomes a sharer in devotion to Shri Rama. This is the hymn's own claim of benefit.
Text: Sanskrit Wikisource, page “हनुमत्पञ्चरत्नम्” (a transcription of the printed book शङ्कराचार्यविरचितानि स्तोत्राणि (द्वितीयः भागः), pages 13 to 14). Transliteration is simplified; meanings are our own. Verse numbers appear as labels above each verse.
When and how it is traditionally recited
Hanuman is often approached on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and many devotees read his hymns in the early morning after a bath, before a small lamp or a picture of Hanuman. The Pancharatnam is brief enough to be read in a couple of minutes, so it is a common companion to longer works for people short of time.
At Hanuman Jayanti, temples often hold group readings. Some devotees offer red flowers or sindoor, while others simply sit in silence for a moment afterwards. All of this is custom, not rule, and it varies by region and family.
There is no standard count. People read it once, three times, or five times to match the five gems, and some prefer to sing it softly. Follow the habit of your own household or teacher.
What the tradition says it is for
Tradition holds Hanuman up as the model of selfless service and devotion: strong, humble and fully given to Rama. The first verse stresses exactly this: he is free of wishes for sense pleasures, and joy at the thought of Rama makes him weep.
The final verse describes the result of reading the hymn as long enjoyment of pleasures in this life and then a share in devotion to Rama. As the text’s own claim, it is best read as saying that the real reward is devotion, with ordinary comfort as a side. It is not a guarantee, and nothing here replaces medical, legal or financial advice.
Pronunciation notes
The hymn is rhymed in short lines, so the sounds matter. Give long vowels about twice the time of short ones: Hanumat has a short first u, while vata and vanara have long a in the first syllable. The sh in shara and shambara is soft, as in “shin”.
Take care with the aspirates in words such as dhara and bhava, where a puff of breath follows. A final m, as in hridyam, hums gently. Several lines run long compounds together, such as vanaranikaradhyaksham; read them in small parts at first and then join them, and listening to a trusted recitation will help.
Related mantras and pages
- Hanuman Jayanti: the festival honouring Hanuman
- Achyutashtakam: a hymn of names to Krishna and Rama
- Krishnashtakam: another stotra attributed to the same tradition
- Ram Navami: the festival of Rama, whom Hanuman serves
- All mantras, stotras, chalisas and aartis
Frequently asked questions
↳ What does Pancharatnam mean?
Pancha means five and ratna means gem. A pancharatnam is a hymn of five verses, each thought of as a jewel. Here the five gems are portraits of Hanuman, followed by a verse on benefit.
↳ Who composed the Hanumat Pancharatnam?
The printed edition it comes from attributes it to Adi Shankaracharya. Scholars debate which stotras he wrote, so it is held as a traditional attribution.
↳ Is the Hanumat Pancharatnam the same as the Hanuman Chalisa?
No. The Chalisa is a forty-verse poem in Hindi, while the Pancharatnam is a short Sanskrit hymn of five verses with one more verse on its benefit.
↳ When is it usually read?
Many devotees read it on Tuesdays and Saturdays, or on Hanuman Jayanti. It is also read at any quiet moment, as customs differ by region and family.
↳ What does the last verse say?
It says that one who reads the hymn will enjoy pleasures here for a long time and then share in devotion to Rama. This is the text's own statement, and tradition takes devotion as the real aim.