About this stotra
The Hanuman Ashtakam is an eight-verse hymn composed by Achyuta, a disciple of Madhusūdana Sarasvatī, the celebrated 16th-century Advaita master. Addressed to Hanumān as the embodiment of compassion (dayāghana, "cloud of mercy"), the hymn is a heartfelt appeal from a soul caught in the sorrows of worldly existence—likened to a burning forest, a deep well, and an ocean of suffering.
Each verse concludes with the same refrain: a plea for the gift of servitude at Hanumān's lotus feet (svapadāmbuja-dāsyam). This repeated prayer reflects the devotee's single-pointed longing for refuge through surrender. The imagery is vivid—attachment to family and possessions is called the "form of sin," while past merit alone enables one to turn toward the Lord's servant. The closing verse promises that whoever recites this aṣṭakam will attain residence at the lotus feet of the eternal Lord Rāma.
Regular recitation is said to destroy all misfortunes and grant the supreme blessing of dwelling forever in devoted service to Śrī Rāma.
Hanuman Ashtakam lyrics and meaning
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Verse 1
श्रीरघुराजपदाब्जनिकेतन पङ्कजलोचन मङ्गलराशे
चण्डमहाभुजदण्ड सुरारिविखण्डनपण्डित पाहि दयालो ।
पातकिनं च समुद्धर मां महतां हि सतामपि मानमुदारं
त्वां भजतो मम देहि दयाघन हे हनुमन् स्वपदाम्बुजदास्यम् ॥ 1 ॥
śrīraghurājapadābjanikētana paṅkajalōchana maṅgaḻarāśē
chaṇḍamahābhujadaṇḍa surārivikhaṇḍanapaṇḍita pāhi dayāḻō ।
pātakinaṃ cha samuddhara māṃ mahatāṃ hi satāmapi mānamudāraṃ
tvāṃ bhajatō mama dēhi dayāghana hē hanuman svapadāmbujadāsyam ॥ 1 ॥
You who dwell at the lotus feet of Śrī Raghu-rāja, O lotus-eyed treasury of all auspiciousness, O wise one with fierce mighty arms that shatter the enemy-gods, O compassionate one — lift up this sinner. For the honor of the great and the virtuous is ever magnanimous. O Hanumān, cloud of compassion, grant me servitude at your lotus feet, to me who worship you. (1)
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Verse 2
संसृतितापमहानलदग्धतनूरुहमर्मतनोरतिवेलं
पुत्रधनस्वजनात्मगृहादिषु सक्तमतेरतिकिल्बिषमूर्तेः ।
केनचिदप्यमलेन पुराकृतपुण्यसुपुञ्जलवेन विभो वै
त्वां भजतो मम देहि दयाघन हे हनुमन् स्वपदाम्बुजदास्यम् ॥ 2 ॥
saṃsṛtitāpamahānaladagdhatanūruhamarmatanōrativēlaṃ
putradhanasvajanātmagṛhādiṣu saktamatēratikilbiṣamūrtēḥ ।
kēnachidapyamalēna purākṛtapuṇyasupuñjalavēna vibhō vai
tvāṃ bhajatō mama dēhi dayāghana hē hanuman svapadāmbujadāsyam ॥ 2 ॥
My body's hairs are scorched beyond endurance by the great fire of worldly suffering; my mind is attached to sons, wealth, kinsmen, body, home and the like — ensnared in its sinful form. Yet by some tiny spark of merit accumulated in the past by some holy being — O Lord, O Hanumān, cloud of compassion, grant me servitude at your lotus feet, to me who worship you. (2)
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Verse 3
संसृतिकूपमनल्पमघोरनिदाघनिदानमजस्रमशेषं
प्राप्य सुदुःखसहस्रभुजङ्गविषैकसमाकुलसर्वतनोर्मे ।
घोरमहाकृपणापदमेव गतस्य हरे पतितस्य भवाब्धौ
त्वां भजतो मम देहि दयाघन हे हनुमन् स्वपदाम्बुजदास्यम् ॥ 3 ॥
saṃsṛtikūpamanalpamaghōranidāghanidānamajasramaśēṣaṃ
prāpya suduḥkhasahasrabhujaṅgaviṣaikasamākulasarvatanōrmē ।
ghōramahākṛpaṇāpadamēva gatasya harē patitasya bhavābdhau
tvāṃ bhajatō mama dēhi dayāghana hē hanuman svapadāmbujadāsyam ॥ 3 ॥
I have fallen into the fathomless, terrible, incessant well of worldly existence — the boundless root of all affliction — and my entire body writhes with the venom of a thousand-armed serpent of acute sorrow. A miserable wretch gone to ruin, fallen into the ocean of rebirth — O Hanumān, cloud of compassion, grant me servitude at your lotus feet, to me who worship you. (3)
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Verse 4
संसृतिसिन्धुविशालकरालमहाबलकालझषग्रसनार्तं
व्यग्रसमग्रधियं कृपणं च महामदनक्रसुचक्रहृतासुम् ।
कालमहारसनोर्मिनिपीडितमुद्धर दीनमनन्यगतिं मां
त्वां भजतो मम देहि दयाघन हे हनुमन् स्वपदाम्बुजदास्यम् ॥ 4 ॥
saṃsṛtisindhuviśālakarālamahābalakālajhaṣagrasanārtaṃ
vyagrasamagradhiyaṃ kṛpaṇaṃ cha mahāmadanakrasuchakrahṛtāsum ।
kālamahārasanōrminipīḍitamuddhara dīnamananyagatiṃ māṃ
tvāṃ bhajatō mama dēhi dayāghana hē hanuman svapadāmbujadāsyam ॥ 4 ॥
I am tormented by the great fierce fish of Time in the vast and terrifying ocean of worldly existence, my mind distracted and distressed; the mighty whirlpool of passion has robbed me of my very life-breath. O Hari, lift me up — wretched, with no other refuge, oppressed by the crushing waves of all-consuming Time — O Hanumān, cloud of compassion, grant me servitude at your lotus feet, to me who worship you. (4)
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Verse 5
संसृतिघोरमहागहने चरतो मणिरञ्जितपुण्यसुमूर्तेः
मन्मथभीकरघोरमहोग्रमृगप्रवरार्दितगात्रसुसन्धेः ।
मत्सरतापविशेषनिपीडितबाह्यमतेश्च कथं चिदमेयं
त्वां भजतो मम देहि दयाघन हे हनुमन् स्वपदाम्बुजदास्यम् ॥ 5 ॥
saṃsṛtighōramahāgahanē charatō maṇirañjitapuṇyasumūrtēḥ
manmathabhīkaraghōramahōgramṛgapravarārditagātrasusandhēḥ ।
matsaratāpaviśēṣanipīḍitabāhyamatēścha kathaṃ chidamēyaṃ
tvāṃ bhajatō mama dēhi dayāghana hē hanuman svapadāmbujadāsyam ॥ 5 ॥
Wandering in this terrifying dense forest of worldly existence, my body adorned with gems of virtue yet torn asunder by the ferocious beast of desire — my outward mind tormented by the burning affliction of envy — O Hanumān, cloud of compassion, grant me servitude at your lotus feet, to me who worship you. (5)
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Verse 6
संसृतिवृक्षमनेकशताघनिदानमनन्तविकर्मसुशाखं
दुःखफलं करणादिपलाशमनङ्गसुपुष्पमचिन्त्यसुमूलम् ।
तं ह्यधिरुह्य हरे पतितं शरणागतमेव विमोचय मूढं
त्वां भजतो मम देहि दयाघन हे हनुमन् स्वपदाम्बुजदास्यम् ॥ 6 ॥
saṃsṛtivṛkṣamanēkaśatāghanidānamanantavikarmasuśākhaṃ
duḥkhaphalaṃ karaṇādipalāśamanaṅgasupuṣpamachintyasumūlam ।
taṃ hyadhiruhya harē patitaṃ śaraṇāgatamēva vimōchaya mūḍhaṃ
tvāṃ bhajatō mama dēhi dayāghana hē hanuman svapadāmbujadāsyam ॥ 6 ॥
The tree of worldly existence has hundreds of roots of countless sins, infinite branches of evil deeds, fruit of suffering, leaves of the senses, blossoms of passion — its root inconceivable. Climbing this tree, I fell, O Hari — deliver me who have come to you as refuge, a fool who has fallen. O Hanumān, cloud of compassion, grant me servitude at your lotus feet, to me who worship you. (6)
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Verse 7
संसृतिपन्नगवक्त्रभयङ्करदंष्ट्रमहाविषदग्धशरीरं
प्राणविनिर्गमभीतिसमाकुलमन्दमनाथमतीव विषण्णम् ।
मोहमहाकुहरे पतितं दययोद्धर मामजितेन्द्रियकामं
त्वां भजतो मम देहि दयाघन हे हनुमन् स्वपदाम्बुजदास्यम् ॥ 7 ॥
saṃsṛtipannagavaktrabhayaṅkaradaṃṣṭramahāviṣadagdhaśarīraṃ
prāṇavinirgamabhītisamākulamandamanāthamatīva viṣaṇṇam ।
mōhamahākuharē patitaṃ dayayōddhara māmajitēndriyakāmaṃ
tvāṃ bhajatō mama dēhi dayāghana hē hanuman svapadāmbujadāsyam ॥ 7 ॥
My body scorched by the terrible poison of the serpent of worldly existence, filled with fear as life departs, utterly slothful, masterless, and deeply despondent — fallen into the great cave of delusion, a slave to ungoverned senses and desire — O Hanumān, with your compassion lift me up. O cloud of compassion, grant me servitude at your lotus feet, to me who worship you. (7)
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Verse 8
इन्द्रियनामकचोरगणैर्हृततत्त्वविवेकमहाधनराशिं
संसृतिजालनिपातितमेव महाबलिभिश्च विखण्डितकायम् ।
त्वत्पदपद्ममनुत्तममाश्रितमाशु कपीश्वर पाहि कृपालो
त्वां भजतो मम देहि दयाघन हे हनुमन् स्वपदाम्बुजदास्यम् ॥ 8 ॥
indriyanāmakachōragaṇairhṛtatattvavivēkamahādhanarāśiṃ
saṃsṛtijālanipātitamēva mahābalibhiścha vikhaṇḍitakāyam ।
tvatpadapadmamanuttamamāśritamāśu kapīśvara pāhi kṛpāḻō
tvāṃ bhajatō mama dēhi dayāghana hē hanuman svapadāmbujadāsyam ॥ 8 ॥
The great wealth of discriminating knowledge has been stolen by the thieving band of the senses; I have been trapped in the net of worldly existence, my body torn apart by the mighty ones. I who have taken sole refuge at your matchless lotus feet — save me quickly, O Lord of monkeys, O compassionate one! O Hanumān, cloud of compassion, grant me servitude at your lotus feet, to me who worship you. (8)
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Verse 9
ब्रह्ममरुद्गणरुद्रमहेन्द्रकिरीटसुकोटिलसत्पदपीठं
दाशरथिं जपति क्षितिमण्डल एष निधाय सदैव हृदब्जे ।
तस्य हनूमत एव शिवङ्करमष्टकमेतदनिष्टहरं वै
यः सततं हि पठेत्स नरो लभतेऽच्युतरामपदाब्जनिवासम् ॥ 9 ॥
brahmamarudgaṇarudramahēndrakirīṭasukōṭilasatpadapīṭhaṃ
dāśarathiṃ japati kṣitimaṇḍala ēṣa nidhāya sadaiva hṛdabjē ।
tasya hanūmata ēva śivaṅkaramaṣṭakamētadaniṣṭaharaṃ vai
yaḥ satataṃ hi paṭhētsa narō labhatē'chyutarāmapadābjanivāsam ॥ 9 ॥
Brahmā, the Maruts, Rudra, Mahendra — their gem-studded diadems bow at the footstool of the son of Daśaratha (Rāma), whom all this earth-realm eternally enshrines in the lotus of the heart while ever repeating his name. This auspicious eightfold hymn of Hanumān, remover of all evil — whosoever recites it always shall attain dwelling at the lotus feet of Achyuta-Rāma. (9)
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Verse 10
इति श्री मधुसूदनाश्रम शिष्याऽच्युतविरचितं श्रीमद्दनुमदष्टकम् ।
iti śrī madhusūdanāśrama śiṣyā'chyutavirachitaṃ śrīmaddanumadaṣṭakam ।
Thus ends the Śrī Hanumad-aṣṭakam composed by Achyuta, disciple of Śrī Madhusūdanāśrama.
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