श्रीरामचन्द्र कृपालु भजु मन, हरण भवभय दारुणं।
नवकञ्ज लोचन कञ्जमुख कर कञ्ज पद कञ्जारुणं॥
Shri Ramchandra kripalu bhaju man, haran bhavbhay darunam
Navkanj lochan kanjmukh kar kanj pad kanjarunam
O mind, worship the compassionate Shri Ramachandra, who takes away the terrible fear of the cycle of birth and death. His eyes are like fresh lotuses, his face is a lotus, his hands are lotuses, and his feet are like red lotuses.
कन्दर्प अगणित अमित छबि, नवनील नीरद सुन्दरं।
पटपीत मानहुँ तड़ित रुचि शुचि, नौमि जनक सुतावरं॥
Kandarp aganit amit chhabi, navneel neerad sundaram
Patpeet manahun tadit ruchi shuchi, naumi Janak sutavaram
His beauty is beyond that of countless gods of love; he is lovely as a fresh dark-blue rain cloud. His yellow garment shines like pure lightning. I bow to him, the husband of Janaka's daughter.
भजु दीनबन्धु दिनेश दानव, दैत्यवंश निकन्दनं।
रघुनन्द आनन्दकन्द कोशलचन्द्र दशरथनन्दनं॥
Bhaju deenbandhu dinesh danav, daityavansh nikandanam
Raghunand anandkand Koshalchandra Dasharathnandanam
Worship the friend of the humble, radiant as the sun, who destroys the race of demons and giants. He is the joy of the Raghus, the root of bliss, the moon of Kosala, the son of Dasharatha.
सिर मुकुट कुण्डल तिलक चारू, उदारु अङ्ग विभूषणं।
आजानुभुज शर चापधर, सङ्ग्राम जित खरदूषणं॥
Sir mukut kundal tilak charu, udaru ang vibhushanam
Ajanubhuj shar chapdhar, sangram jit Khardushanam
On his head is a crown, in his ears earrings, and a beautiful tilak on his brow; his noble limbs are adorned with ornaments. His arms reach to his knees; he carries bow and arrows; he conquered Khara and Dushana in battle.
इति वदति तुलसीदास, शङ्कर शेष मुनि मनरञ्जनं।
मम हृदयकञ्ज निवास कुरु, कामादि खलदल गञ्जनं॥
Iti vadati Tulsidas, Shankar Shesh muni manranjanam
Mam hridaykanj nivas kuru, kamadi khaldal ganjanam
Thus speaks Tulsidas: O delight of the hearts of Shankara, Shesha and the sages, make your home in the lotus of my heart, and destroy the wicked army of desire and the other vices.
मनु जाहिं राचेउ मिलिहि सो बरु, सहज सुन्दर साँवरो।
करुना निधान सुजान सीलु, सनेहु जानत रावरो॥
Manu jahin racheu milihi so baru, sahaj sundar sanvaro
Karuna nidhan sujan seelu, sanehu janat ravaro
(Gauri blesses Sita:) The groom on whom your heart is set, naturally beautiful and dark, will be yours. He is an ocean of compassion and all-knowing; he knows your goodness and your love.
एहि भाँति गौरि असीस सुनि, सिय सहित हियँ हरषीं अली।
तुलसी भवानिहि पूजि पुनि पुनि, मुदित मन मन्दिर चली॥
Ehi bhanti Gauri asees suni, Siya sahit hiyan harshin ali
Tulsi Bhavanihi pooji puni puni, mudit man mandir chali
Hearing Gauri's blessing in this way, Sita and her companions rejoiced in their hearts. Says Tulsi: worshipping Bhavani again and again, Sita returned to the palace with a joyful heart.
जानि गौरि अनुकूल सिय, हिय हरषु न जाइ कहि।
मंजुल मंगल मूल, बाम अंग फरकन लगे॥
Jani Gauri anukool Siya, hiya harshu na jai kahi
Manjul mangal mool, bam ang pharkan lage
Knowing that Gauri was pleased with her, Sita felt a joy in her heart that cannot be described, and her left side, the seat of all things lovely and auspicious, began to throb, a good omen.
The hymn is sung as Rama's aarti in homes and temples, at the end of Ramayana and Sundar Kand recitations, on Rama Navami, Vivah Panchami and Diwali, and at the Ramlila. Its rich Sanskritised language and lotus imagery make it a favourite of classical and devotional singers.
Shri Ramchandra Kripalu Bhaju Man is a stuti (hymn of praise) to Rama by Goswami Tulsidas, found in his collection of devotional songs, the Vinaya Patrika (“letter of petition”). Written in a Sanskritised Awadhi rich with compound words, it is one of the most beautiful and musical of all hymns to Rama, and is sung as the aarti of Rama in homes and temples, at the close of the Ramayana recitation, on Rama Navami and at Ramlila.
The hymn is a meditation on Rama’s form: eyes, face, hands and feet like fresh lotuses, dark as a new rain cloud, dressed in yellow like lightning, crowned and garlanded, with arms reaching to his knees and holding bow and arrows. Each verse ends with a name of Rama: remover of the fear of rebirth, husband of Janaka’s daughter, son of Dasharatha, conqueror of Khara and Dushana. In the last verse Tulsidas asks Rama to make his home in the lotus of his heart and destroy the army of desire and the other vices.
Many singers continue the aarti with verses from the Bal Kand of the Ramcharitmanas, the blessing given by the goddess Gauri to Sita in the garden of Mithila: “The groom on whom your heart is set, naturally beautiful and dark, will be yours.” These are included below as verses 6 to 8.
The hymn is usually sung slowly in raga Yaman Kalyan or a similar evening raga, with the lamp waved before an image of Rama’s court (Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman). It is often followed by the chant “Siyavar Ramchandra ki jai“.
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