बाल समय रवि भक्षि लियो तब, तीनहुँ लोक भयो अँधियारो।
ताहि सों त्रास भयो जग को, यह संकट काहु सों जात न टारो॥
देवन आनि करी बिनती तब, छाँड़ि दियो रवि कष्ट निवारो।
को नहिं जानत है जग में कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥१॥
Bal samay ravi bhakshi liyo tab, tinahun lok bhayo andhiyaro
Tahi son tras bhayo jag ko, yah sankat kahu son jat na taro
Devan aani kari binati tab, chhandi diyo ravi kasht nivaro
Ko nahin janat hai jag mein kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo (1)
बालि की त्रास कपीस बसै गिरि, जात महाप्रभु पंथ निहारो।
चौंकि महा मुनि साप दियो तब, चाहिय कौन बिचार बिचारो।
कै द्विज रूप लिवाय महाप्रभु, सो तुम दास के सोक निवारो।
को नहिं जानत है जग में कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥२॥
(eight verses, each ending with the refrain 'Ko nahin janat hai jag mein kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo' — recalling Hanuman swallowing the sun, finding Sita, burning Lanka, bringing the Sanjivani, cutting Indrajit's serpent-noose and defeating Ahiravana; closing Doha: Lal deh lali lase... jai jai jai kapi sur)
अंगद के संग लेन गए सिय, खोज कपीस यह बैन उचारो।
जीवत ना बचिहौ हम सो जु, बिना सुधि लाय इहाँ पगु धारो।
हेरि थके तट सिन्धु सबै तब, लाय सिया-सुधि प्राण उबारो।
को नहिं जानत है जग में कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥३॥
रावण त्रास दई सिय को सब, राक्षसि सों कहि सोक निवारो।
ताहि समय हनुमान महाप्रभु, जाय महा रजनीचर मारो।
चाहत सीय असोक सों आगि सु, दै प्रभुमुद्रिका सोक निवारो।
को नहिं जानत है जग में कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥४॥
बान लग्यो उर लछिमन के तब, प्राण तजे सुत रावन मारो।
लै गृह बैद्य सुषेन समेत, तबै गिरि द्रोण सु बीर उपारो।
आनि सजीवन हाथ दई तब, लछिमन के तुम प्रान उबारो।
को नहिं जानत है जग में कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥५॥
रावन जुद्ध अजान कियो तब, नाग कि फाँस सबै सिर डारो।
श्रीरघुनाथ समेत सबै दल, मोह भयो यह संकट भारो।
आनि खगेस तबै हनुमान जु, बंधन काटि सुत्रास निवारो।
को नहिं जानत है जग में कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥६॥
बंधु समेत जबै अहिरावन, लै रघुनाथ पताल सिधारो।
देबिहिं पूजि भली बिधि सों बलि, देउ सबै मिलि मंत्र बिचारो।
जाय सहाय भयो तब ही, अहिरावन सैन्य समेत सँहारो।
को नहिं जानत है जग में कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥७॥
काज किए बड़ देवन के तुम, बीर महाप्रभु देखि बिचारो।
कौन सो संकट मोर गरीब को, जो तुमसों नहिं जात है टारो।
बेगि हरो हनुमान महाप्रभु, जो कछु संकट होय हमारो।
को नहिं जानत है जग में कपि, संकटमोचन नाम तिहारो॥८॥
॥ दोहा ॥
लाल देह लाली लसे, अरु धरि लाल लंगूर।
बज्र देह दानव दलन, जय जय जय कपि सूर॥
As a child you swallowed the sun and all three worlds went dark; the world was terrified and no one could undo that crisis — until the gods prayed and you released the sun and removed the calamity. Who in the world does not know, O Hanuman, that your name is Sankatmochan, the Remover of Troubles? The verses go on to recall each of your great rescues in the Ramayana: lifting the curse-born sorrow on Rishyamuka; crossing the ocean to find Sita when the other monkeys despaired on the shore, saving their lives with news of her; comforting Sita in the Ashoka grove and giving her Rama's ring; bringing the whole Dronagiri mountain with its Sanjivani herb to revive the fallen Lakshmana; cutting the serpent-noose (nagpash) that had bound Rama and the entire army, with the help of Garuda, king of birds; and following Rama into the netherworld to destroy Ahiravana and his army. Having recalled all this, the devotee pleads: you who did such great deeds for the gods — what trouble of a poor soul like me could you not remove? Quickly take away, O great lord Hanuman, whatever difficulty is mine. The closing couplet salutes him: red-bodied, glowing red, with a red tail, his body like a thunderbolt, crusher of demon hordes — victory, victory, victory to the mighty monkey hero.
The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Ashtak (“eight verses to the remover of troubles”) is a beloved Awadhi-Hindi hymn by Tulsidas, the poet of the Ramcharitmanas. Each of its eight verses recalls a moment in the Ramayana when Hanuman lifted an impossible crisis — and each ends with the same refrain: “Ko nahin janat hai jag mein kapi, Sankatmochan naam tiharo” — “Who in the world does not know, O Hanuman, that your name is the Remover of Troubles?”
It moves through his life’s great rescues: swallowing the sun as a child and releasing it, finding Sita across the ocean, burning Lanka, bringing the Sanjivani herb to revive Lakshmana, cutting the serpent-noose of Indrajit, and defeating Ahiravana in the netherworld. After reciting all these, the devotee asks simply: if you solved all of these, what trouble of mine could you not also remove?
Hanuman is the deity of strength, courage and selfless service, and the Sankat Mochan Ashtak is the hymn of rescue itself. Its logic is a devotee’s comfort: the one who solved every crisis in the Ramayana is more than able to solve this one.
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