The Rahu Chalisa - the forty-verse hymn to Rahu Dev, the north lunar node (shadow planet), recited for relief from Rahu dosha and its troubles.
जय जय श्री राहु देव प्रभु, छाया ग्रह महाराज।
करहु कृपा निज दास पर, राखहु जन की लाज॥
जय जय श्री राहु सुखकारी। छाया ग्रह तुम जग में भारी॥
श्याम वरण तन शोभा न्यारी। सिंहिका सुत तुम बल के भारी॥
अर्ध शरीर तुम्हारा माना। शीश रूप जग में पहचाना॥
समुद्र मन्थन में तुम आये। अमृत पान छल से तुम पाये॥
सूर्य चन्द्र तुम्हें पहचाने। विष्णु चक्र से शीश कटाने॥
तब से ग्रहण तुम्हीं से होता। राहु ग्रसत रवि शशि जब सोता॥
राहु दोष जो कुण्डल माहीं। ध्यान धरे तेहि कष्ट न नाहीं॥
शनिवार जो पूजन कीजे। मन इच्छित वरदान सो लीजे॥
नीले वस्त्र नीले फूल चढ़ावे। उड़द दाल का भोग लगावे॥
गोमेद धारण जो जन कीजे। राहु की कृपा सो जन लीजे॥
अकस्मात संकट सब टारे। राहु देव जो शरण निहारे॥
भ्रम मोह सब दूर हो जावे। मानसिक शान्ति जन सो पावे॥
जो जन तुमको शीश नवावे। संकट से जन मुक्ति पावे॥
विदेश यात्रा सुख से होवे। राजनीति में जन यश पावे॥
शत्रु बाधा सब दूर हो जावे। अकस्मात भय जन से जावे॥
श्रद्धा से जो ध्यान लगावे। सो नर निर्भय जग में जावे॥
राहु देव की महिमा भारी। पूजत नर नारी सब प्यारी॥
कलियुग में महिमा अति न्यारी। भक्तन के तुम हो हितकारी॥
जो यह पाठ करे चालीसा। पूरण आस करे जगदीशा॥
राहु देव की कृपा जो पावे। सो नर सकल मंगल पावे॥
राहु देव चालीसा, पढ़े सुने जो कोय।
राहु दोष सब दूर हों, मंगल मंगल होय॥
Jai jai Shri Raahu dev Prabhu, chhaaya grah Maharaaj.
Karahu kripa nij daas par, raakhahu jan ki laaj.
Jai jai Shri Raahu sukhkaari. Chhaaya grah tum jag me bhaari.
Shyaam varan tan shobha nyaari. Sinhika sut tum bal ke bhaari.
Ardh shareer tumhaara maana. Sheesh roop jag me pehchaana.
Samudra manthan me tum aaye. Amrit paan chhal se tum paaye.
Soorya Chandra tumhe pehchaane. Vishnu chakra se sheesh kataane.
Tab se grahan tumhi se hota. Raahu grasat ravi shashi jab sota.
Raahu dosh jo kundal maahi. Dhyaan dhare tehi kasht na naahi.
Shanivaar jo poojan keeje. Man ichchhit vardaan so leeje.
Neele vastra neele phool chadhaave. Urad daal ka bhog lagaave.
Gomed dhaaran jo jan keeje. Raahu ki kripa so jan leeje.
Akasmaat sankat sab taare. Raahu dev jo sharan nihaare.
Bhram moh sab door ho jaave. Maanasik shaanti jan so paave.
Jo jan tumko sheesh navaave. Sankat se jan mukti paave.
Videsh yaatra sukh se hove. Raajneeti me jan yash paave.
Shatru baadha sab door ho jaave. Akasmaat bhay jan se jaave.
Shraddha se jo dhyaan lagaave. So nar nirbhay jag me jaave.
Raahu dev ki mahima bhaari. Poojat nar naari sab pyaari.
Kaliyug me mahima ati nyaari. Bhaktan ke tum ho hitkaari.
Jo yah paath kare Chalisa. Pooran aas kare jagdeesha.
Raahu dev ki kripa jo paave. So nar sakal mangal paave.
Raahu dev Chalisa, padhe sune jo koy.
Raahu dosh sab door ho, mangal mangal hoy.
Frequently asked questions about Rahu Chalisa
What is Rahu?
The north lunar node - a chhaya graha, shadow planet, with no body of its own. The Chalisa gives the Puranic account: the head severed at the churning of the ocean, son of Simhika, which is why only the head is Rahu and the trunk became Ketu.
When is the Chalisa recited?
On Saturdays and at the Rahu Kaal of a day for those observing it strictly, and during a Rahu mahadasha or antardasha. Evening or dusk, before a blue flower and a mustard-oil lamp, is the usual practice.
What does Rahu signify in a chart?
Craving, obsession, foreign things, sudden rise and sudden fall, and the technical and unconventional. Rahu magnifies whatever he touches without giving discrimination, which is why classical texts read him as ambition with the brakes removed.
What is given in daan for Rahu?
Urad dal, black til, mustard oil, a blue or grey cloth, a coconut and lead. Feeding a leper or the destitute, and Durga worship, are what the tradition names alongside - and the Kaal Sarp dosha page covers the axis he forms with Ketu.
Is Rahu always bad?
No. In the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 11th houses, or with strong support, Rahu is read as giving worldly success, research ability and unusual reach. What he does not give is contentment, which is why the Chalisa asks for peace rather than gain.
About the Rahu Chalisa
The Rahu Chalisa - the forty-verse hymn to Rahu Dev, the north lunar node (shadow planet), recited for relief from Rahu dosha and its troubles.
A chalisa is a devotional hymn of forty (chalis) verses (chaupais), framed by opening and closing dohas (couplets). The Rahu Chalisa above is given in both Hindi (Devanagari) and English (Hinglish, Roman script) so you can read it in whichever script you are most comfortable with - switch between the two using the buttons above. It is traditionally recited with devotion, often after a bath and before the deity, especially on the day associated with the deity.
A chalisa is forty verses. It is not the short lamp-song (that is an aarti) and not a longer Sanskrit stotram. Other forty-verse hymns are on the Chalisa index. For japa of a compact formula use a mantra. If you are keeping a fast, the story is under Vrat Katha.
