Manojavam Marutatulyavegam

The Manojavam Marutatulyavegam — the celebrated dhyana (meditation) sloka on Lord Hanuman, swift as thought and the wind.

Meaning

"Swift as the mind, equal to the wind in speed, master of the senses, foremost among the intelligent — to that son of Vayu, chief of the monkey host and messenger of Rama, I bow."

Benefits

Recited for strength, intelligence, self-control and swift help in difficulty; a favourite meditation verse to begin Hanuman worship and the Sundarakanda.

Word by Word Meaning

Mano-javam — swift (java) as thought (manas). Maruta-tulya-vegam — equal (tulya) to the wind (maruta) in speed (vega). Jitendriyam — he who has conquered (jita) the senses (indriya). Buddhimatam varishtham — foremost (varishtha) among the intelligent (buddhimat). Vata-atmajam — son (atmaja) of the wind god. Vanara-yutha-mukhyam — chief (mukhya) of the monkey (vanara) host (yutha). Sri-Rama-dutam — the messenger (duta) of Sri Rama. Sharanam prapadye — I take refuge (sharanam) in him.

The verse honours Hanuman's four glories in a single breath — speed, self-mastery, intelligence and service — and ends not with a request but with surrender: "I take refuge."

How to Chant

This is the traditional dhyana (meditation) verse recited before beginning the Hanuman Chalisa, the Sundarakanda or any Hanuman puja — recite it once or three times with folded hands, then begin the main practice. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, many recite it 11 times before Hanuman's image with a sesame-oil lamp. No initiation or restriction applies.

Who Chants It, and When

Students recite it before study for its prayer to the "foremost among the intelligent"; travellers before journeys, invoking the swiftest of messengers; and readers of the Sundarakanda open every sitting with it. As a refuge verse it is also chanted in plain fear or worry — three slow repetitions before sleep is a widely kept family practice.

The verse's order of praise carries its teaching. Speed of thought and wind comes first, but it is immediately balanced by jitendriyam — mastery of the senses — and crowned by intelligence; power in Hanuman is never separate from restraint and discernment. And the final title is not warrior but duta, messenger: all of it in Rama's service. The tradition holds up this sequence as the model of usable strength — swift, controlled, intelligent, and offered to something higher than itself.

The verse is drawn from the concluding prayers associated with the Ramayana tradition and is often printed at the head of Sundarakanda editions. Learning it by heart takes an evening — four lines, one image each — and reciting it from memory before the day's first task is the simplest complete Hanuman practice a busy person can keep.

The Manojavam Marutatulyavegam above is given in both Devanagari (Sanskrit) and Roman transliteration so you can read it in whichever script you are comfortable with — switch between the two using the buttons above, share the link, or download a PDF.