Khatu Shyam Chalisa combines the memory of Barbarika with an extended stream of Krishna’s names. It praises Shyam as a compassionate refuge whose remembrance carries the devotee across fear, confusion, and isolation.
The stored source has thirty-nine—not forty—main units, and this edition preserves that complete structure. The opening and closing dohas remain distinct, with one English meaning for every lyric unit.
Quick Facts
Khatu Shyam Chalisa Lyrics in English
Read the complete source-linked devotional sequence in simple Roman script.
Opening Doha
Shri guru charanan dhyan dhar, sumir sachchidanand
Shyam chalisa bhajat hun, rach chaupai chhand
Khatu Shyam Chalisa
Shyam-shyam bhaji baranbara sahaj hi ho bhavasagar para
In sam dev na duja koi din dayalu na data hoi
Bhim suputr ahilavati Jai kahi bhim ka pautr kahalaya
Yah sab katha kahi kalpantar tanik na mano isamen antar
Barbarik vishnu avatara bhaktan hetu manuj tan dhara
Basudev devaki pyare jasumati maiya nand dulare
Madhusudan gopal murari vrijakishor govardhan dhari
Siyaram Shri hari gobinda dinapal Shri bal mukunda
Damodar ran chhod bihari nath dvarikadhish kharari
Radhaballabh rukmani kanta gopi ballabh kans hananta
Manamohan chit chor kahae makhan chori-chari kar khae
Muralidhar yadupati ghanashyama krishn patit pavan abhirama
Mayapati lakshmipati isha purushottam keshav jagadisha
Vishvapati jay bhuvan pasara dinabandhu bhaktan rakhavara
Prabhu ka bhed na koi paya shesh mahesh thake muniraya
Narad sharad rishi yogindarar shyam-shyam sab ratat nirantar
Kavi kodi kari kanan ginanta nam apar athah ananta
Har srishti har sug men bhai ye avatar bhakt sukhadai
Hraday mahi kari dekhu vichara shyam bhaje to ho nistara
Kaur padhavat ganika tari bhilani ki bhakti balihari
Sati ahilya gautam nari bhai shrapavash shila dulari
Shyam charan raj chit lai pahunchi pati lok men jahi
Ajamil aru sadan kasai nam pratap param gati pai
Jake shyam nam adhara sukh lahahi duhkh dur ho sara
Shyam salovan hai ati sundar mor mukut sir tan pitanbar
Gale baijanti mal suhai chhavi anup bhaktan man bhai
Shyam-shyam sumirahu din-rati shyam dupahari kar parabhati
Shyam sarathi jis rath ke rode dur hoe us path ke
Shyam bhakt na kahi par hara bhir pari tab shyam pukara
Rasana shyam nam ras pi le ji le shyam nam ke hi le
Sansari sukh bhog milega ant shyam sukh yog milega
Shyam prabhu hain tan ke kale man ke gore bhole-bhale
Shyam sant bhaktan hitakari rog-dosh adh nashe bhari
Prem sahit jab nam pukara bhakt lagat shyam ko pyara
Khatu men hain mathuravasi parabrahm purn avinashi
Sudha tan bhari murali bajai chahu dishi jahan suni pai
Vriddh-bal jete nari nar mugdh bhaye suni banshi svar
Hadabad kar sab pahunche jai khatu men jahan shyam kanhai
Jisane shyam svarup nihara bhav bhay se paya chhutakara
Closing Doha
Shyam salone sanvare, barbarik tanudhar
Ichchha purn bhakt ki, karo na lao bar
Khatu Shyam Chalisa Meaning in English
Opening Doha Meaning
Meditating on the guru and the eternal divine, the poet begins the Shyam Chalisa in the metre of devotional couplets.
Chalisa Meaning
Repeated remembrance of Shyam is presented as a simple way to cross the ocean of worldly existence.
No other deity is considered more compassionate toward the poor or more generous to those who seek help.
The hymn identifies him with Barbarika, son of Ahilavati, grandson of the mighty Bhima.
This ancient sacred account is offered with confidence and without doubt in its devotional meaning.
Barbarika is described as carrying Vishnu’s divine presence in human form for the sake of devotees.
The praise turns to Krishna, beloved son of Vasudeva and Devaki and darling of Yashoda and Nanda.
He is Madhusudana, Gopala, Murari, youthful Lord of Vraja, and lifter of Govardhan.
He is Sita-Rama, Hari, Govinda, protector of the humble, and the youthful Mukunda.
He is Damodara, Ranchhod, Bihari, Lord of Dvaraka, and destroyer of hostile forces.
He is Radha’s beloved, consort of Rukmini, friend of the gopis, and vanquisher of Kansa.
Called the enchanter and thief of hearts, he is remembered through the playful stealing of butter.
He is the flute bearer, Lord of the Yadavas, dark Shyam, Krishna, purifier, and beautiful refuge.
He is master of maya, Lord of Lakshmi, supreme person, Keshava, and sovereign of the universe.
As Lord of the worlds and friend of the poor, he protects those who approach with devotion.
Neither Shesha, Shiva, nor the great sages can fully discover the mystery of the Lord.
Narada, Sarasvati, sages, and yogic masters continually repeat the name of Shyam.
Even millions of poets could not count his limitless and unfathomable names.
In every age and every realm, his manifestations arise to bring joy to devotees.
The listener is asked to look within and recognize remembrance of Shyam as a path of deliverance.
The source recalls how divine grace carried difficult and socially excluded lives to safety.
Ahalya, wife of Gautama, is remembered as having become stone through a curse.
By receiving the dust of the divine feet, she is restored and returns to her husband’s world.
Ajamil and Sadan the butcher are cited as receiving the highest destination through the power of the name.
Those who take Shyam’s name as support receive comfort as sorrow is driven away.
Shyam’s lovely form appears with peacock-feather crown and yellow garment.
The Vaijayanti garland shines at his neck, and his unmatched beauty delights devotees.
Remember Shyam by night, at midday, and at dawn—the whole day becomes a field of devotion.
When Shyam guides the chariot, obstacles are removed from the traveller’s path.
A devotee of Shyam is not finally defeated and calls upon him when difficulty gathers.
The tongue is invited to drink the sweetness of Shyam’s name and let life be shaped by it.
Worldly joys may come, but the final hope is union with the deeper happiness of Shyam.
Though dark in body, Shyam is described as pure-hearted, transparent, gentle, and approachable.
He works for saints and devotees, removing the heavy burden of illness, fault, and wrongdoing.
When his name is called with love, the devotee becomes especially dear to him.
At Khatu, the Lord associated with Mathura is praised as complete, deathless divine reality.
He fills the body with nectar-like joy and plays the flute whose sound spreads everywhere.
Old and young, women and men alike become absorbed when they hear the flute.
All hurry toward Khatu, where they seek the presence of Shyam Kanhaiya.
Whoever truly beholds Shyam’s form is described as becoming free from fear of worldly existence.
Closing Doha Meaning
The closing addresses beautiful Shyam in Barbarika’s form and asks him not to delay in fulfilling a devotee’s worthy desire.
Khatu Shyam Chalisa: Barbarika and the Many Names of Krishna
Khatu Shyam devotion remembers Barbarika through a form and name closely joined with Krishna. This source introduces that identity briefly, then expands into Krishna’s titles, stories, and saving compassion.
The thirty-nine-unit count is explicit in the stored page’s own structure. Preserving it matters more than reshaping the hymn to fit a conventional expectation associated with the word Chalisa.
Main Themes in the Khatu Shyam Chalisa
The divine name is the hymn’s central practice: repetition gathers many stories and identities into one accessible act of remembrance.
Compassion crosses social boundaries, illustrated through figures whose lives are transformed rather than dismissed.
How to Read the Khatu Shyam Chalisa
Let the long sequence of Krishna names flow without rushing; the meanings identify each title and narrative reference.
A reading may accompany an Ekadashi observance or remembrance of Khatu, but heartfelt attention is the essential element.
Frequently Asked Questions
That is the complete count in the audited Hindi source, whose own headings identify the final range as 31–39.
Yes. The source names Barbarika, son of Ahilavati and grandson of Bhima, as the form remembered through Shyam devotion.
The names present Shyam through Krishna’s many relationships, stories, and forms of compassionate protection.
It repeatedly emphasizes loving remembrance of the name Shyam throughout the day.
