Mahaviri: Hanuman-Calisa Demystified

by Rambhadracharya, Nityananda Misra (Translator), Karan Singh (Foreword)

The Mahaviri commentary by Swami Rambhadracharya has been acclaimed as the best explanation of the Hanuman-Chalisa, one of the most popular Hindu prayers. This book presents an English translation and expansion of the Mahaviri, with the original text, word-by-word meanings, translation, commentary, detailed notes, prosody, musical notation, verse index and word index of the Hanuman Chalisa. The book is a must-have for reciters and singers of the Hanuman Chalisa who want to understand the deep essence of Tulsidas' timeless hymn to Hanuman. "... Shri Nityanand Misra has translated and annotated the text based on the acclaimed Hindi commentary Mahaviri (1983) by Swami Ramabhadracharya. This throws a great deal of light on the deeper meaning of Tulasi Das's famous work, and will be welcomed by scholars and laymen alike." -Dr. Karan Singh "Inspired in equal measure by profound devotion and immense knowledge, the Mahaviri commentary on the beloved and revered Hanuman-Calisa will be welcomed by the many devoted reciters of this praise-poem who would like to explore its deeper meanings ... Nityananda Misra's careful English translation, scholarly yet readable, will make these insights accessible to a broader audience." -Philip Lutgendorf, Professor of University of Iowa "One of the very few books which have inspired me to make positive changes in lifestyle. Gives a new dimension to the world of devotion. A must-read." -Anup Jalota "My love and blessings to Nityananda Misra for this effort." -Sri Sri Ravi Shankar "This elaborated edition ... will certainly exhilarate hundred thousands of devotees and other readers also. The editor-translator Sri Nityanand Misra and the publisher Niramaya publishing house both deserve profuse felicitations on this new arrival." -Devarshi Kalanath Shastri (Sanskrit scholar, Jaipur)

244 pages, Hardcover

Reviews

[Hemant · Rating 4 out of 5]

हनुमान-चालीसा की शब्दार्थ एवं व्याख्या सरल भाषा में स्वामी रामभद्राचार्यजी ने की है. व्याख्या में गोस्वामी तुलसीदासजीकृत ग्रंथो एवं अन्य ग्रंथों का उपयोग किया गया है. लोक प्रचलित कुछ भ्रांतियों एवं त्रुटियों का भी निवारण किया है. इस सरल व्याख्या को पढ़ने के उपरान्त हनुमान-चालीसा का पाठ करते हुए अधिक संतोष मिलेगा, ऐसा मेरा अनुभव है. इस महावीरी व्याख्या का एक विस्तृत अंग्रेजी संस्करण भी प्रकाशकों द्वारा प्रकाशित हुआ है. (A more detailed English translation of this Mahaviri-Vyakhya on Hanuman-Chalisa has also been published by the same publishers.)

[Anant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful translation of the original (rare and out of stock) Mahaviri Vyakran by Swami Rambhadracharya. Nityanand Misra retains the essense very well while only adding to the text (the footnotes are a brilliant addition and very well researched/referenced). The grammar rules at the end would be something I would often revisit.
Enjoyed this little book. Recommended for anyone who has ever recited the Hanuman Chalisa and wondered about the meaning/context.

[avahardyam · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful commentary of the chalisa. And धन्यवाद नित्यानन्द जी for your valuable footnotes, I have learned much from this book.
जय पवनपुत्र, जय श्रीराम!

[Jeevan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good source for word-by-word commentary on the Hanuman Chalisa, with ample references to other works of Tulsidas, Valmiki Ramayana, Bhagavat Purana, Mahabharata, etc. The first part of the book is very detailed and gets lighter towards the end. But the footnotes makeup for the terseness of the latter sections. Admire the author's effort in translating the commentary to English.

[Bob Woodley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hanuman Chalisa was written in the 16th century in Awadhi, a sub-dialect of Hindi spoken by a only a few million people in Uttar Pradesh. Translations to English are loose so it is hard to understand what each Awadhi word might mean.

This book has a word-for-word translation from Awadhi to English, so that is reason alone to buy the book (assuming you're interested in this kind of stuff).

But additionally, there are several pages of commentary on each of the 40 verses in the Chalisa. (Chalisa means forty). The commentary refers to supporting verses in the Ramcharitmanas by the same author and has philosophical as well as linguistic analyses.

I ordered this from a vendor in India and it was quite cheaply made, with the pages falling out, etc. Still, a great resource.

[P M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much emphasis on grammar tones down the spiritual vigour of the one of the most beautiful creations of Bhakti tradition.

[MBS Deswal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some unknown facts have been disclosed is this pious Granth. Please read it and bless yourself.