Manojavam Maruta-tulya-vegam
The best-known Hanuman dhyana shloka — swift as thought, master of his senses, foremost of the wise, and Rama's messenger.
Hanuman dhyana shloka; recited at the opening of the Sundarkand the four-line dhyana verseedition
Sanskrit · संस्कृत
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No verified recitation yet. We publish audio only with a named reciter and a recorded licence, rather than files of unknown provenance.
Meaning
Swift as thought, rivalling the wind in speed, master of his senses, foremost among the intelligent, son of the wind, chief of the vanara host — I bow my head to the messenger of Rama.
This rendering is by a DharmSetu editor, not a quotation from a published translation. Compare with the public-domain translation.
A Hindi meaning has not been written for this mantra yet. Hindi is authored by a named editor rather than machine-translated, so it arrives more slowly.
How to recite
- Time
- Before a Sundarkand reading
Pronunciation key — sounds commonly got wrong
- ट ठ ड ढ ण · ṭ ṭh ḍ ḍh ṇ
- Retroflex — the tongue curls back and touches the roof of the mouth. Distinct from the dental त थ द ध न, where the tongue touches the teeth.
- श ष स · ś ṣ s
- Three different sounds: ś as in “shy”, ṣ retroflex and further back, s plain. Collapsing them changes words.
- ः · ḥ (visarga)
- A soft outward breath echoing the preceding vowel — not a hard “ha”.
- ं · ṃ (anusvara)
- Nasalises the vowel; the closing sound follows the consonant that comes next.
- Long vs short vowels — a / ā, i / ī, u / ū
- Vowel length is meaningful in Sanskrit. Hold the macron vowels roughly twice as long.
- Aspirated consonants — kh, gh, ch, th, dh, ph, bh
- A distinct puff of breath. ph is an aspirated p, never an English “f”.
Context
Shadanga — the six limbs
The traditional analytic frame for a mantra. Blank limbs are simply not recorded for this text.
- devata
- Hanuman
Recited at / traditionally recited for
Classified as Pauranic — From the Puranas. Most widely recited deity mantras belong here. Basis for this classification.
Related mantras
Aham Brahmasmi
The mahavakya of the Yajurveda — I am Brahman. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10.
Ayam Atma Brahma
The mahavakya of the Atharvaveda — this self is Brahman. Mandukya Upanishad 2.
Kayena Vacha Manasendriyair Va
Whatever one does with body, speech, mind or senses — offer all of it to Narayana. The verse recited to close a puja.
Om Ityetad Aksharam — the opening of the Mandukya
The definition of Om that opens the Mandukya Upanishad: all that was, is, and will be is Om — and what lies outside time is Om too.
Prajnanam Brahma
The mahavakya of the Rigveda — consciousness is Brahman. Aitareya Upanishad 3.3.
Tad Vishnoh Paramam Padam
The wise always see that highest step of Vishnu, spread out like an eye in the sky. Rigveda 1.22.20.