Glossary

The primordial sound — considered the sound of the universe itself. It appears at the beginning of most prayers and mantras as an invocation of the divine.

A sacred word, syllable, or verse used in meditation and devotion. Repetition of a mantra is believed to invoke divine presence and purify the mind.

A devotional hymn of exactly forty verses. 'Chalis' means forty in Hindi. The Hanuman Chalisa was composed by the poet-saint Tulsidas in the 16th century.

A four-line verse in a specific meter widely used in Hindi devotional poetry. The Hanuman Chalisa is composed almost entirely of chaupais.

A two-line couplet with a distinct rhyming meter. In the Hanuman Chalisa, dohas appear at the beginning and end, bookending the main chaupais.

A Sanskrit verse in the anushtubh meter (8 syllables × 4 lines). Shlokas form the backbone of the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and most classical scriptures.

A devotional song sung while waving a lamp before a deity. The Hanuman Aarti is typically sung at the close of worship to honour Hanuman ji.

A devotional composition of eight verses. 'Ashta' means eight in Sanskrit. Each verse praises a different aspect or name of the deity.

Literally 'the arrow of Bajrang' (a name for Hanuman meaning 'the thunderbolt-coloured one'). It is a powerful petition prayer asking Hanuman to swiftly remove obstacles and bestow protection.

The fifth chapter of Valmiki's Ramayana. 'Sundar' means beautiful; 'kand' means chapter. It narrates Hanuman's journey to Lanka in search of Sita — the most celebrated episode in his story.

A devotional song in any Indian language. Unlike aarti (which is part of worship ritual), bhajans are sung freely as an expression of love and devotion.

A small clay oil lamp lit during worship. The flame symbolises the light of knowledge dispelling the darkness of ignorance. On Bajrangi, 'Offer a Diya' is a way to support the seva.

Selfless service. In the devotional tradition, seva is the act of serving God or the community without expectation of personal gain. Bajrangi is built as a seva.

A salutation or obeisance to the divine. Many prayers open with a vandana — bowing in reverence before beginning the main text.

A blessing or grace received from the divine. In practice it is food offered to the deity and then distributed to devotees — a tangible form of divine grace.