Learn The Hanumān Chalisa, 4 sessions this July!
The Hanumān Chālīsā (Hanumān Cālīsā हनुमान् चालीसा) is a very popular devotional (bhakti, not Vedic) chant, composed by Tulsi Das in the Awadi vernacular language (close to Hindi, not Sanskrit) in the 16th Century.
The Chalisa is 43 stanzas in praise of Hanumān.
Who is Hanumān?
- As a deity in the shape of a monkey, Hanumān personifies the mastery of “monkey mind” – he is disciplined, calm, and completely focused.
- Hanuman’s devotion to Rāma is pure and without ego. He teaches us how to love deeply, without attachment, and his complete surrender to a higher purpose reminds us that authentic service flows from love rather than obligation.
- As the son of Vāyu (the Wind God), Hanumān embodies prāṇa, and his mastery of his breath and mind is an inspiration to all yoga practitioners.
- Although he possesses superhuman strength and skills, Hanumān is always the epitome of humility.
- His legendary leap across the ocean to Lanka represents the leap of faith every one of us must take to ultimately realize our own limitless nature.
All in all, a pretty cool dude!
Class Details
Wednesdays, July 8, 15, 22 & 29
6:00 – 7:30 pm AZ/PDT
$108 for 4 sessions
Chanting the cālīsā is a beautiful experience of dhāraṇā (concentration) and for those familiar chanting in Sanskrit, a fun opportunity to explore some different pronunciation. As we chant in praise of Hanumān we are reminded of all his wonderful qualities, as we endeavor to cultivate these qualities in ourselves.
Over four 90-minute classes we will learn to chant the chalisa, discuss its meaning and share some cool Hanumān stories. We will follow the tune used by Krishna Das in “Bernie’s Chalisa” which you can listen to for free on YouTube.
If there is sufficient local interest, I am happy to explore locations to offer this session as three online classes that culminate in a final in-person group chanting experience! Friends who are not local will still be able to participate in all four classes online. If you are local to Scottsdale and interested in this option, do let me know when you register!
Price for all 4 sessions – $108
Super easy Registration with Venmo or Zelle.
There is no prerequisite for this class.