The Sundarkand is the fifth of the seven books (sopans) of Goswami Tulsidas's Shri Ramcharitmanas. It tells how Hanuman leapt the ocean, found Sita in Lanka, burned the city and returned to Ram, and it ends with the army on the shore, ready to cross. It has 60 dohas, 526 lines of chaupai, 6 chhands and 3 opening Sanskrit shlokas. A full path, read aloud at a steady pace, usually takes about one to two hours. Most families read it on Tuesday or Saturday, the days traditionally kept for Hanuman.
Sundarkand at a glance
| Written by | Goswami Tulsidas, in Awadhi (begun 1574 CE) |
| Part of | Shri Ramcharitmanas, fifth sopan of seven |
| Verses | 3 shlokas · 60 dohas · 526 lines of chaupai · 6 chhands |
| Time for a full path | about 1 to 2 hours, depending on pace |
| Usual days | Tuesday and Saturday; also Hanuman Jayanti, Ram Navami, a house-warming, or any time of difficulty |
How to prepare
- Bathe and wear clean clothes. Sit on a clean asana, facing east or north if you can.
- Set up a small altar with an image of Shri Ram, Sita and Lakshman, and of Hanuman, on a clean cloth.
- Light a lamp of ghee or sesame oil, and incense if you like.
- Make simple offerings: flowers, akshat, and if your family offers it, sindoor with a little jasmine oil. Prasad is often jaggery and roasted gram, laddoos or boondi.
- Make a sankalp: take a little water in your right palm, say your name and why you are reading, and let the water fall.
- Place the book on a stand or cloth, never directly on the floor.
The order of reading
- A prayer to Shri Ganesha, and your sankalp.
- The Hanuman Chalisa (many families read it first).
- The three Sanskrit shlokas that open the Sundarkand, beginning shantam shashvatam aprameyam anagham.
- The Sundarkand itself, from the first chaupai, jamavanta ke bachana suhae, to Doha 60 and the closing chhand.
- The Hanuman aarti, then prasad.
- A prayer asking forgiveness for any mistakes in the reading.
In many homes and temples the path is sung together, with a dholak and manjira: the chaupais in a steady tune and the dohas recited by everyone together.
Traditional guidance
- Try not to stop in the middle of a passage. If you are interrupted, finish to the next doha before you rise.
- Read clearly, neither too fast nor too slow. Sincerity matters more than perfect pronunciation.
- If you do not read Devanagari comfortably, read from an English transliteration.
- A full reading in one sitting is the tradition. If you are reading to understand, you can read one part a day; there are natural breaks at the dohas.
There is no single correct way. Households and regions have their own customs, and if your family does it differently, follow your family.
What the Sundarkand itself says
The last doha of the Sundarkand is Tulsidas's own blessing on everyone who hears it:
सकल सुमंगल दायक रघुनायक गुन गान ।
सादर सुनहिं ते तरहिं भव सिंधु बिना जलजान ॥sakala sumaṃgala dāyaka raghunāyaka guna gāna | sādara sunahiṃ te tarahiṃ bhava siṃdhu binā jalajāna
“The singing of the virtues of Raghunayak brings every blessing. Those who hear it with reverence will cross the ocean of worldly life without any boat.”
Notice the word sadara, “with reverence”. The tradition values understanding and devotion, not speed.
Read it with the meaning
Most of us recite the Sundarkand without knowing what most of the lines say. The Complete Book of Sundarkand has every shloka, chaupai, doha and chhand in the original Awadhi, an easy English transliteration and a clear English meaning for each verse. It is told in 12 scenes, each opening with what is about to happen, with the path vidhi, Hanuman aarti and an index of dohas. The book is in English, with the Awadhi verses in Devanagari. Instant PDF, 160 pages, ₹299.
For the daily prayer, see our Illustrated Hanuman Chalisa.
Want both? The Hanuman Bhakti Pack has The Complete Book of Sundarkand and the Illustrated Hanuman Chalisa together for ₹499 (₹598 separately).
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Sundarkand path take?
Usually about one to two hours when read aloud at a steady pace. Group paths with music can take longer.
On which day should Sundarkand be read?
Tuesday and Saturday are traditionally kept for Hanuman, and most families read it on one of those days. It can be read on any day.
How many dohas and chaupais are in the Sundarkand?
60 numbered dohas (Dohas 39, 49 and 56 have two couplets each, and Doha 12 is a sortha), 526 lines of chaupai, 6 chhands and 3 Sanskrit shlokas.
Can I read the Sundarkand in parts?
The tradition is a full reading in one sitting, but reading a part each day to understand it is perfectly fine. Stop at a doha, not in the middle of a passage.
Do I need a pandit for Sundarkand path?
No. Anyone can read it at home with devotion. Many families do invite a pandit or a bhajan group for a special occasion.
Customs vary between families and regions; where yours differ, follow your family's tradition. Traditional beliefs about the path are recorded here as tradition, not as promises.