Hanumān Vaḍvānal Sādhana - Cāturmāsya 2026

Duration -  From Nov 10 till the end of Cāturmāsya on Devotthāna Ekādaśī on Nov 20. 

FIRST STEP - How to Take Saṅkalpa and Dhyāna Kriyā?

A Saṅkalpa is your conscious commitment to undertake a spiritual practice with sincerity and a clear intention. Take a few quiet moments to understand what you are committing to, and then place that commitment at Hanumān’s feet.

1. Cleanse yourself and prepare your space

Bathe or shower and wear fresh, clean clothes. If bathing is not possible because of travel, health, or other circumstances, wash your hands, feet, and face, and freshen yourself as best you can. Make sure the last food you took was atleast 2-3 hours before to prevent any belching and bloating during chanting. 

Choose a suitable time: Set aside a time each day when you can chant calmly and without interruption. Early morning or evening is best, but choose what fits your routine. Try to maintain the same time throughout the 11 days to build consistency. If your schedule keeps changing, then complete your chanting at another suitable time that day.

Sit comfortably in your pūjā room or before an image of Hanumān. If you are travelling, choose a clean, quiet place where you can sit undisturbed for a few minutes. 

2. Light a diya and settle your mind

Light a diya if your surroundings permit it safely. If you cannot light one, offer one mentally. But visualize it clearly. 

Do not rush into the Stotra. Take a few slow, natural breaths and allow yourself to settle. Bring your attention to Hanumān. You do not need to force your mind to become completely silent; gently return your attention to the prayer whenever it wanders.

Then perform the Dhyāna Kriyā: Slowly recite each of the names below. After saying each name, pause for 5–10 seconds to reflect on its meaning and visualise Hanumān embodying that quality or appearing in the scene described. Begin with the first name, contemplate it, and then gently proceed to the next. Do not rush; give each name your attention and devotion.

1.    हनुमान - Hanuman  - One who has a prominent jaw (Visualise the prominent jaw of Hanuman)
2.    अंजनिपुत्र - Anjaniputra - One who is the son of Devi Anjana (Visualise Devi Anjani holding little Hanuman in Her arms)
3.    वायुपुत्र - Vayuputra - One who is the son of Vayu Dev (Visualise Vayu Dev blessing Hanuman)
4.    महाबल – Mahabala - One who possesses excellent strength (Visualise Hanuman in a gigantic form about to leap across the ocean)
5.    रामेष्ट – Rameshta - One who is entirely devoted to Shri Rama and is beloved to Shri Rama (Visualise Shri Rama hugging Hanuman out of joy)
6.    फाल्गुनसखा - Phalguna Sakha - One who is the Friend of Arjuna (Visualise Hanuman being present on the chariot driven by Shri Krishna with Arjuna in it)
7.    पिंगाक्ष - Pingaksha - One whose eyes are yellowish or brownish (Visualise the brownish eyes of Hanuman, focus on His eyes)
8.    अमितविक्रम - Amita Vikrama - Whose valour is immeasurable or boundless (Visualise Him being mighty, large and ever-victorious in the battle-field)
9.    उदधिक्रमण - Udadhi Kraman - One who has crossed the ocean (Visualise His large mighty form flying across the ocean at great speed)
10.    सीताशोकविनाशन - Sita Shokha Vinashana - The one who removed the sorrow of Devi Sita  (Visualise He meeting Devi Sita and giving Her the Mudrika of Shri Rama)
11.    लक्ष्मणप्राणदाता - Lakshmana Prana Daata - One who is the giver of life to Lakshmana (Visualise Him carrying the mountain with Sanjivini herbs to Lanka)
12.    दशग्रीवस्य दर्पहा - Dasha Greeva Darpah - The one who destroyed the pride of ten-headed Ravana (Visualise Him along with Shri Rama in the battle-field with Ravana fallen dead)

3. Decide what you will practise

Before stating your Saṅkalpa, be clear about your daily commitment: chanting the Vaḍvānal Stotra for 11 consecutive days. If you intend to chant it a particular number of times each day, decide that beforehand and include it in your statement. For beginners its once and for advanced practitioners it should not be more than 2 times. If you are chanting two times then it is better to do it in succession, one after other during this Sādhana period. 

4. State your Saṅkalpa

With folded hands, say the following slowly. You may speak in English or in a language in which you can express your intention naturally:

“O Hanumān, on this auspicious day, I, [your name], undertake this Saṅkalpa to chant the Vaḍvānal Stotra [once / your chosen number of times] each day for 11 consecutive days.

“I offer this Sādhanā at your feet, praying for the happiness, peace, and prosperity of my family, society and the world, and for a long, healthy, and capable life blessed with well-being.

“Kindly shower your grace upon me. Bless me with the devotion, strength, discipline, and favourable circumstances needed to complete this Sādhanā. Help me overcome distractions and obstacles, and guide me to fulfil this commitment with sincerity and humility.

“May my practice bring clarity to my mind, courage to my heart, and goodness to my actions. Please accept my prayer and guide me throughout these 11 days.”

5. Begin your first day’s chanting

After stating your Saṅkalpa, bow to Hanumān and begin the Vaḍvānal Stotra. Chant at a comfortable pace, paying attention to the words. At the end, offer your gratitude and sit quietly for a moment before returning to your day. Then continue to remember Hanumān and his names all throughout the day whenever possible. Or you can keep a reminder for 5 mins every one hour that will remind you to specifically take out time for contemplation. 

6. Other points

Try to take simple and easily digestible food. So that the body and mind can be more focussed on chanting and contemplating about these names rather than being involved in digesting heavy food. Plant based food is generally recommended irrespective whether you are doing Sādhana or not. But if you need to eat eggs, meat or even onion and garlic then there is nothing to be worried about it. Dietary restrictions are mandated only in advanced stages. As a beginner you do not have to enforce dietary restrictions on yourself. As you continue the Sādhana, things will change and an awareness will grow in you. Your diet will change by itself without any guilt or fear.

Video Link to the Stotra - click here

Lyrics and Meaning of Stotra - click here

SECOND STEP - How to conclude the Sādhana?

If you have started something then you have to formally close it. That is a moral as well as ethical responsibility. That conclusion of any Sādhana is called Udyāpana Vidhi (उद्यापन विधि). Can be done on the 11th day of chanting which is Devotthāna Ekādaśī on Nov 20 or within 30 days of the last day of chanting. 

Udyāpana is an opportunity to conclude your Sādhanā with gratitude and allow its spirit to find expression in an offering. There are several ways to observe it, but for this Hanumān Sādhanā, I would especially encourage a simple act of sevā.

Visit a nearby Hanumān temple and offer a pūjā. With the temple’s permission, spend an hour or two distributing prasād to those who visit. If your means permit, you may organize a bhandāra, a meal offered to devotees and others who come to the temple. You can also join hands with fellow devotees, contributing whatever each person can comfortably offer.

Let the offering be within your means and wholehearted. There is no need to spend beyond your capacity.

We do not live or grow in isolation. We belong to families, communities, and a culture sustained by countless acts of care. Concluding your Sādhanā by serving others acknowledges this connection. The devotion you have nurtured in private now becomes something another person can receive.

During these days, you have turned towards Hanumān through chanting, discipline, and prayer. At the completion of that commitment, it is easy to begin counting your own efforts: “I completed these many days. I performed this much japa.”

Sevā gently redirects that thought: “By His grace, I was able to begin. By His grace, I was able to complete it. May I now offer something in gratitude.”

If possible, linger in the temple instead of leaving immediately after the pūjā. Sit quietly before Hanumān. Listen to the prayers, watch devotees arrive, and allow yourself to be present without another task waiting to be finished. Let this be a time to reflect on your practice and give thanks.

When you distribute prasād, serve each person with warmth and attention. You may know nothing about their life, their worries, or the prayer they brought to Hanumān that day. Yet, for a brief moment, you have the opportunity to offer them something with kindness.

Hanumān’s devotion finds its fullest expression in service. As you conclude your own practice, let that example guide you. Let the hands you folded in prayer become the hands with which you serve.

If you organise a meal, give the same care to its preparation and serving that you gave to your chanting. Coordinate with the temple, keep the food and surroundings clean, and welcome people with dignity. A meal offered in Hanumān’s name can become a beautiful continuation of your worship.

And if you come together as a group, allow everyone to participate according to their capacity. One person may contribute money, another may cook, another may serve, and another may stay behind to clean. Each contribution has its place.

Let your Udyāpana carry this prayer: “Hanumān, may whatever goodness this Sādhanā has nurtured in me reach the lives of others. May I remember Your grace in the way I live and serve.”

Mānava Sevā is simply a way to realize that: I alone cannot do anything in this world. For me to exist, there has to be a farmer, a vegetable seller, a spice merchant and somebody to take the trash. Sevā is what Hanumān did all through Rāmāyana and that is what we ought to do after Hanumān Sādhanā.