Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram

Full Translation

One of the most widely sung Ram bhajans, praising Rama as the chief of the Raghu dynasty and "uplifter of the fallen," alongside his consort Sita. Mahatma Gandhi adopted and adapted it, adding the line "Ishwar Allah tero naam" — "God, you are called both Ishwar and Allah" — turning it into a prayer for interfaith harmony and the unity of all paths to the divine.

Spiritual Significance

Chanting it cultivates devotion (bhakti) to Rama and a felt sense of the divine as the redeemer of all beings, regardless of their failings. In Gandhi's hands it also became a meditation on religious unity — a single God known by many names.

Cultural Context & History

The melody most sung today was set by the classical musician Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, and the bhajan became an anthem of India's freedom movement, famously chanted during Gandhi's 1930 Salt March. It remains a staple of Western Kirtan gatherings.

रघुपति राघव राजा राम, पतित पावन सीता राम

Listen & Chant Along

Meaning & Translation

Full Translation

Spiritual Significance

Cultural Context & History

Terms in the Glossary