--- canonical: "https://ramayana.com/read-ramcharitmanas-online" lang: "en" --- # Where to read the Ramcharitmanas online, free, with meaning The complete Ramcharitmanas by Goswami Tulsidas is available at [Ramayana.com/ramcharitmanas](/ramcharitmanas). Read all seven kands, every chaupai and doha, with the Gita Press Hindi tika and English translation. The reader is free and without advertising, with English and Hindi interfaces. Begin with the original Awadhi text, then read the meaning to understand what each passage teaches. ## How the reader is organised The story unfolds through seven kands: Bal, Ayodhya, Aranya, Kishkindha, Sunder, Lanka and Uttar. Within each kand, the dohas provide reference points for reading. The reader also organises the text into 218 topics, helping us approach a particular episode or teaching within the larger story. These divisions serve different purposes. A kand lets us follow a sustained part of Shri Ram's story. A doha reference helps us return to a passage. A topic gives us a place to begin when we wish to read about a particular event. The original text and its meaning deserve attention together. Goswami Tulsidas writes in Awadhi. The Hindi tika by Hanuman Prasad Poddar explains the text in Hindi, while the English translation makes its meaning accessible to readers who prefer English. Read a short passage carefully before moving ahead. ## Choose a reading plan The Gita Press edition gives two traditional plans for reading the complete Ramcharitmanas. The *navah parayan* divides the recitation across nine days, with prescribed rest points. The *maas parayan* extends it across thirty days. Choose a plan that allows steady attention to the words and their meaning. Sunderkand can also be read on its own. This fifth kand follows Hanumanji across the sea to Lanka, where he finds Mata Sita and gives her Shri Ram's ring. It continues through his return, Vibhishan's surrender and Shri Ram's request to the ocean. It is customarily recited on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and in times of difficulty. A reading plan gives regularity to our effort. If time is limited, begin with a manageable passage and give it your full attention. ## Keep a printed book at home An online reader makes the scripture readily available. A printed book gives it a settled place in our daily life. We can set aside the phone, sit with the text and return to the same pages for reading and recitation. Ramayana.com uses Gita Press editions. You can buy the [Shri Ramcharitmanas special edition from Gita Press](https://gitapress.org/product/sri-ramcharitmanas-special-edition), or browse the [Ramcharitmanas editions at Gita Press Bookshop](https://gitapressbookshop.in/?route=product/category&language=en-gb&path=83). Choose an edition whose script and language you can read comfortably. ## Read on your phone, including offline To keep reading on your phone, use the free Android [Ramayan app](/app), “Ramayan: Ramcharitmanas Hindi”. It works offline, has no ads, and includes reading plans, bookmarks and a daily verse. Both the Ramcharitmanas and the Valmiki Ramayana are included. An iOS version is to follow. Begin with a passage you can read attentively today. Read its meaning, then consider how its teaching applies to your conduct. ## Questions people ask ### Can I read the whole Ramcharitmanas here for free? Yes. Ramayana.com provides the complete Ramcharitmanas, including all seven kands, with the original Awadhi text, Hindi tika and English translation. Reading is free and there is no advertising. The site takes no payments or donations. You can begin at the [Ramcharitmanas reader](/ramcharitmanas). ### Is the meaning in Hindi or English? Both are available. The Hindi tika is by Hanuman Prasad Poddar of Gita Press. The English translation comes from the Gita Press Romanised edition. The original Awadhi text accompanies the meaning, and the site offers English and Hindi interfaces. Choose the language in which you can give the teaching your closest attention. ### Do I have to finish it in nine days? No. The nine-day navah parayan is one traditional reading plan. Gita Press also gives a thirty-day maas parayan. You may read smaller portions at a pace you can sustain, or read Sunderkand on its own. Let the plan support regular reading and attention to the meaning. ### Can I read without an internet connection? Yes. Offline reading is available through the free Android application linked above. It includes both the Ramcharitmanas and the Valmiki Ramayana, along with bookmarks and reading plans. This allows you to keep reading on your phone when an internet connection is unavailable. An iOS version is to follow. --- Ramayana.com, a free, ad-free project of Ved Vyas Foundation.