Thumak Chalat Ramchandra
Traditionally attributed to Goswami Tulsidas
Little Shri Ram takes unsteady steps, His anklets ring, and His mothers lift Him when He falls. Devotees sing this bhajan during worship and bhajan gatherings, remembering the child they long to hold, dust off and cradle in their arms.
Full lyrics
ठुमक चलत रामचंद्र बाजत पैंजनियाँ॥
Thumak chalat Ramchandra baajat painjaniyaan
किलकि किलकि उठत धाय गिरत भूमि लटपटाय। धाय मात गोद लेत दशरथ की रनियाँ॥
Kilaki kilaki uthat dhaay girat bhoomi latpataayDhaay maat god let Dashrath ki raniyaan
अंचल रज अंग झारि विविध भाँति सो दुलारि। तन मन धन वारि वारि कहत मृदु बचनियाँ॥
Anchal raj ang jhaari vividh bhaanti so dulaariTan man dhan vaari vaari kahat mridu bachaniyaan
विद्रुम से अरुण अधर बोलत मुख मधुर मधुर। सुभग नासिका में चारु लटकत लटकनियाँ॥
Vidrum se arun adhar bolat mukh madhur madhurSubhag naasika mein chaaru latkat latkaniyaan
तुलसीदास अति आनंद देख के मुखारविंद। रघुवर छबि के समान रघुवर छबि बनियाँ॥
Tulsidas ati anand dekh ke mukharavindRaghuvar chhabi ke samaan Raghuvar chhabi baniyaan
Meaning, verse by verse
ठुमक चलत रामचंद्र बाजत पैंजनियाँ॥
Shri Ram takes little, swaying steps, and His anklets ring as He walks.
किलकि किलकि उठत धाय गिरत भूमि लटपटाय। धाय मात गोद लेत दशरथ की रनियाँ॥
Shri Ram squeals with delight, gets up and hurries forward, then loses His balance and falls to the ground. King Dashrath’s queens rush to gather Him into their laps.
अंचल रज अंग झारि विविध भाँति सो दुलारि। तन मन धन वारि वारि कहत मृदु बचनियाँ॥
The mothers brush dust from His body with the edge of a sari and shower Him with affection. Offering body, mind and wealth to Him again and again, they speak tender words.
विद्रुम से अरुण अधर बोलत मुख मधुर मधुर। सुभग नासिका में चारु लटकत लटकनियाँ॥
His lips are red like coral, and sweet little sounds come from His mouth. A lovely ornament hangs from His beautiful nose.
तुलसीदास अति आनंद देख के मुखारविंद। रघुवर छबि के समान रघुवर छबि बनियाँ॥
The singer, speaking in the name of Goswami Tulsidas, feels great joy on seeing Shri Ram’s lotus-like face. Shri Ram’s beauty can be compared only with His own.
About this hymn
The final stanza carries the name of Goswami Tulsidas, and devotional tradition attributes this popular bhajan to him. That attribution remains uncertain. It is not found in the printed Gita Press edition of Tulsidas's Gitavali. It belongs to the tradition of singing about Shri Ram’s childhood.
The story behind it
In Ramcharitmanas, Bal Kand, doha 198, Goswami Tulsidas describes the unborn Lord in Mata Kaushalya’s lap, moved by love and devotion. The chaupais preceding doha 199 describe His anklets, red lips, sweet toddler speech and movement on hands and knees.
In the chaupais preceding doha 203, Shri Ram plays in King Dashrath’s courtyard. His father calls Him to eat, but He stays with His playmates. When Mata Kaushalya comes to fetch Him, He toddles away. He then comes covered in dust, and His father smiles and seats Him in his lap.
The bhajan brings this same affection for the child Shri Ram before us. His falling and being lifted by the queens belong to the bhajan’s scene. These details do not appear in the Manas passages cited here.
What it teaches
The mothers see Shri Ram take His unsteady steps, and when He falls, they hurry to lift Him into their arms. Their affection needs few words. His smallest movements hold their attention, and the bhajan lets us linger with them in the simple joy of caring for Him.
The word vaari means offering everything in love. When the mothers name body, mind and wealth, they express how fully their hearts belong to Shri Ram. Nothing feels too dear to offer. Their wish to give grows out of affection, as naturally as their wish to gather Him into their arms when He falls. Remembering this, we can let our own prayer be simple and tender, without searching for grand words to express what is in the heart.
After singing, we might sit for a moment with this childhood scene in mind. We can say Shri Ram’s name softly and offer Him the care we bring to one small task today.
Questions people ask
What does Thumak Chalat Ramchandra mean?
It means that Shri Ram walks with little, swaying steps while His anklets ring. The bhajan describes His childhood play and the mothers’ loving care.
Who wrote Thumak Chalat Ramchandra?
It is traditionally attributed to Goswami Tulsidas, whose name appears in the final stanza. The authorship is uncertain, and the hymn is not found in the printed Gita Press Gitavali.
When can I sing Thumak Chalat Ramchandra?
You can sing it during daily prayer or whenever you wish to remember Shri Ram’s childhood. A simple practice is to sing one stanza slowly and repeat the opening refrain.
What are the devotional benefits of singing this bhajan?
Singing offers a way to keep attention on Shri Ram’s childhood and approach Him with affection. We can carry the mothers’ tenderness into our own service. No particular worldly result is promised.
Is Thumak Chalat Ramchandra from Ramcharitmanas or Gitavali?
These are traditional bhajan lyrics. They are not lines from Ramcharitmanas. Related childhood scenes appear in Bal Kand around dohas 198, 199 and 203. The hymn is not found in the printed Gita Press Gitavali, and no Gitavali pad number is confirmed.
Also written as: Thumak Chalat Ramchandra · Thumak Chalat Ram Chandra · Thumak Chalat Ramchandra lyrics · Thumak Chalat Ramchandra meaning · Thumak Chalat Ramchandra Tulsidas · ठुमक चलत रामचंद्र · ठुमक चलत रामचन्द्र · ठुमक चलत रामचंद्र अर्थ
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