Easy Shlokas for kids and Hanuman Chalisa

Shlokas for kids are a habit that helps them build skills like discipline, consistency and focus.

Shloka recitation or chanting for kids is a personal choice. This habit evolves as our children grow. It’s always good to see what works for our children, rather than forcing kids to follow something which they may not understand. Take a few minutes and decide how you would like to set this practice.

I have a starter’s blog where I have listed many details and how I started teaching my son, Shlokas. You can read it here.

If you are short of time, then jump to the end and grab the link to the book of shlokas for kids and make sure to thank me in the comments.

List of shlokas we use daily-

1. Ganesh Shloka –

The first Shloka I learnt and taught the same to my son. It’s my favourite and the first shloka we say every time. At night, it’s a cue to our brains that it’s time to sleep. In the mornings, it’s a cue to start the day all bright and bushy-tailed.

• Shloka: एक दन्तो महाबुद्धि सर्वग्यो गणनायकम् । सर्व सिद्धि करो देवा गौरीपुत्र विनायकम्॥
• Meaning: Dear God Ganesha, son of Goddess Gauri (Parvati) with one full tooth, amazing wisdom, you are the first of all wise gods and goddesses. Please bless me with Vidya(knowledge, wisdom, intelligence), Dhan(prosperity), and Shakti(strength) so that all my work, studies, and activities are successful.

2. Gayatri Mantra –

This interesting mantra is about meditation and consciousness. And it is often called the Mahamantra. The Gayatri mantra blog helped me understand it on a deeper level. The Gayatri Mantra is a universal prayer mentioned in our ancient scriptures – the Yajur Veda. Across the globe, from various countries and religions, people chant this shloka to awaken their consciousness.

• Shloka: ॐ भूर् भुवः स्वः तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥
• Meaning:  Praying to the universal energy, praising and meditating to awaken and strengthen one’s spiritual consciousness. With children, try to pause between each word. Give them time to breathe and feel the vibrations.

3. Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra –

Like God Shiva, this mantra is considered the next most powerful thing. This mantra is supposed to keep us safe from any evil we may encounter. It is mainly for wellness in the realms of human presence and is usually chanted for good health.

• Shloka: ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् । उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् ॥
• Meaning: It means, dear three-eyed god, supreme god, we worship and sacrifice for you to bestow on us good health, immense wealth, and ward off any evils or cause of early or untimely death.

4. Namastestu Mahamaye –

First verse of Mahalaxmi Ashtakam. Being grateful is key to abundance. With Goddess Laxmi’s blessings, we can achieve good health, wealth, prosperity, become intelligent, make the right decisions and do the right things. We are praying to Laxmi ji to shower us with her blessings. As kids get comfortable saying the first verse, you can always introduce them to all the verses of the Ashtakam.  Kids love stories, so encourage them and increase their curiosity by telling stories.

• Shloka: नमस्तेऽस्तु महामाये श्रीपीठे सुरपूजिते ।
   शङ्खचक्रगदाहस्ते महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तुते ॥
• Meaning: It means I pray with my hands folded and head bowed to you Ma Laxmi. You are praised and prayed by the gods or the suras, and you live in the Sri Peeth. You have adorned or carry a conch shell, chakra and gada. Dearest Goddess Maa Laxmi, bless me and accept my whole-hearted prayers.

5. Vidya Prarthna –

A prayer to the Goddess Laxmi to shower her blessings.

• Shloka – विद्यावन्तं यशस्वन्तं लक्ष्मीवन्तं जनं कुरू। रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषोजहि॥
• Meaning – Dear Goddess Laxmi, Please bless me with knowledge, recognition, health, and money. This mantra is a combination of two. The second part of this shloka is for victory or success in our studies or tasks, praying to eliminate our enemies outside and within us.

Advanced Shlokas for kids

6. Sarv Mangal –

Gratitude must become every child’s attitude. Here is a shloka wishing success and prosperity in life for everyone.

• Shloka – सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके । शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
• Meaning – I bow with respect to Goddess Narayani, who is the source of all goodness and positivity. She brings auspiciousness into our lives and blesses her devotees with everything they truly need — right living (dharma), prosperity (artha), happiness (kama), and spiritual freedom (moksha). She protects and shelters everyone who seeks her. With her three eyes and radiant face, she watches over us with care. I offer my heartfelt salutations to you.

7. Ya devi sarv bhuteshu –

An elementary idea that we learnt growing up, that god is everywhere and in everything around us and within us. This Stotra for Goddess Durga is a prayer emphasising the same thought.

• Shloka –या देवी सर्वभूतेषु बुद्धिरूपेण संस्थिता। नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
• Meaning – To the Goddess Ma Durga who resides in all the beings as Intelligence, wisdom and knowledge. I offer my prayers to her, I bow/salute to her, I pray to her.
• Shloka –या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिरूपेण संस्थिता। नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
• Meaning – To the Goddess Ma Durga who resides in all the beings as strength, grit and power. I offer my prayers to her, I bow/salute to her, I pray to her.

8. Vishnu Stuti –

This mantra is believed to help ease our hardships and remove obstacles in our ventures from all walks of life – travel, work, marriage, etc. All kids from the age of 3 or 4 can easily recite easy shlokas every day. I am sharing two shlokas. Lord Vishnu’s fourth avatar, Narsingha, is famous for saving little boy Prahlada from his cruel demon father Hiranyakashyap.

Teach kids to count. Kids aged 8 can count and chant easy shlokas 108 times. It can become a drag, so keep them engaged with a counter, beads or fingers. Counting 108 times on fingers helps them with the concept of repeated addition or times tables

• Shloka: ॐ नमों भगवते वासुदेवाय।
• Meaning: It’s a salutation to Lord Vishnu, the god who lives everywhere in all our hearts.
• Shloka: शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं । विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम् ॥ लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं । वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥
• Meaning: We think about Lord Vishnu, who looks calm and peaceful and takes care of the whole universe. From him, all creation begins, and he lovingly watches over everyone. He is blue like the sky, kind and full of goodness. He is loved by Goddess Lakshmi and is close to people who pray and meditate. We pray to Lord Vishnu, who protects us, removes our fears, and reminds us that we are never alone — he is always with us.

9. Hanuman Stuti –

It could be the Gada, or the appeal of being powerful, or the looks of a friendly monkey, or other stories from the Ramayan. Every kid has a phase when he/she is a fan of Hanuman.

• Shloka – मनोजवं मारुततुल्यवेगम् जितेन्द्रियं बुद्धिमतां वरिष्ठम् । वातात्मजं वानरयूथमुख्यं श्रीरामदूतं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥
• Meaning – This mantra is a prayer for Hanuman, praising him for his strength, swiftness, and sharp mind. It is a prayer to feel safe and take refuge from all evil thoughts, fear, ghosts, etc.

10. Nav Grah Shanthi Shloka –

A Shloka that is widely popular for seeking blessings from Load Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. This helps remove the negativity and brings peace to all planets in astrology. As a practice to keep all the planets happy in our daily charts, we have been practising this mantra for a long time. You can make it interesting by telling children about planets and space.

• Shloka: ब्रह्मा मुरारिस्त्रिपुरान्तकारी भानुः शशी भूमिसुतो बुधश्च गुरुश्च शुक्रः शनिराहुकेतवः सर्वे ग्रहा सुशांति भवंतु ॥
• Meaning: In the early morning, I remember Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and  Lord Shiva, who create, protect, and guide the world. I also remember the Sun, Moon, and all the planets. May they all bless my morning and make my day happy and good.

11. Shiv Stuti –

Often, after every pooja, this stuti is chanted to God Shiva to seek his blessing and bow down to him in gratitude. This mantra is widely chanted at the end of most rituals and prayers by everyone, and the pandits

• Shloka: कर्पूर गौरं करुणावतारं संसार सरं भुजगेंद्र हरम ।
  सदा वसंतं ह्रदयारविन्दे भवं भवानीसहितं नमामि ॥
• Meaning: It is a praise to the god of death and destruction, Lord Shiva, to seek his blessings and bow down to him. Lord Vishnu described Shiva as white as camphor, full of compassion, one who wears a snake around his neck,  the ruler of the world. He, along with Goddess Parvati, resides in my heart, and I bow to both of you.

12. Intention Setting Shloka –

This is more of a prayer that we chant at the beginning of our yoga sessions, but can be used at the start of homeschooling or study.  It is a request for a harmonious, productive, and peaceful relationship during the process of learning and studying.

• Shloka: ॐ सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
  तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै । ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
• Meaning: Both teacher and student pray that as we start our study or learning, may we both put full effort and energy, may we respect and be kind to each other and may our learning give us wisdom and peace at three levels – within ourselves, with each other and in the universe.

13. Shanti prayer –

Prayer for growth, realisation, and peace. May all the efforts and hard work give good result.

• Shloka: ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय । तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय । मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय । ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
• Meaning: O Lord, please Lead me from darkness to light, truth and knowledge. Help me move from fear and attachment to peace and forever happiness. Let there be peace within, peace upon us, peace upon the whole universe.

Drop in the comments how your kids like these shlokas? Are there any shlokas you have tried that are not the ones I shared here? Then I am all ears. Quickly drop it in the comments.

Find the quick recap in the ebook style here(V1). Wait for Version 2.0 releasing in March 2026.

Introducing Hanuman Chalisa to Children

Introducing the Hanuman Chalisa to children is something I had been thinking about for a very long time—almost since Vaidik started speaking. But honestly, I never felt ready to introduce longer texts to him until he was around seven.

What changed was not just his age, but his interest.

Around that time, we were visiting many holy places as a family. Temples, stories, aartis, bhajans—everything around him slowly began to plant seeds of curiosity. He started asking questions, listening more attentively, and showing a natural inclination towards prayers like chalisa, path, and bhajans.

And that’s when I realised something important: there is no “right age”—only the right moment.

Every child is different.
Some children love cartoons, some enjoy listening to stories, while others naturally gravitate towards books. In the same way, when it comes to the Hanuman Chalisa, jumping straight into reading or memorising the text may not work for everyone.

What worked beautifully for us was stories first.

Before opening the book, we spent time narrating stories of Lord Hanuman—stories filled with adventure, courage, intelligence, and devotion. These stories helped Vaidik form a connection with Hanuman ji, not just as a deity, but as a powerful, playful, and compassionate character.

Some of the stories that made learning Hanuman Chalisa a delightful experience for kids:

• How Bal Hanuman tried to eat the sun, thinking the sun was a ripe mango.
• How did Hanuman ji become so gigantic to cross the ocean to reach Lanka?
• How cleverly he escaped from the Surasa rakshasi who tried to swallow him.
• How did he become so tiny to meet Mata Sita?
• How did Hanuman ji set Lanka on fire?
• In the Mahabharat, how Hanuman ji meets Bheem and teaches him a lesson.
• And how he carried the Sanjeevani booti to save Lakshman

These stories created familiarity, excitement, and emotional bonding. So when we eventually introduced the Hanuman Chalisa, it didn’t feel like a “long prayer” anymore—it felt like a continuation of stories he already loved.

My biggest takeaway as a parent: build curiosity first, not pressure.

Let children fall in love with the stories, and the verses will follow naturally.

I realised very early that this journey wasn’t just for Vaidik — I was learning along with him.

Instead of just asking him to memorise, I focused on helping him understand the different messages hidden within each shloka.

For example, when Jambvant reminds Hanuman ji of his true strength, and Hanuman becomes powerful and confident again, I pause and connect that moment to real life. I tell Vaidik that all of us already have strength and courage within us. Sometimes we just need a reminder. And when we start believing that we can do something, that’s when we truly find the ability to do it.

These small conversations slowly turn the shlokas from “lines to remember” into “values to live with.”

I have gently adapted some of the stronger or more complex meanings so they felt age-appropriate and relatable for Vaidik. I used this website to learn a lot of these meanings and stories.

Some tips around that can help you with kids –

1. Get Hanuman Chalisa with Pictures for children. It’s a MUST. Do not start without it.
2. Set out one Chalisa for the child. Let the child be connected with it. Children sometimes like to carry it with them. Let them be. Teach them to respect and take care of their things.
3. If you can, let it be in a fixed place in the house, as that works too.
4. Use the Hanuman Chalisa with red ink. It is bright and grabs all the attention and focus.
5. Look for the Chalisa that has Hindi or English meanings of each verse written on the same page. It’s a game-changer if you can get this.
6. Read and pronounce by pointing a finger at each word. It helps build understanding and familiarity with letters.
7. This is just the start of self-reading for kids in a new language. Be patient.
8. Read together, as it helps parents to connect with the child and provide help only when needed. Observe and wait for your turn.
9. Do not force read or teach. Wait for the child to ask. Cause no matter how much you try, they will only learn when they want. So save it for when you’ll need it. (wink)

I am so grateful you read this till the end. I wish you success in teaching kids Shlokas and the Hanuman Chalisa. Being grateful is an art. You can teach little kids gratitude with simple steps in the linked blog.

Kaka Be cheerful.

Find the quick recap in the ebook style here.