Shri Ram Shalaka Prashnavali

The Ram Shalaka Prashnavali is a devotional question oracle attributed to Goswami Tulsidas and printed with editions of the Shri Ramcharitmanas. It is a board of 225 aksharas (letters) in a 15 by 15 grid, with nine chaupais woven through it.

How to ask

1. Sit quietly, remember Shri Ram, and hold one clear question in mind.
2. Without looking for a particular letter, touch one cell of the board.
3. From that cell, read every ninth letter across the board. The letters join to form one chaupai.
4. The chaupai, and the place it comes from in the Ramcharitmanas, is read as the answer to the question.

Because the board has 225 cells and every ninth cell belongs to the same verse, each of the nine chaupais can be reached from exactly 25 starting cells.

The nine chaupais

1. सुनु सिय सत्य असीस हमारी।
   पूजिहि मन कामना तुम्हारी॥

   sunu siya satya asīsa hamārī, pūjihi mana kāmanā tumhārī — बालकाण्ड (Balakanda)

2. प्रबिसि नगर कीजे सब काजा।
   हृदयँ राखि कोसलपुर राजा॥

   prabisi nagara kīje saba kājā, hṛdayaṁ rākhi kosalapura rājā — सुन्दरकाण्ड (Sundarkanda)

3. उघरहिं अंत न होइ निबाहू।
   कालनेमि जिमि रावन राहू॥

   ugharahiṁ anta na hoi nibāhū, kālanemi jimi rāvana rāhū — बालकाण्ड (Balakanda)

4. बिधि बस सुजन कुसंगत परहीं।
   फनि मनि सम निज गुन अनुसरहीं॥

   bidhi basa sujana kusaṁgata parahīṁ, phani mani sama nija guna anusarahīṁ — बालकाण्ड (Balakanda)

5. होइहि सोइ जो राम रचि राखा।
   को करि तर्क बढ़ावै साखा॥

   hoihi soi jo rāma raci rākhā, ko kari tarka baḍhāvai sākhā — बालकाण्ड (Balakanda)

6. मुद मंगलमय संत समाजू।
   जो जग जंगम तीरथराजू॥

   muda maṁgalamaya saṁta samājū, jo jaga jaṁgama tīratharājū — बालकाण्ड (Balakanda)

7. गरल सुधा रिपु करहिं मिताई।
   गोपद सिंधु अनल सितलाई॥

   garala sudhā ripu karahiṁ mitāī, gopada siṁdhu anala sitalāī — सुन्दरकाण्ड (Sundarkanda)

8. बरुन कुबेर सुरेस समीरा।
   रन सन्मुख धरि काहुँ न धीरा॥

   baruna kubera suresa samīrā, rana sanmukha dhari kāhuṁ na dhīrā — उत्तरकाण्ड (Uttarkanda)

9. सुफल मनोरथ होहुँ तुम्हारे।
   रामु लखनु सुनि भए सुखारे॥

   suphala manoratha hohuṁ tumhāre, rāmu lakhanu suni bhae sukhāre — अयोध्याकाण्ड (Ayodhyakanda)

What each chaupai says about a question - its meaning and whether it is traditionally read as yes, no or wait - is given with the reading itself.