Setu bandha re setu bandha re | सेतू बांधा रे सेतू बांधा रे

---

📜 Original Marathi Lyrics:

सेतू बांधा रे सेतू बांधा रे |
सेतू बांधा रे सागरीं ||1||

पगिरिराजांचे देह निखळूनी
गजांगशा त्या शिळा उचलुनी
जलांत द्या रे जवें ढकलुनी
सेतुबंधने जोडुन ओढा समीप लंकापुरी ||2||

फेका झाडें, फेका डोंगर
पृष्ठीं झेलिल त्यांना सागर
ओढा पृथ्वी पैलतटावर
वडवाग्‍नी तो धरील माथीं सेतू शेषापरी ||3||

रामभक्ति ये दाटुनि पोटीं
शततीर्थांच्या लवल्या पाठी
सत्कार्याच्या पथिकासाठीं
श्रीरामाला असेच घेती वानर पाठीवरी ||4||

नळसा नेता सहज लाभतां
कोटी कोटी हात राबतां
प्रारंभी घे रूप सांगता
पाषाणाच हे पहा लीलया तरती पाण्यावरी ||5||

चरण प्रभुचे जळांत शिरतां
सकळ नद्यांना येइ तीर्थता
आरंभास्तव अधीर पूर्तता
शिळा हो‌उनी जडूं लागल्या, लाट लाटांवरी ||6||

गर्जा, गर्जा हे वानरगण !
रघुपती राघव, पतितपावन
जय लंकारी, जानकिजीवन
युद्धाआधी झडूं लागु द्या स्फूर्तीच्या भेरी ||7||

सेतू नच हा क्रतू श्रमांचा
विशाल हेतु श्रीरामांचा
महिमा त्यांच्या शुभनामाचा
थबकुनि बघती संघकार्य हें स्तब्ध दिशा चारी ||8||

बुभुःकारुनी पिटवा डंका
विजयी राघव, हरली लंका
मुक्त मैथिली, कशास शंका
सेतुरूप हा झोतच शिरला दुबळ्या अंधारी ||9||

✍️ लेखक : ग.दि. माडगुळकर
🎤 गायक : सुधीर फडके
💿 गीतसंग्रह : गीत रामायण

---

🔤 English Transliteration:

Setu bandha re setu bandha re
Setu bandha re saagaree ||1||

Pagirirajaanche deh nikhlooni
Gajangashaa tya shilaa uchlooni
Jalaant dya re javen dhaklooni
Setubandhane jodoon odha sameep Lankapuri ||2||

Pheka jhaade, pheka dongar
Prushti jhelila tyaanna saagar
Odha pruthvee pailatatavar
Vadvaagni to dharil mathee setu Sheshapari ||3||

Ramabhakti ye daatooni poti
Shatatirthaanchya lavalya paathee
Satkaryaachya pathikasaathi
Shri Ramala asech ghetti vaanar pathivar ||4||

Nalasa neta sahaj laabhtaa
Koti koti haat raabhtaa
Prarambhi ghe roop sangtaa
Paashaanach he paha leelaya tarati paanyaavari ||5||

Charan Prabhuch jalaant shirtaa
Sakal nadyaanna yei tirthata
Aarambhastav adhir poortata
Shilaa hounee jadun laglya, laat laataavari ||6||

Garja, garja he vaanargan!
Raghupati Raghav, patitpaavan
Jaya Lankari, Janaki jeevan
Yuddhaaadhi jhadun lagu dya sphoortichya bheri ||7||

Setu nach ha kratu shramaancha
Vishaal hetu Shri Ramaancha
Mahima tyaanchya shubha naamacha
Thabkuni baghti sanghkaarya he stabdh disha chaari ||8||

Bubhukaaruni pitava danka
Vijayee Raghav, harli Lanka
Mukta Maithili, kashaas shanka
Seturoop ha jhotach shirla dubalya andhaari ||9||

---

🌸 English Meaning:

Build the bridge, build the bridge,
Build the bridge across the ocean! ||1||

The bodies of great mountains break apart,
Gigantic stones are lifted like elephants,
Pushed into the deep sea waters,
And with steady bonding, Lanka nears across the tide. ||2||

Throw trees, throw boulders,
The ocean bears them like a cradle,
Draw the Earth toward the other shore—
Let the blazing fire hold it like Shesha’s crown. ||3||

Devotion to Ram floods every chest,
As the power of a hundred pilgrimages surges behind,
For those walking the righteous path,
The vanaras carry Ram upon their shoulders. ||4||

With the guidance of Nal and Neel,
Millions of hands toil joyfully,
As soon as the name is written,
Even heavy stones float on the waters miraculously. ||5||

When the Lord’s feet touched the sea,
All rivers gained sacredness,
Eager to begin, committed to complete,
The stones settled on rising waves. ||6||

Roar, O vanaras, with thunder!
Raghupati Raghav, redeemer of the fallen!
Victory to the Lord of Lanka, life of Janaki,
Let the drums of courage roar before the war. ||7||

This bridge is not mere labor’s fruit,
It is the vast vision of Shri Ram,
In the power of His auspicious name,
Even the four directions stand in still admiration. ||8||

Blow the conch, sound the victory drum!
Raghav is triumphant, Lanka is conquered!
Maithili is free—why the doubt?
This bridge is a divine beam piercing through helpless darkness. ||9||

---

🪔 Reflection:

This powerful bhajan from Geet Ramayan, written by G.D. Madgulkar, is not just a scene from the Ramayana—it’s a timeless reflection on faith, surrender, and collective strength. The building of the Setu becomes a symbol of what we can achieve when ego is dropped, burdens are shared, and every action is offered at the feet of a higher purpose. Even lifeless stones begin to float when touched by Ram’s name—reminding us that devotion transforms the impossible into reality. In life’s turbulent ocean, the first step in faith—like the first stone placed in water—can build the bridge that leads us from doubt to courage, from effort to grace.

Youtube

✍️ Lyricist: Ga. Di. Madgulkar
🎤 Singer: Sudhir Phadke
💿 Album: Geet Ramayan

🎵 Listen on YouTube – Setu Bandha Re by Sudhir Phadke (Geet Ramayan)