Aarti lyrics with meaning
An aarti is a song sung while a lamp is waved before God, usually at the close of worship. Ganesha is worshipped first, before other deities, so his aarti comes first on this page. Om Jai Jagdish Hare, which temples sing at the end of a puja, comes last. Each aarti’s own page has all its words, the meaning of every line in English and Hindi, and the printed source of its text.
- Ganesha
Jai Ganesh Deva Aarti
जय गणेश जय गणेश जय गणेश देवा ॥
The best-known Hindi aarti to Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati. It praises his form and his kindness. Many families sing it at Ganesh Chaturthi and at the start or close of a puja.
- Hanuman
Aarti Kije Hanuman Lala Ki
आरती कीजै हनुमान ललाकी ।
Its name means "let us wave the lamp for dear Hanuman". It praises Hanuman as the one who destroys the wicked and as a part of Rama's own power. Many families sing it after the Hanuman Chalisa, often on Tuesday or Saturday.
- Shiva
Om Jai Shiv Omkara
जय शिव ओंकारा भज हर शिव ओंकारा।
One of the best-known aartis of Shiva, sung in homes and temples on Mondays, in the month of Shravan and on Maha Shivaratri. Each stanza puts Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva side by side, and the refrain calls Shiva Omkara, "the sound Om".
- The Goddess
Jai Ambe Gauri Aarti
जय अम्बे गौरी मैया जय श्यामा गौरी।
An aarti to the Goddess as Ambe ("Mother"), Gauri and Shyama. It describes her form, her lion and the music of her worship. Many families sing it every day during Navratri.
- Lakshmi
Om Jai Lakshmi Mata Aarti
ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता, मैया जय लक्ष्मी माता ।
The best-known aarti to Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu. It praises her as the mother of the world, whom the gods serve. Many families sing it at Lakshmi Puja on Diwali night and on Fridays.
- Krishna
Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki
आरती कुंजबिहारीकी। श्रीगिरधर कृष्णमुरारीकी॥
An aarti to Krishna as Kunj Bihari, "the one who roams the groves" of Vrindavan, as Giridhar, "the one who held up the hill", and as Murari. Families sing it at evening worship and on Janmashtami.
- Vishnu (Hari)
Om Jai Jagdish Hare
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे, स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे।
An aarti that praises God as Jagdish, "lord of the world", and as Hari, a name of Vishnu. Many Hindu families sing it every evening.
The printed source of each first line, and its licence, is listed below under “Source and licence”.
More prayers
Source and licence
- Jai Ganesh Deva Aarti
- Dated witness: The Second Triennial Report on the Search for Hindi Manuscripts for the years 1909, 1910 and 1911, by Shyam Behari Misra, assisted by Sukhdeo Behari Misra (Shyam Behari Misra, Sukhdeo Behari Misra, Nagari Pracharini Sabha, Benares, under the authority and patronage of the Government of the United Provinces, Allahabad, 1914). Public domain. Used only to date the text. The Devanagari on this page is a reading text and is not copied from this printing.
- Aarti Kije Hanuman Lala Ki
- Dated witness: 1 Mein 100 Pustak (१ में १०० पुस्तक, "a hundred books in one"), a collection of short devotional books compiled by Pt. Harishankar Shastri; first printing (Pt. Harishankar Shastri (son of Pt. Kundanlal, of Najibabad; head of a Sanskrit college at Hardwar), Pt. Harishankar Shastri, Hardwar (printed at his own cost), Cawnpore (Kanpur), 1900). Public domain. Used only to date the text. The Devanagari on this page is a reading text and is not copied from this printing.
- Om Jai Shiv Omkara
- Dated witness: Shri Kali Namamrit (श्रीकालीनामामृत), an illustrated collection of hymns, bhajans and aartis to Kali and the Devi, collected by Pt. Shivadatta 'Kaviratna' (Shivadatta "Kaviratna", Ramkrishna Bhagwandas Bhavsinghka (रामकृष्ण भगवान दास भावसिंहका), given away free ('विनामूल्य'), Calcutta (209 Cornwallis Street), 1921). Public domain. Used only to date the text. The Devanagari on this page is a reading text and is not copied from this printing.
- Jai Ambe Gauri Aarti
- Dated witness: Shri Kali Namamrit (श्रीकालीनामामृत), an illustrated collection of hymns, bhajans and aartis to Kali and the Devi, collected by Pt. Shivadatta 'Kaviratna' (Shivadatta "Kaviratna", Ramkrishna Bhagwandas Bhavsinghka (रामकृष्ण भगवान दास भावसिंहका), given away free ('विनामूल्य'), Calcutta (209 Cornwallis Street), 1921). Public domain. Used only to date the text. The Devanagari on this page is a reading text and is not copied from this printing.
- Om Jai Lakshmi Mata Aarti
- Text: Yagya-Mimamsa (यज्ञ-मीमांसा), a Hindi handbook of Vedic fire rituals in two parts, by Pandit Veniram Sharma Gaud, third enlarged edition (Veniram Sharma Gaud, Vaidik Pustakalaya (वैदिक पुस्तकालय), Varanasi, 1970). Traditional prayer. Text from Yagya-Mimamsa (यज्ञ-मीमांसा), a Hindi handbook of Vedic fire rituals in two parts, by Pandit Veniram Sharma Gaud, third enlarged edition, 1970. Translation and meanings: our own. The text on these pages was read from this printing’s page images.
- Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki
- Text: Shri Purnavaishnavaryoday Pushpanjali (श्री पूर्णवैष्णवाऽऽर्योदय पुष्पांजलिः) (Shri Guru Purnagiri Sansthan (श्री गुरु पूर्णगिरिसंस्थान), Lakhanpur (Jammu), 1993). Traditional prayer. Text from Shri Purnavaishnavaryoday Pushpanjali (श्री पूर्णवैष्णवाऽऽर्योदय पुष्पांजलिः), 1993. Translation and meanings: our own. The text on these pages was read from this printing’s page images.
- Om Jai Jagdish Hare
- Dated witness: Manohar Pushpanjali (मनोहर पुष्पाञ्जलि), a collection of 300 bhajans of the Arya Samaj; second printing (Narayan Datt Sahgal and Sons, Lohari Darwaza, Lahore, 1922). Public domain. Used only to date the text. The Devanagari on this page is a reading text and is not copied from this printing.