Om Jai Jagdish Hare · ॐ जय जगदीश हरे
Deity: Vishnu (universal - all deities)
Language: Hindi (Devanagari)
Composer: Pandit Shradharam Sharma (1830-1881, Phagwara, Punjab).
Occasion - The supreme universal aarti - sung after most pujas in North + Central India. Especially Satyanarayana puja, Diwali, and most home-pujas.
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे। स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे।
भक्त जनों के संकट। दास जनों के संकट।
क्षण में दूर करे। ॐ जय जगदीश हरे॥
Om, victory to the Lord of the universe! Lord, victory to you. In an instant you remove the troubles of devotees, the troubles of your servants. Om, victory to the Lord of the universe!
जो ध्यावे फल पावे। दुख बिनसे मन का।
स्वामी दुख बिनसे मन का।
सुख सम्पत्ति घर आवे। कष्ट मिटे तन का।
Whoever meditates on you receives the fruit. The mind's sorrow vanishes. Lord, the mind's sorrow vanishes. Happiness + prosperity come into the home. Bodily afflictions cease.
Significance - Composed by a 19th-century brahmana from Phagwara. The simple language + universal applicability made it the most-sung aarti in modern India. Cuts across all caste + sect lines - Smartas, Vaishnavas, Shaivas all use it.
सुखकर्ता दुःखहर्ता वार्ता विघ्नांची।
नुरवी पुरवी प्रेम कृपा जयाची।
सर्वांगी सुंदर उटी शेंदुराची।
कंठी झळके माळ मुक्ताफळांची॥
Bringer of happiness, remover of sorrow, you erase the news of obstacles. Your love + grace is delivered. Across your whole body - beautiful sindoor paste. Around your neck - a glittering pearl-garland.
जय देव जय देव जय मंगलमूर्ती।
दर्शनमात्रें मनकामना पुरती॥
Victory, Lord, victory! O auspicious form (Mangalamurti) - by your sight alone, the mind's desires are fulfilled.
Significance - Sant Ramdas composed this in the 17th century Maharashtra bhakti tradition. Today sung in every Maharashtrian household + at every Ganesha temple. Lokmanya Tilak revived public Ganesha celebrations in 1893, popularising this aarti across India.
Yashomati Maiya Se Bole · यशोमती मैया से बोले
Deity: Krishna (child Krishna asking mother Yashoda why Radha is fair while he is dark)
Language: Brij Bhasha (popular Krishna devotional dialect)
Composer: Popular bhajan tradition - composer unidentified. Used in many sampradayas.
Occasion - Krishna Janmashtami. Krishna temples daily. Vrindavan + Mathura tradition.
यशोमती मैया से बोले नंदलाला।
राधा क्यों गोरी, मैं क्यों काला?
बोली मुस्काके मैया लाला, कर बैठा तू कैसा घोटाला।
राधा सुबह की उज्जवल बेला, तू है रात का रात का राजदुलारा॥
The lad of Nanda asks mother Yashoda: "Why is Radha fair, why am I dark?" Smiling, the mother says: "Dear son, what a doubt you raise! Radha is the bright morning hour; you are the king's darling of the night."
Significance - A tender devotional song from the Krishna-bhakti tradition. Krishna's blue-dark complexion is here celebrated rather than apologised for. Sung in every Krishna temple daily - especially Vrindavan + Govardhan area.
जय लक्ष्मी माता, मैय्या जय लक्ष्मी माता।
तुमको निशदिन सेवत हर विष्णु धाता।
जय लक्ष्मी माता॥
Victory, Mother Lakshmi! Mother, victory to you, Lakshmi Mata! Day and night, Vishnu and Brahma serve you. Victory, Mother Lakshmi!
उमा रमा ब्रह्माणी, तुम ही जग माता।
सूर्य चंद्रमा ध्यावत, नारद ऋषि गाता।
जय लक्ष्मी माता॥
Uma (Parvati), Rama (Sita), Brahmani - you are the world-mother. The sun and moon meditate on you; sage Narada sings of you. Victory, Mother Lakshmi!
Significance - Universal Diwali-night aarti. Sung in every Hindu home on the eve of Diwali (Lakshmi Pooja night).
Jai Ambe Gauri · जय अम्बे गौरी
Deity: Durga / Mata Bhavani
Language: Hindi
Composer: Traditional - composer unidentified.
Occasion - Navaratri (all 9 nights). Durga puja. Daily Devi worship.
जय अम्बे गौरी, मैय्या जय श्यामा गौरी।
तुमको निशदिन ध्यावत, हरि ब्रह्मा शिवरी।
जय अम्बे गौरी॥
Victory, Mother Amba Gauri, victory to dark-and-fair Gauri! Day and night, Hari (Vishnu), Brahma, and Shiva meditate on you. Victory, Mother Amba Gauri!
मांग सिंदूर विराजत, टीको मृगमद को।
उज्जवल से दोऊ नैना, चंद्रवदन नीको।
जय अम्बे गौरी॥
Sindoor adorns your forehead-parting; a deer-musk tilak shines. Both eyes radiate brightness; your moon-face is beautiful. Victory, Mother Amba Gauri!
Significance - Sung at every Devi temple + every household during Navaratri. The supreme Durga-aarti of North India.
जय शिव ओंकारा, ॐ हर शिव ओंकारा।
ब्रह्मा विष्णु सदाशिव, अर्धांगी धारा।
ॐ जय शिव ओंकारा॥
Victory, Shiva-Omkara! Om - Hara, Shiva, Omkara! Brahma, Vishnu, Sadashiva - and your consort (Parvati) by your side. Om, victory to Shiva Omkara!
एकानन चतुरानन पंचानन राजे।
हंसासन गरुड़ासन वृषवाहन साजे।
ॐ जय शिव ओंकारा॥
One-faced (Shiva), four-faced (Brahma), five-faced (the supreme Shiva) - all shine. The swan-vehicle (Brahma), Garuda-vehicle (Vishnu), and bull-vehicle (Nandi) - all are adorned. Om, victory to Shiva Omkara!
Significance - The supreme Shiva-aarti of North India. Sung at every Shiva temple + at home Shiva-altars daily.
Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki · आरती कुंज बिहारी की
Deity: Krishna (as Kunj Bihari - the one who plays in the kunj-groves of Vrindavan)
Language: Brij Bhasha
Composer: Sridhar Pathak (19th C).
Occasion - Krishna temples. Vrindavan + Mathura daily. Janmashtami.
आरती कुञ्ज बिहारी की।
श्री गिरिधर कृष्ण मुरारी की।
गले में बैजन्ती माला।
बजावे मुरली मधुर बाला॥
Aarti to Kunj Bihari - Sri Giridhar Krishna Murari! In his neck hangs a Vaijayanti garland. The young lad plays a sweet flute.
Significance - Vrindavan-tradition aarti. Sung at the Banke Bihari temple (Vrindavan) every evening + at every Krishna temple worldwide.
जय सरस्वती माता, मैय्या जय सरस्वती माता।
सदगुण वैभव शालिनी, त्रिभुवन विख्याता।
जय सरस्वती माता॥
Victory, Mother Saraswati, victory to you! Adorned with virtuous opulence, renowned in the three worlds. Victory, Mother Saraswati!
चन्द्रवदनि पद्मासिनी, द्युति मंगलकारी।
सोहे शुभ हंस सवारी, अतुल तेजधारी।
जय सरस्वती माता॥
Moon-faced, lotus-seated, light-bestowing of auspicious things. Mounted on the auspicious swan - bearer of incomparable radiance. Victory, Mother Saraswati!
Significance - Universal Saraswati aarti. Sung in every school + library + at Saraswati puja altars during exam season.
