Jai Shiv Omkara Aarti
ॐ जय शिव ओंकारा
What is Jai Shiv Omkara?
Jai Shiv Omkara Aarti Jai Shiv Omkara is a traditional Hindu aarti to Lord Shiva, sung to honour him as the OM-syllable form uniting Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and offered with lamps during Maha Shivaratri and daily evening worship.
If you have stood in a Shiva temple as the evening lamp is lifted, you have almost certainly heard this one. “Jai Shiv Omkara” is among the most widely sung aartis in Hindu homes, and its pull comes from the very first line, where Shiva is greeted not as one god among many but as Omkara itself, the primal sound in which Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are folded into a single presence. The verses move quickly through the imagery a devotee holds in the mind while the flame circles the murti: faces and arms multiplying, garlands of beads and skulls, tiger-skin and ash, the trident and water-pot in his hands. It is short enough to complete in a few minutes, which is why it fits so naturally into a nightly routine, and full-throated enough that a whole room can carry it together on Maha Shivaratri.
Jai Shiv Omkara Lyrics with Meaning
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Refrain
Om Jai Shiv Omkara, Swami Jai Shiv Omkara
Brahma Vishnu Sadashiv, ardhangi dhara
Om Jai Shiv Omkara
Ekanan chaturanan panchanan raje
Hansasan garudasan vrishavahan saje
Om Jai Shiv Omkara
Meaning
He shines through the trinity: the one face, the four faces and the five faces. He is adorned across their vehicles too, the swan of Brahma, the eagle of Vishnu, and his own bull, Nandi. The single divinity is being seen in all three of its great forms at once.
Do bhuj chaar chaturbhuj dasabhuj ati sohe
Trigun roop nirakhate tribhuvan jan mohe
Om Jai Shiv Omkara
Meaning
Two-armed, four-armed, ten-armed, in every form he is beautiful to behold. Gazing at his threefold nature, the beings of all three worlds are drawn to him and lose themselves in wonder.
Akshamala vanamala mundamala dhari
Tripurari kansari kar mala dhari
Om Jai Shiv Omkara
Meaning
He wears the rosary of prayer-beads, the garland of forest flowers and the garland of skulls all at once. As Tripurari, destroyer of the three demon cities, and companion of the one who ended Kamsa, he holds the sacred garland in his hand.
Shvetambar pitambar baghambar ange
Sanakadik garunadik bhutadik sange
Om Jai Shiv Omkara
Meaning
White robes, yellow robes, the tiger-skin, all drape his body. Around him gather the sages led by Sanaka, the winged and celestial ones, and his host of ganas and spirits, the whole retinue that keeps him company.
Kar ke madhya kamandalu chakra trishuldhari
Sukhkari dukhhari jagpalan kari
Om Jai Shiv Omkara
Meaning
In his hands he carries the water-pot, the discus and the trident. He is the giver of happiness, the remover of sorrow, and the sustainer who protects the whole world.
Brahma Vishnu Sadashiv janat aviveka
Pranavakshar mein shobhit ye teenon eka
Om Jai Shiv Omkara
Meaning
Only the undiscerning imagine Brahma, Vishnu and Sadashiva as separate. In truth these three shine as one within the syllable of Pranava, the sacred OM.
Closing
Lakshmi va Savitri Parvati sanga
Parvati ardhangi, Shivlahari Ganga
Om Jai Shiv Omkara
Meaning & Significance
Jai Shiv Omkara is a devotional aarti that praises Shiva as Omkara, the primal OM in which Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are one. The song is built as a walk through Shiva’s many forms while the lamp is offered before him.
The refrain sets the theme the whole aarti returns to: Shiva is not merely a member of the trinity but the ground of it. Calling him “Omkara” identifies him with the sacred syllable OM, and the closing image of Ganga flowing through his hair and Parvati as the half of his body rounds out a portrait of a god who contains creation, preservation and dissolution together.
The middle verses read almost like a series of glimpses. His faces multiply from one to five, his arms from two to ten, his garlands run from prayer-beads to skulls, and his clothing from plain white cloth to the tiger-skin of the ascetic. Each pairing is deliberate: the householder and the hermit, the gentle and the fierce, held in one figure. Verse six states the underlying claim plainly, that seeing Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as three different gods is a failure of insight, since they shine as one within Pranava, the OM.
How Do You Perform the Aarti?
- Choose the time — Offer this aarti at dusk as part of the evening lamp, and on Maha Shivaratri, Shravan Mondays and Pradosh evenings when Shiva worship is emphasised.
- Prepare the lamp — Light a ghee or oil lamp, ideally with an odd number of wicks, and keep a bell handy. A Shivling, a Shiva image or even a simple pot of water stands as the focus.
- Begin with the refrain — Start on 'Om Jai Shiv Omkara' and return to it after every stanza, circling the flame clockwise before the deity as you sing.
- Sing the verses in order — Move through the numbered antaras steadily; the tune stays the same across all of them, so a group can join in easily.
- Close and share the flame — Finish on the closing verse, set down the lamp, and pass your palms over the flame and to your eyes and forehead as you take the aarti's blessing.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
Devotees keep this aarti in daily practice for reasons that are as much about steadiness as ritual:
- Fits a nightly habit: Short enough to complete in a few minutes, it slots into an evening routine without becoming a chore.
- Focuses the mind on one truth: The repeated refrain trains attention on Shiva as Omkara, giving the whole prayer a single, calming centre.
- A shared temple song: Its steady tune and well-known words make it easy for a whole family or congregation to sing together, especially on Maha Shivaratri.
- Carries the full picture of Shiva: In seven short verses it gathers his forms, weapons, garlands and consorts, so a devotee holds the complete image while offering the lamp.
- Sung across regions and generations: Being public-domain and widely printed, it is one of the first aartis many people learn, connecting new singers to a long, living practice.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
This aarti is a traditional composition that has circulated for generations in printed bhajan collections and temple practice, with no single verified author claimed by the standard North Indian text. Some published versions append a closing signature line attributing it to Swami Shivananda, but this is not consistently present across recensions, so the song is best described as traditional. It is entirely in the public domain and is reproduced here as it is commonly sung.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Jai Shiv Omkara?
Jai Shiv Omkara is a traditional Hindu aarti to Lord Shiva, sung to honour him as the OM-syllable form uniting Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and offered with lamps during Maha Shivaratri and daily evening worship.
When is Jai Shiv Omkara usually sung?
It is most often sung at the evening lamp offering as part of daily Shiva worship, and especially on Maha Shivaratri, Shravan Mondays and Pradosh evenings, when devotion to Shiva is emphasised.
What does the word Omkara mean in this aarti?
Omkara refers to the sacred syllable OM. Calling Shiva Omkara identifies him with that primal sound and, as the aarti explains, with the unity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva held within it.
Who composed Jai Shiv Omkara?
The standard text is treated as traditional and public-domain, with no consistently verified author. Some printed versions add a closing line attributing it to Swami Shivananda, but this is not present in every recension.
How is Jai Shiv Omkara different from other Shiva aartis?
Its distinctive theme is Shiva as Omkara, the OM-syllable in which the three great gods are one, framed by the opening and by the closing image of Ganga flowing through his hair, rather than focusing on a single temple or legend.
॥ हर हर महादेव ॥