Shitala Mata Aarti
जय शीतला माता, मैया जय शीतला माता
What is the Shitala Mata Aarti?
Shitala Aarti The Shitala Mata Aarti is a Hindi devotional song in praise of Shitala Mata, the goddess who protects devotees from fevers, smallpox and skin diseases, sung mainly on Sheetala Ashtami.
The Shitala Mata Aarti is offered to Shitala Mata, the goddess families turn to for protection from fevers, pox and the illnesses that spread in the changing seasons. Her name means the cool one, and the hymn asks her to keep the body healthy and the household free of sickness. It is sung above all on Sheetala Ashtami, the festival in the Chaitra month when cold, stale food is offered to the goddess who cools burning fevers.
Shitala Mata Aarti Lyrics (English)
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Refrain
Jai Shitala Mata, maiya jai Shitala Mata
Aadi jyoti maharani, sab phal ki daata
Ratan singhasan shobhit, shwet chhatra bhaata
Riddhi siddhi chanwar dulaven, jagmag chhavi chhaata
Meaning
The goddess graces a jewelled throne beneath a shining white canopy. Riddhi and Siddhi wave the fly-whisk beside her as her radiant form lights up the shrine.
Vishnu sevat thaadhe, seven Shiv dhaata
Ved puran varnat, paar nahin paata
Meaning
Vishnu attends on her standing, and Shiva and Brahma serve her too. The Vedas and Puranas describe her greatness yet never reach its limit.
Indra mridang bajaavat, Chandra veena haatha
Suraj taal bajaave, Narad muni gaata
Meaning
Indra beats the drum and the Moon holds the veena in his hands. The Sun keeps the rhythm on cymbals while the sage Narada sings her praise.
Ghanta shankh shehnai, baaje man bhaata
Karein bhaktjan aarti, lakhi lakhi harshaata
Meaning
Bell, conch and shehnai sound out in a way that gladdens the heart. The devotees perform the aarti, growing joyful at every glimpse of the goddess.
Brahm roop vardaani, tuhi teen kaal gyaata
Bhaktan ko sukh deti, maatu pita bhraata
Meaning
You are the boon-granting form of the Supreme, the knower of past, present and future. To your devotees you give happiness, being their mother, father and brother in one.
Jo jan dhyaan lagaave, prem shakti paata
Sakal manorath paave, bhavnidhi tar jaata
Meaning
Whoever fixes their mind on you gains the strength of true devotion. Every wish of theirs is fulfilled, and they cross safely over the ocean of worldly existence.
Rogon se jo peedit, sharan teri aata
Kodhi paave nirmal kaaya, andh netra paata
Meaning
Anyone tormented by disease who comes to take shelter with you is healed. The leper is given a clean, sound body and the blind receive their sight.
Closing
Das Narayan kar jori maata
Bhakti apni dije, aur na kuchh maata
Meaning & Significance
The Shitala Mata Aarti sets the goddess apart from the fierce Devi hymns. Here she is a cooling mother, the deity a family calls on when fever, pox or a skin infection enters the house. Her name comes from shital, meaning cool, and the whole song asks her to draw the heat of illness out of the body and keep the household well.
The middle verses raise her to the highest rank of the pantheon: Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma serve her, the planets and sages make music before her, and the Vedas fall short of describing her fully. This lifts a folk goddess of healing to a cosmic mother, so the plea for good health carries real weight. The verses that follow are direct and practical, promising relief to the diseased, sight to the blind and a healed body to the afflicted.
The closing line signs off with the devotee Narayan asking for one thing only, her devotion, not wealth or comfort. That turn is the heart of the aarti: physical protection is sought, but the deeper request is simply to stay close to the mother who guards both body and mind.
How Do You Perform the Aarti?
- Pick the right day — Shitala Mata is worshipped on Sheetala Ashtami in the Chaitra month, and often on Mondays. Many families keep the vrat on this day for the health of their children.
- Prepare cold prasad — Food for Shitala Mata is cooked the day before and offered cold, since the goddess is linked with coolness. No fresh fire or hot food is used on the festival day itself.
- Set up the puja — Place an image or idol of the goddess on a clean cloth, and keep water, a lamp fed with ghee, incense, and the cold bhog ready before the deity.
- Offer water and neem — Bathe the idol or image, offer water, and use neem leaves, which are associated with cooling and with relief from pox and skin ailments.
- Light the lamp and sing — Rotate the lit lamp gently clockwise before the goddess and sing the aarti, repeating the opening refrain after each verse.
- Pray for health — Ask the mother to protect the family from fevers and infectious illness, then share the cold prasad among the household.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
Devotees who sing this aarti with faith, especially on Sheetala Ashtami, describe it bringing:
- Protection from illness: Shitala Mata is invoked against fevers, smallpox, chickenpox, measles and skin diseases, and the aarti is a prayer for a healthy, disease-free body.
- Well-being for children: Mothers keep the Sheetala vrat and sing this aarti chiefly for the health and safety of their children through the changing seasons.
- A calm, cooling mind: The goddess of coolness is also called on to settle heat of temper and restlessness, leaving the worshipper steadier and more at peace.
- Household harmony: The shared Sheetala Ashtami puja and the cold prasad bring the family together in a common prayer for everyone's health.
- Steady faith: The closing verse asks only for devotion, and singing it regularly keeps that simple, trusting bond with the mother alive.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
The Shitala Mata Aarti is a traditional Hindi devotional composition with no single named poet, though the closing line carries the signature of a devotee called Narayan, a common way for old aartis to mark their author. Worship of Shitala Mata is very old and is mentioned in texts such as the Skanda Purana, where she is described as the goddess who guards against pox and fever. The aarti circulates today in a stable, widely shared form across vrat booklets and devotional collections, and the version sung in most homes follows this standard text.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Shitala Mata Aarti?
The Shitala Mata Aarti is a Hindi devotional song in praise of Shitala Mata, the goddess who protects devotees from fevers, smallpox and skin diseases, sung mainly on Sheetala Ashtami.
On which day is the Shitala Mata Aarti sung?
It is sung above all on Sheetala Ashtami, which falls in the Chaitra month (March to April), and often on Mondays. Mothers keep the vrat and sing it for their children's health.
Who is Shitala Mata?
Shitala Mata is the Hindu goddess of healing whose name means the cool one. She is worshipped to guard against pox, fevers and infectious diseases and to cool the heat of illness in the body.
Why is cold food offered to Shitala Mata?
The goddess is associated with coolness, so her prasad is cooked the day before and offered cold on Sheetala Ashtami, with no fresh fire lit on the festival day itself.
What are the benefits of singing this aarti?
Devotees sing it to seek protection from fevers, pox and skin diseases, good health for their children, a calm mind, and steady devotion to the mother goddess.
॥ बोलो शीतला माता की जय ॥