Mahavir Aarti
श्री महावीर स्वामी आरती
What is the Mahavir Aarti?
Mahavir Aarti The Mahavir Aarti (Om Jai Mahavir Prabho) is a Hindi devotional song honouring Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara, sung in temples and on Mahavir Jayanti to praise his life of non-violence.
The Mahavir Aarti, popularly opening with the line Om Jai Mahavir Prabho, is a short Hindi hymn offered to Mahavira, the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara of this age in the Jain tradition. Its seven verses recall his birth to Queen Trishala, his path of self-restraint, and the disciples he guided toward liberation. Jain families sing it during the evening lamp offering and especially on Mahavir Jayanti.
Mahavir Aarti Lyrics (English)
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Refrain
Om Jai Mahavir Prabho
Swami Jai Mahavir Prabho
Jag-nayak sukhdayak
Ati gambhir Prabho
Meaning
It hails Mahavira as a guide for the whole world and a giver of peace, whose wisdom runs deep and serene.
Kundalpur mein janme, Trishla ke jaye
Pita Siddharth raja, sur nar harshaye
Meaning
He was born as the son of Queen Trishala in the town the aarti calls Kundalpur; his father was King Siddhartha, and both celestial beings and people rejoiced at his arrival.
Deenanath dayanidhi ho mangalkari
Jagat-hit sanyam dhara, Prabhu par-upkari
Meaning
He is called a refuge of the helpless and a store of compassion who brings well-being; for the good of all, he took up a life of self-discipline, working selflessly for others.
Papachar mitaya, satpath dikhlaya
Daya-dharm ka jhanda, jag mein lahraya
Meaning
He turned people away from wrongdoing and pointed to the true path, raising the banner of compassion and non-violence across the world.
Arjunmali, Gautam, Shri Chandanbala
Paar jagat se beda, inka kar dala
Meaning
The verse names disciples such as Arjunmali, Gautam Swami and Chandanbala, whose lives he transformed and helped carry across the ocean of worldly existence.
Pawan naam tumhara, jag taranhara
Nis din jo nar dhyave, kasht mite sara
Meaning
His pure name is described as a ferry across worldly suffering; whoever reflects on it steadily, day and night, finds their troubles easing.
Karunasagar! teri mahima hai nyari
Gyan-muni gun gave, charanan balihari
Meaning
Addressing him as an ocean of compassion whose greatness is unmatched, the closing verse says the poet, signing as Gyan Muni, sings his virtues in devotion at his feet.
Meaning & Significance
The aarti is a compact retelling of Mahavira’s life and message. It opens by praising him as a teacher for the world, then moves through his birth, his renunciation, and the disciples he guided, before closing with the poet’s own tribute. In Jain thought a Tirthankara is a ford-maker, one who shows the way across the cycle of birth and rebirth, and the line calling him jag taranhara reflects exactly that role rather than any idea of a creator god.
What the verses return to again and again is conduct: ending harm, showing the true path, and raising the banner of daya-dharma, the way of compassion and non-violence. Singing the aarti is a way of holding those ideals in mind, not of asking for favours. For many Jain households it marks the quiet close of the day and, on Mahavir Jayanti, the high point of community worship.
How Do You Perform the Aarti?
- Prepare the lamp. — Light a diya or aarti thali with a few wicks in pure ghee, and keep it ready before the image or symbol of Mahavira in the home shrine or temple.
- Begin with the refrain. — Start by singing the opening line, Om Jai Mahavir Prabho, and repeat it after each verse so the whole group can join in.
- Circle the flame gently. — Move the lamp in slow clockwise circles before the Tirthankara's image, keeping your attention on the meaning of the words rather than the ritual alone.
- Sing all seven verses. — Continue verse by verse at a steady, calm pace, letting everyone present recite together.
- Close with reflection. — End with the final verse and a moment of silence, offering a resolve toward non-violence and honesty before sharing any prasad.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
The aarti is valued less as a request for reward and more as a daily reminder of ahimsa and self-restraint.
- Steadies the mind: Its short, repeating verses are easy to memorise and help settle the attention at the end of the day.
- Keeps the ideals present: Each verse restates Mahavira's core message of non-violence, truth and compassion, keeping those values in daily view.
- Brings the family together: Because everyone can join the refrain, it turns the evening lamp offering into a shared act of devotion.
- Anchors Mahavir Jayanti: It is a natural centrepiece for community worship on Mahavir Jayanti and other Jain observances.
- Encourages calm and gratitude: The unhurried melody and the theme of compassion foster a quiet, grateful frame of mind.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
The Mahavir Aarti is a traditional Hindi devotional composition, and its exact date and full authorship are not documented. The closing verse carries the poet’s pen-name, Gyan Muni, a common way for the composer of a bhajan or aarti to sign the final line, though little more is known about the writer. It has circulated widely in Jain communities across the Hindi and Gujarati speaking regions and is sung in both Digambara and Shvetambara households.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mahavir Aarti?
The Mahavir Aarti (Om Jai Mahavir Prabho) is a Hindi devotional song honouring Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara, sung in temples and on Mahavir Jayanti to praise his life of non-violence.
Who was Mahavira?
Mahavira, also called Vardhamana, was the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara of this age in Jainism. Jains honour him as a supreme teacher and ford-maker who taught the path of ahimsa, truth and self-restraint, not as a creator god.
When is the Mahavir Aarti sung?
It is sung during the evening lamp offering in Jain homes and temples, and most prominently on Mahavir Jayanti, the festival marking Mahavira's birth.
What language is the Mahavir Aarti in?
The standard aarti is in Hindi and is widely sung in Gujarati-speaking Jain communities as well. This page gives the Devanagari text with a Roman transliteration and a verse-by-verse meaning.
What does the aarti say about Mahavira?
Its verses recall his birth to Queen Trishala, his path of self-discipline, the disciples he guided such as Gautam Swami and Chandanbala, and his message of compassion and non-violence for the whole world.
॥ ॐ जय महावीर प्रभो ॥