Jai Santoshi Mata Aarti
जय सन्तोषी माता, मैया जय सन्तोषी माता
What is Jai Santoshi Mata?
Jai Santoshi Mata Aarti Jai Santoshi Mata is a Hindi devotional aarti sung in praise of Santoshi Mata, the goddess of contentment, traditionally offered during the Friday (Shukravar) vrat and Navratri with a bhog of jaggery and roasted chickpeas.
Sung at the close of the Friday puja, the Jai Santoshi Mata aarti carries a household prayer to the goddess devotees turn to when they long for peace of mind rather than riches. Its verses picture the mother seated in golden light, pleased by the humblest offering of gud and chana, and reassure the worshipper that steady faith brings relief from want and worry. The hymn spread into millions of Indian homes after the 1975 film Jai Santoshi Maa, and the Shukravar vrat that goes with it remains one of the most widely kept women’s fasts in North and Central India.
Jai Santoshi Mata Aarti Lyrics
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Refrain
Jai Santoshi Mata, maiya jai Santoshi Mata
Apne sevak jan ko sukh sampatti data
Sundar chir sunahari, maa dharan keenho
Heera panna damke, tan shringaar leenho
Meaning
The Mother is draped in a lovely golden robe. Diamonds and emeralds catch the light as her form is adorned with ornaments.
Geru laal chhataa chhabi, badan kamal sohe
Mand hansat karunaamayi, tribhuvan jan mohe
Meaning
A warm red and ochre glow surrounds her lotus-like face. Smiling gently and full of mercy, she wins the hearts of the beings of all three worlds.
Swarn singhaasan baithi, chanwar dure pyaare
Dhoop deep madhu meva, bhog dhare nyaare
Meaning
Seated on a golden throne, she is fanned lovingly with the whisk. Incense, lamp, honey and dry fruit are placed before her as choice offerings.
Gud aru chana param priya, taamein santosh kiyo
Santoshi kahlaayi, bhaktan vaibhav diyo
Meaning
Jaggery and roasted gram are dearest to her, and in that simple bhog she takes full contentment. So she is called Santoshi, and she grants her devotees abundance.
Shukravar priya maanat, aaj divas soyi
Bhakt mandli chhaayi, katha sunat mohi
Meaning
Friday is held dear to her, and that is the day of her worship. The gathering of devotees fills the shrine, absorbed in listening to her sacred story.
Mandir jagmag jyoti, mangal dhwani chhaayi
Vinay karein hum sevak, harshit man bhaayi
Meaning
The temple glows with countless lamps and the sound of auspicious chanting rises everywhere. We, your servants, bow with a heart made glad.
Bhakti bhaavmay pooja, angikaar keeje
Jo mann vaanchhit phal ho, maa apna deeje
Meaning
Accept this worship offered with love and feeling, O Mother, and grant us the fruit our hearts sincerely wish for.
Dukhi daaridri rogi, sankat mukt kiye
Baanjhan ko putra det, dhan-vaibhav diye
Meaning
She frees the sorrowful, the poor and the sick from their troubles; she blesses the childless with a child and bestows wealth and prosperity.
Dhyaan dharе jo tera, so nar sukh paave
Sevaa karе jo koi, poojaa phal paave
Meaning
Whoever holds you in meditation finds happiness, and whoever serves you with care receives the reward of that worship.
Charan gahe ki lajja, maa tum hi raakho
Sharan pade ki laaja, jag mein tum raakho
Meaning
Guard the honour of the one who clasps your feet, O Mother; in this world, protect the dignity of everyone who takes shelter with you.
Closing
Santoshi maa ki aarti, jo koi nar gaave
Riddhi siddhi sukh sampatti, ji bharkar paave
Meaning & Significance
The Jai Santoshi Mata aarti reads like a family thanksgiving more than a grand hymn. Its opening line names the goddess as the one who gives her devotees sukh and sampatti — not power or victory in battle, but everyday ease and enough to live on. That tone runs through the whole song.
The middle verses draw a warm portrait: the mother in a golden robe, seated on a bright throne, pleased above all by gud and chana — jaggery and roasted chickpeas, among the cheapest offerings a household can make. This is the heart of Santoshi worship. Her very name, from santosh (contentment), teaches that the goddess is satisfied by sincerity rather than expense, and in return she satisfies the honest wishes of those who fast for her on Friday.
The closing stanzas turn to the worshipper’s own needs — relief for the poor, the sick and the childless — and end with a promise repeated across countless aartis: whoever sings this with faith lacks nothing they truly need. Sung after the Shukravar katha, the hymn seals the vrat and sends the devotee home with the assurance that a small, honest offering has been received.
How Do You Perform the Aarti?
- Choose a Friday — Santoshi Mata is worshipped on Shukravar. Devotees keep the fast on consecutive Fridays, usually completing a set of sixteen (solah Shukravar vrat).
- Set up the puja — Place a picture or idol of the goddess on a clean red or yellow cloth, light a lamp and incense, and keep a kalash of water beside it.
- Offer gud and chana — Prepare the traditional bhog of jaggery and roasted chickpeas. This simple offering is central to the vrat and must not be skipped.
- Read the vrat katha — Recite or listen to the Santoshi Mata vrat katha before the aarti so the worship is complete.
- Observe the sour restriction — Avoid eating anything sour on the fasting day and keep the household free of anything khatta, as the katha instructs.
- Sing the aarti — Stand before the deity, rotate the lit lamp clockwise, and sing the Jai Santoshi Mata aarti, repeating the refrain after each verse.
- Distribute prasad — Share the gud-chana prasad with the family and gathered devotees, then break the fast the same evening.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
Devotees who keep the Friday vrat and sing this aarti describe it bringing:
- Peace of mind: The worship centres on santosh — contentment — helping the devotee let go of restless craving and feel settled with what they have.
- Relief from money worries: Santoshi Mata is invoked for freedom from debt and hardship; the vrat is traditionally kept for steady, honest prosperity.
- Family harmony: The Friday katha and shared gud-chana prasad are a household ritual that draws the family together in a common prayer.
- Fulfilment of sincere wishes: The aarti asks the mother to grant the heart's genuine desire, and the vrat is often begun for a specific hope such as a child, a marriage or a job.
- A simple, accessible practice: With only jaggery, chickpeas, a lamp and faith required, the vrat is open to any household regardless of means.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
Santoshi Mata is a relatively modern addition to the Hindu pantheon, worshipped as the goddess of contentment and often described as a daughter of Ganesha. The Friday vrat in her honour was practised in parts of North India through the twentieth century, but the aarti and its katha reached a mass audience with the 1975 Hindi film Jai Santoshi Maa, a low-budget release that became one of the biggest devotional hits of Indian cinema.
The aarti itself is a traditional composition with no single named poet; it circulates in a stable, widely-shared form across vrat-katha booklets and devotional collections. The version sung today follows the standard recension found in these household texts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Jai Santoshi Mata?
Jai Santoshi Mata is a Hindi devotional aarti sung in praise of Santoshi Mata, the goddess of contentment, traditionally offered during the Friday (Shukravar) vrat and Navratri with a bhog of jaggery and roasted chickpeas.
On which day is the Jai Santoshi Mata aarti sung?
It is sung on Friday (Shukravar), the day sacred to Santoshi Mata, and during Navratri. Devotees keeping the vrat typically complete sixteen consecutive Fridays.
What offering is made to Santoshi Mata?
The traditional bhog is gud and chana — jaggery and roasted chickpeas. The vrat katha also instructs devotees to avoid anything sour (khatta) on the fasting day.
Who is Santoshi Mata?
Santoshi Mata is the Hindu goddess of contentment, whose name comes from santosh (satisfaction). She is often described as a daughter of Ganesha and is worshipped for peace of mind, relief from hardship, and the fulfilment of sincere wishes.
Why is the aarti so popular?
The aarti and its vrat spread across India after the 1975 film Jai Santoshi Maa, which turned the Friday fast and this hymn into a household devotional practice, especially among women.
What does singing the Jai Santoshi Mata aarti bring?
The closing verse promises riddhi, siddhi, happiness and prosperity in full measure to whoever sings it with faith, and devotees keep the vrat for contentment, family harmony and relief from want.
॥ बोलो सन्तोषी माता की जय ॥