Om Jai Shiv Shankar Aarti

By the BhaktiRas Editorial Team · Updated 14 July 2026

If you have ever stood in a Shiva temple as the lamp is lifted and the whole room begins to sing, this is often the song on everyone’s lips. “Om Jai Shiv Shankar” belongs to the same family as the beloved “Om Jai Shiv Omkara,” an aarti that families across northern India recite on Monday evenings and through the month of Shravan. The words move steadily through Shiva’s many faces, the three great gods held in one form, the serpent, the trident, the Ganga in his matted hair, and end with a simple plea: keep us in your shelter. It is short enough to learn by heart in a week and old enough that your grandmother probably knew it too.

Om Jai Shiv Shankar Lyrics

Meaning & Significance

In short: this aarti praises Shiva as the one form that contains all gods, then asks him for shelter and the lifting of sorrow.

The song is built as a slow inventory of who Shiva is. It opens by collapsing the whole cosmos into a single figure, Brahma the maker, Vishnu the sustainer, and Shiva himself, with the Goddess joined as half his body. From there each verse adds another layer: the many faces and arms, the mounts he shares with the other gods, the rosary and the garland of skulls worn side by side, the tiger skin, the trident and the small hourglass drum, and the Ganga running through his hair.

What holds these images together is a single idea, that Shiva reconciles opposites. Ash and moonlight, householder and ascetic, gentle drum and fierce weapon all sit on one body without contradiction. The final verses turn from description to request. Everyone, gods and demons and quiet sages, ends up at the same doorway asking for refuge, and the closing line promises that whoever arrives there in earnest is met with peace. That movement, from awe to asking to reassurance, is the reason the aarti feels complete in only a few minutes of singing.

How Do You Perform the Aarti?

1. Light the lamp — Set a ghee or oil lamp with an odd number of wicks before an image or lingam of Shiva, and keep a bell within reach.
2. Begin with the refrain — Start on the line "Om Jai Shiv Shankar" so everyone can join the tune, then move through the verses in order.
3. Circle the flame — Rotate the lamp clockwise in front of the deity, small steady circles, letting the singing set the pace.
4. Ring and clap along — Ring the bell and let others clap on the beat; the shared rhythm is part of the offering, not a distraction from it.
5. Close and share the light — End on the concluding verse, pass the flame so each person can cup the warmth toward their face, and distribute a little prasad.

What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?

People return to this aarti for reasons that are as much about the household as about theology. A few that come up again and again:

• A calm end to the day: Sung on a Monday evening, the steady tune slows a restless mind and marks a clear line between work and rest.
• Easy for the whole family: The refrain repeats often and the verses are short, so children pick it up quickly and elders never lose their place.
• A focus for Shravan: During the month of Shravan, when many keep the Monday fast, this aarti gives the observance a shape and a shared voice.
• Comfort in worry: The refuge verses put a specific, singable request into words when someone is anxious and does not know what else to say.
• A living link to tradition: Learning the same lines your grandparents sang keeps a family thread intact without needing anything more than a lamp.

Who Wrote This Aarti?

This aarti has no single named author in the modern sense; it is carried as a traditional devotional text passed down orally and in countless printed prayer collections. It sits within the widely loved “Om Jai Shiv Omkara” tradition, a Shiva aarti sung in homes and temples across northern and central India, most often on Mondays and through the month of Shravan.

Because it travelled by memory long before it was printed, small differences between versions are normal and none is “wrong.” The closing line, spoken in the voice of a Shiva-devotee, is a common feature of aartis of this period, where the singer signs off by promising the fruit of the song to anyone who takes refuge in the Lord.

Frequently Asked Questions

॥ हर हर महादेव ॥