Ramakrishna Aarti (Khandana Bhava Bandhana)
श्री रामकृष्ण आरात्रिकम् – खण्डन भव बन्धन
What is the Ramakrishna Aarti (Khandana Bhava Bandhana)?
Ramakrishna Aarti The Ramakrishna Aarti, opening 'Khandana Bhava Bandhana', is a Bengali vesper hymn Swami Vivekananda wrote in 1898 to praise his guru Sri Ramakrishna.
Khandana Bhava Bandhana is the evening aarti sung to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Swami Vivekananda composed it in 1898, and it is chanted every dusk at Belur Math and Ramakrishna centres worldwide. Each line addresses Ramakrishna as the one who cuts the knot of worldly bondage and carries devotees across the ocean of birth and death.
Ramakrishna Aarti Lyrics (Khandana Bhava Bandhana)
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Khandana bhava-bandhana, jaga-vandana, vandi tomay
Niranjana nara-rupa-dhara, nirguna gunamay
Meaning
You break the chain of worldly existence and the whole world bows to you, so I too offer my prayer. Spotless and pure, you took a human form, and though beyond the three gunas you show every divine quality.
Mochana agha-dushana, jaga-bhushana, chidghana-kay
Jnananjana vimala-nayana, vikshane moha jay
Meaning
You wash away sin and defilement, and you are the ornament of the world, your very body a mass of pure consciousness. Your clear eyes are lined with the collyrium of wisdom, and one glance from them drives delusion away.
Bhaswara bhava-sagara, chira-unmada, prema-pathar
Bhaktarjana yugala-charana, tarana bhava-par
Meaning
You shine as an ocean of divine feeling, forever intoxicated in a boundless sea of love. Devotees who win your two lotus feet are carried safely to the far shore of this world.
Jrimbhita yuga-ishwara, jagad-ishwara, yoga-sahay
Nirodhana samahita-mana, nirakhi tava kripay
Meaning
You have appeared as the Lord of this age and Lord of the universe, the helper of all who seek union. With the mind stilled and gathered inward, and by your grace alone, a devotee catches sight of you.
Bhanjana dukha-ganjana, karuna-ghana, karma-kathor
Pranarpana jagata-tarana, krintana kali-dor
Meaning
You crush sorrow and suffering, your form a solid mass of compassion, and your austerity was severe. You gave your very life to ferry the world across and to cut the binding cord of this dark age.
Vanchana kama-kanchana, ati-nindita, indriya-rag
Tyagishwara he nara-vara, deha pade anurag
Meaning
You turned away lust and gold and every low craving of the senses. O best of men, master of renunciation, you gave up all love of body and fame.
Nirbhaya gata-samshaya, dridha-nishchaya, manasa-van
Nishkarana bhakata-sharana, tyaji jati-kula-man
Meaning
Fearless and free of doubt, you held a mind of firm resolve. You gave shelter to devotees for no reason but love, casting aside all pride of caste and family.
Sampada tava shri-pada, bhava-goshpada, vari-yathay
Premarpana sama-darashana, jaga-jana-dukha jay
Meaning
Your blessed feet are the true wealth, and holding them the vast sea of existence shrinks to a puddle in a hoofprint. Your gaze pours out love and sees all as equal, lifting the sorrow of every soul.
Namo namo prabhu vakya-manatita, mano-vachanaikadhar
Jyotira-jyoti ujala hridi-kandara, tumi tamo-bhanjana-har
Meaning
Salutations again and again, O Lord beyond speech and thought, the one ground of both mind and word. Light of all light, kindle the cave of my heart, for you are the one who shatters the darkness of ignorance.
Dhe dhe dhe langa ranga bhanga, baje anga-sanga mridanga
Gaiche chanda bhakata-vrinda, arati tomar
Jaya jaya arati tomar, hara hara arati tomar, shiva shiva arati tomar
Meaning
The mridanga sounds dhe dhe dhe, and its beat thrills through every limb as the empty play of the world falls away. The gathered devotees sing your aarti in rhythm: victory to you, remover of pain, auspicious one, we wave the lamp before you.
Meaning & Significance
Every couplet of this aarti opens a new door into who Sri Ramakrishna was. Vivekananda calls him the breaker of bondage, the pure one who took human shape, an ocean of feeling drunk on love, and the compassionate teacher who cut the cord of a darkened age. The praise is not decorative; each phrase names a real quality his disciples witnessed, from his renunciation of wealth and fame to his welcome of devotees without any thought of caste.
The final verses turn from description to direct pleading. The singer asks the Light of all light to kindle the cave of the heart and destroy inner darkness, then closes with the drumbeat and the cry of victory as the lamp is waved. Sung at dusk, the hymn moves the devotee from remembering Ramakrishna’s greatness to surrendering at his feet.
How Do You Perform the Ramakrishna Aarti?
- Prepare the shrine — at dusk, place a picture or image of Sri Ramakrishna, light a lamp or ghee wick, and set incense and a few flowers before it.
- Sit and settle — quiet the mind for a moment, then begin the hymn from the first line, 'Khandana bhava-bandhana', keeping an even, unhurried pace.
- Wave the lamp — during the closing verse, circle the lit lamp gently before the image in time with the rhythm as the words 'arati tomar' are sung.
- Sing the refrain together — let everyone join the 'jaya jaya arati tomar' lines, which are meant to be sung faster and with full voice.
- Close with pranam — end by bowing, offering the flowers, and sitting in silence for a short prayer or meditation.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
Regular singing of the Ramakrishna Aarti steadies the mind and deepens devotion and inner calm.
- Focused evening practice: the hymn gives the dusk hour a fixed shape, drawing the mind away from the day's noise into remembrance.
- Loosens worldly attachment: its very first words ask for the chain of bondage to be cut, a daily reminder to hold the world more lightly.
- Cultivates surrender: each verse ends at Ramakrishna's feet, training the heart in humility and trust rather than ego.
- Shared devotion: sung in a group, the rising refrain builds a felt sense of community and joy among those present.
- Calms and centres: the slow melody and steady drumbeat ease tension and leave the mind quieter for meditation.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
Swami Vivekananda composed this hymn in Bengali in 1898, a few years after the passing of his master Sri Ramakrishna, and set it to Raga Mishra Kalyani. It was first sung at the Belur Math and became the fixed evening vesper of the Ramakrishna Order. Today it is chanted every dusk at Ramakrishna Math and Mission centres across India and abroad, and remains one of the most loved devotional songs in the tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ramakrishna Aarti (Khandana Bhava Bandhana)?
The Ramakrishna Aarti, opening 'Khandana Bhava Bandhana', is a Bengali vesper hymn Swami Vivekananda wrote in 1898 to praise his guru Sri Ramakrishna.
Who composed Khandana Bhava Bandhana?
Swami Vivekananda composed it in 1898 in Bengali and set it to Raga Mishra Kalyani. It is sung as the evening aarti at Belur Math and Ramakrishna centres worldwide.
What does Khandana Bhava Bandhana mean?
The opening phrase means 'breaker of the bondage of worldly existence'. The hymn praises Sri Ramakrishna as the one who frees devotees from delusion and carries them across the ocean of birth and death.
When is the Ramakrishna Aarti sung?
It is sung at dusk as the evening vesper, when the lamp is waved before an image of Sri Ramakrishna. Devotees also chant it on his birthday and other observances of the Order.
How many verses does the aarti have?
The hymn has ten stanzas. The first eight praise Sri Ramakrishna's qualities, the ninth offers salutations to him as the light beyond speech and mind, and the tenth is the joyful lamp-waving refrain.
॥ जय श्री गुरु महाराज जी की जय ॥