Sant Namdev Aarti
संत नामदेव आरती
What is the Sant Namdev Aarti?
Namdev Aarti The Sant Namdev Aarti is a short Marathi hymn from the Warkari tradition sung in praise of the poet-saint Namdev, waved with a lamp at his samadhi in Pandharpur.
The Sant Namdev Aarti honours Namdev (c. 1270 to 1350), the Marathi poet-saint of Pandharpur whose abhangs helped shape the Warkari path and whose verses also reached the Guru Granth Sahib. Unlike the aartis Namdev himself composed for Vitthal, this short hymn is addressed to Namdev as a devotee-saint. Warkaris sing it while waving the lamp at his samadhi at the Mahadwar step of the Vitthal temple.
Sant Namdev Aarti Lyrics (English)
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Janmata Pandurange, jivhevari lihile
Shatkoti abhang, praman kavitva rachile
Meaning
From his birth, Panduranga is said to have written devotion on Namdev's tongue, and through that grace he composed a countless number of authentic abhangs. The line recalls the tradition that Namdev vowed to sing a hundred crore verses to Vitthal.
Refrain
Jai jayaji bhaktaraya, jivalag Namaya
Aarti ovalita, chitta palate kaya
Ghyavaya bhaktisukh, Pandurange avatar
Dharuniya tirthmishe, kela jagacha uddhar
Meaning
To taste the joy of pure devotion, Panduranga is felt to have taken form through Namdev. Using pilgrimage as the occasion, the saint travelled far and lifted up ordinary people wherever he went.
Pratyaksha prachiti he, valvant paris kela
Harapali vishamata, dvaitabuddhi nirasali
Meaning
Here is direct proof: the plain riverside sand at Pandharpur became like the touchstone that turns all to gold. Under Namdev's teaching, worldly distinctions dissolved and the sense of separateness from God fell away.
Samadhi mahadwari Shri-Vitthalcharani
Aarti ovalito, parisa kar joduni
Meaning
His samadhi rests at the Mahadwar, the great doorway, right at Shri Vitthal's feet. With folded hands the singer waves the lamp and asks the saint to receive this offering.
Meaning & Significance
This aarti reads Namdev’s life as a single act of surrender. The opening image of Panduranga writing on the newborn’s tongue frames every abhang that followed as a gift returned to God rather than a poet’s own achievement. That is why the hymn calls him bhaktaraya, a king among devotees, instead of praising his skill.
The middle verses point to what Warkaris value most in Namdev: he carried simple, name-centred devotion out of the temple and along the pilgrim roads, even as far as Punjab, so that farmers, weavers and outcastes could share it. The reference to the Pandharpur sand becoming a touchstone is the tradition’s way of saying that ordinary people and ordinary places were transformed in his company, and that the wall between the worshipper and Vitthal came down. The closing verse grounds all of this in a real spot, his samadhi at the Mahadwar step of the Vitthal temple, where the lamp is still waved today.
How Do You Perform the Aarti?
- Set up a simple space — keep an image or picture of Sant Namdev, or face the Vitthal shrine, and light a ghee or oil lamp on a small tray.
- Begin with the first verse — sing the opening line about Namdev's birth-gift of devotion, then move into the refrain that greets him as the beloved saint.
- Wave the lamp gently — move the lit lamp in slow clockwise circles before the image as you continue through verses two, three and four.
- Keep the refrain going — return to the 'Jai jayaji bhaktaraya' line after each verse so everyone present can join in.
- Close with folded hands — finish the last verse, offer a short bow, and share any prasad such as sugar, fruit or pedhe.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
Warkari devotees sing it to remember Namdev’s example and to steady the mind in devotion.
- Turns the mind inward: the refrain speaks of the heart being changed as the lamp is waved, which sets a calm, prayerful tone for worship.
- Keeps the saint's memory alive: singing it passes Namdev's story and the Warkari path on to the next generation without needing books.
- Fits any gathering: it is short and easy to learn, so families, bhajan groups and pilgrims can all sing it together.
- Connects to Pandharpur: the closing verse ties the singer to Namdev's samadhi at the Vitthal temple, a focus for devotion during the wari pilgrimage.
- Encourages equality: its praise of a saint who broke down social barriers reminds devotees that bhakti is open to everyone.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
The aarti is traditional and its author is not recorded. It belongs to the wider Marathi aarti-sangrah, the collections of saint-aartis sung in the Warkari tradition alongside those for Dnyaneshwar, Eknath, Tukaram and Ramdas. It should not be confused with the many aartis Namdev himself composed for Vitthal and other deities. A separate Hindi hymn beginning ‘Om Jai Jai Namdev Prabhu’ also circulates, but that is a later community composition with a different structure and unstable text, so it is not used here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sant Namdev Aarti?
It is a short Marathi hymn from the Warkari tradition sung in praise of the poet-saint Namdev, waved with a lamp at his samadhi in Pandharpur.
Is this the aarti Namdev wrote, or an aarti to him?
This hymn is addressed to Namdev as a saint. Namdev separately composed his own aartis for Vitthal, such as the famous 'Yuge attavis', which are different compositions.
When is the Sant Namdev Aarti sung?
It is sung during Warkari bhajan and kirtan, at Namdev's samadhi at the Vitthal temple in Pandharpur, and especially around Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi and his punyatithi.
Where is Sant Namdev's samadhi?
At the Mahadwar, the main doorway of the Vitthal temple in Pandharpur, a spot known as the Namdev Payari or Namdev step, which the last verse of the aarti names directly.
Why is Namdev called a king of devotees?
The refrain honours him as 'bhaktaraya' because he spread simple name-centred devotion to all people and is revered in both the Warkari tradition and Sikhism, where sixty-one of his hymns are in the Guru Granth Sahib.
॥ जय जयाजी भक्तरायां ॥