Shri Ram Krishna Hari (Vitthal Aarti)
श्री राम कृष्ण हरी – विठ्ठलाची आरती
What is the Shri Ram Krishna Hari Vitthal Aarti?
Vitthal Aarti Shri Ram Krishna Hari is the Warkari naam of Vitthal (Vithoba) of Pandharpur, a form of Vishnu-Krishna, sung in the classic aarti Yuge Atthavis Vitevari Ubha by Sant Namdev.
Shri Ram Krishna Hari is the naam-dhun, the repeated name-chant, of Vitthal (also called Vithoba or Panduranga), the deity of Pandharpur in Maharashtra who is worshipped as a form of Vishnu and Krishna. Warkari devotees pair this naam with the traditional aarti Yuge Atthavis Vitevari Ubha, composed by Sant Namdev, which pictures Vitthal standing on a brick with Rukmini at his side on the bank of the Chandrabhaga river. The aarti and the naam are usually sung together at evening worship and during the Ashadhi and Kartiki pilgrimages.
Shri Ram Krishna Hari – Vitthal Aarti Lyrics (English)
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Yuge atthavis vitevari ubha
Vamangi rakhumai dise divya shobha
Pundalikache bheti parabrahma ale ga
Charani vahe bhima uddhari jaga
Meaning
For twenty-eight ages Vitthal has stood on a single brick, with Rukmini shining at his left side. He came as the Supreme Being to meet his devotee Pundalik, and the Bhima (Chandrabhaga) river flows at his feet, lifting up the world.
Refrain
Jai dev jai dev jai Panduranga
Rakhumai-vallabha, raichya vallabha pave jivlaga
Tulsimala gala kar thevuni kati
Kase pitambar kasturi lallati
Dev survar nitya yeti bheti
Garud hanumant pudhe ubhe rahati
Meaning
A tulsi garland hangs at his neck and his hands rest on his hips. He wears a yellow silk robe with a mark of musk on his forehead. Gods and celestials come daily for his sight, while Garuda and Hanuman stand before him in service.
Dhanya venunad anukshetrapala
Suvarnachi kamala vanmala gala
Rahi rakhumabai raniya sakala
Ovaliti raja vithoba savala
Meaning
Blessed is the sound of his flute, guardian of every sacred field. A golden lotus and a forest garland rest on his chest. Rahi, Rukmini and all the queens together wave the lamp of aarti before the dark-hued king Vithoba.
Ovalu artya kurvandya yeti
Chandrabhagemadhye soduniya deti
Dindya pataka vaishnav nachati
Pandharicha mahima varnava kiti
Meaning
Devotees come to wave the lamps and offer the wick-lights, releasing them into the Chandrabhaga river. Pilgrim groups carry banners as the Vaishnavas dance, and words fall short of describing the greatness of Pandharpur.
Ashadhi kartiki bhaktajan yeti
Chandrabhagemaji snane je kariti
Darshan helamatre taya hoy mukti
Keshavasi namdev bhave ovaliti
Meaning
In the months of Ashadha and Kartika the devotees arrive and bathe in the Chandrabhaga. A single glance of the deity grants them liberation. With such love Namdev waves the aarti to Keshava, the Lord himself.
Shri Ram Krishna Hari, Jai Ram Krishna Hari
Meaning
This is the Warkari name-chant that binds Rama, Krishna and Hari as one Lord present in Vitthal. Devotees repeat it before and after the aarti, and often through the walk to Pandharpur, as a simple thread of remembrance.
Meaning & Significance
The name Vitthal, or Vithoba, is understood by his devotees as one form of Vishnu in his descent as Krishna. The naam Shri Ram Krishna Hari folds three names of that same God into a single breath: Rama and Krishna, both descents of Vishnu, and Hari, a direct name of Vishnu. Chanting it is a way of saying that the deity standing on the brick at Pandharpur is the one God worshipped under many names.
The aarti itself, Yuge Atthavis Vitevari Ubha, was composed by Sant Namdev in the Warkari devotional stream. It does not list abstract praises so much as it draws a picture: the Lord waiting patiently for his devotee Pundalik, Rukmini beside him, the Chandrabhaga flowing past, and crowds of pilgrims bathing and dancing in Ashadha and Kartika. Singing the verses with the naam turns a description into a personal call, which is why Warkari families keep both together at the evening lamp.
How Do You Perform This Aarti?
- Set up the lamp. — Light a ghee or oil lamp on the aarti plate and add a tulsi leaf, a few flowers, and any offering you have. Face the image or photo of Vitthal.
- Begin with the naam. — Steady the mind by repeating Shri Ram Krishna Hari a few times, either aloud or silently, before you start the verses.
- Sing the five verses in order. — Move through Yuge Atthavis Vitevari Ubha verse by verse, returning to the Jai Dev Jai Dev Jai Panduranga refrain after the first verse as the Warkari singing pattern does.
- Circle the lamp. — Rotate the lit lamp gently in a clockwise motion before the deity while you sing, keeping the flame calm and your attention on the image.
- Close with the naam and prasad. — Finish by chanting Shri Ram Krishna Hari once more, offer the flame to those present, and share the prasad or tulsi as a blessing.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
Devotees sing the Vitthal aarti and its naam for steadiness of mind and a felt connection with Pandharpur, not for guaranteed outcomes.
- A simple daily anchor: The short naam Shri Ram Krishna Hari is easy to hold through the day, giving the mind a quiet point to return to during work or travel.
- Closeness to the Pandharpur tradition: Singing the aarti links a household to the wider Warkari community that walks to Pandharpur each year, even for those who cannot make the pilgrimage.
- A calm end to the day: Performed at the evening lamp, the verses and the lamp-circling settle the household into a shared, unhurried moment of worship.
- Devotion without ritual complexity: The practice needs only a lamp, a tulsi leaf, and the will to sing, which keeps regular worship within reach of everyone at home.
- Remembrance of one God in many names: Joining Rama, Krishna and Hari in a single chant reminds the singer that the deity of Pandharpur is the same Vishnu honoured across traditions.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
The aarti Yuge Atthavis Vitevari Ubha is traditionally attributed to Sant Namdev, the thirteenth to fourteenth century Marathi poet-saint of the Warkari movement, who signs the closing verse with his own name as he waves the lamp to Keshava. The naam-dhun Shri Ram Krishna Hari has no single author. It is a Warkari name-chant carried forward through generations of pilgrims and kirtan singers, and it remains anonymous by nature, belonging to the whole community rather than to one composer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Shri Ram Krishna Hari Vitthal Aarti?
Shri Ram Krishna Hari is the Warkari naam of Vitthal (Vithoba) of Pandharpur, a form of Vishnu-Krishna, sung in the classic aarti Yuge Atthavis Vitevari Ubha by Sant Namdev.
Who is Vitthal, and how is he linked to Vishnu and Krishna?
Vitthal, also called Vithoba or Panduranga, is the deity of Pandharpur in Maharashtra. Warkari devotees worship him as a form of Vishnu in his descent as Krishna, which is why the naam joins Rama, Krishna and Hari.
Why do devotees chant Shri Ram Krishna Hari?
It is the Warkari name-chant that treats Rama, Krishna and Hari as one Lord present in Vitthal. Pilgrims repeat it as a simple, portable thread of remembrance on the walk to Pandharpur and in daily worship.
When is the Vitthal aarti usually sung?
It is sung at the evening lamp and especially during the Ashadhi and Kartiki Ekadashi pilgrimages, when large numbers of Warkaris gather at Pandharpur and bathe in the Chandrabhaga river.
What does Yuge Atthavis Vitevari Ubha mean?
The opening line means that for twenty-eight ages Vitthal has stood on a single brick, waiting with Rukmini beside him. It recalls the story of his devotee Pundalik, for whom the Lord waits at Pandharpur.
॥ श्री राम कृष्ण हरी ॥