Sukhkarta Dukhaharta Aarti

By the BhaktiRas Editorial Team · Updated 14 July 2026

Sukhkarta Dukhaharta is the aarti most Marathi households reach for first when the lamp is lit before Ganesha. Its opening words — sukhkarta dukhaharta, “the one who brings joy and carries away sorrow” — set the tone for three short verses that greet the elephant-headed god, describe his ornaments, and end with the poet quietly signing himself as Das Ramacha, Rama’s servant, waiting at the Lord’s door.

Sukhkarta Dukhaharta Aarti Lyrics in English (Transliteration)

Meaning & Significance

The aarti is a short hymn of praise that greets Ganesha as the giver of joy and remover of sorrow, describes his adorned form, and asks for his protection in times of trouble. It is less a story than a moment of direct address — the devotee standing before the idol with a lamp, naming what they see and what they hope for.

The three verses move outward then inward. The first names Ganesha’s essential role and his vermilion-covered form; the second lingers on his ornaments — the jewelled shield, sandalwood and saffron, the diamond crown, the anklets; the third turns personal. Samarth Ramdas signs the poem as Das Ramacha, “the servant of Rama,” and pictures himself waiting at the god’s door, asking to be saved in danger and guarded at the moment of death. That closing plea is why the aarti feels intimate rather than ceremonial, even when a whole pandal sings it together.

How Do You Perform the Aarti?

1. Light the lamp — Place a ghee or oil diya on the aarti thali before Ganesha and light the wicks, along with an incense stick if you keep one.
2. Begin with the first verse — Start on 'Sukhkarta dukhaharta' at a steady, singable pace — this line sets the rhythm the rest follows.
3. Circle the lamp on the refrain — As you reach 'Jai dev jai dev', move the thali in gentle clockwise circles before the idol.
4. Sing the refrain after every verse — Return to 'Jai dev jai dev, jai mangalamurti' after each of the three verses — that repetition is how the aarti is meant to be sung.
5. Close with the signature verse — Let the final verse, with 'Das Ramacha vat pahe sadana', be the quiet, personal ending before the last refrain.
6. Offer and share — Set the thali down, take the flame's warmth to your eyes, and distribute prasad to everyone present.

What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?

Singing Sukhkarta Dukhaharta is valued as a daily act of devotion that steadies the mind and invites Ganesha’s grace before any new undertaking. Its benefits are experiential and cultural rather than guaranteed outcomes:

• Calms and centres: The steady, familiar melody slows the breath and settles a restless mind before worship or work.
• Invokes an auspicious start: As the remover of obstacles, Ganesha is honoured first — many families sing this aarti before beginning anything new.
• Anchors Ganesh Chaturthi: It is the aarti sung morning and evening through the festival, tying households and pandals to a shared rhythm.
• Carries living tradition: Learning it connects children and newcomers to a 17th-century devotional poem still sung word-for-word today.

Who Wrote This Aarti?

Sukhkarta Dukhaharta is traditionally attributed to Samarth Ramdas, the 17th-century Marathi saint-poet and spiritual guide of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Ramdas (c. 1608–1681) wrote in plain, singable Marathi and is best known for the Dasbodh and the Manache Shlok. The internal signature Das Ramacha — “Rama’s servant” — is his customary sign-off, which is why the aarti is placed with his devotional compositions. As with much oral devotional literature, the exact wording has been polished by centuries of congregational singing, but the authorship credited to Ramdas is the one carried across Marathi tradition.

Frequently Asked Questions

॥ जय मंगलमूर्ती मोरया ॥