Bhagavad Gita Aarti
ॐ जय भगवद् गीते
What is the Bhagavad Gita Aarti?
Gita Aarti The Bhagavad Gita Aarti, opening with 'Om Jai Bhagavad Gite', is a devotional hymn that honours the Gita as a divine mother and praises its power to remove attachment, fear, and ignorance.
This aarti addresses the Bhagavad Gita as a living mother-goddess who abides within Krishna’s own heart and speaks his words. Each stanza names a gift the scripture offers the seeker, from steady devotion to freedom from the fear of birth and death. It is sung most often on Gita Jayanti and after a reading of the Gita itself.
Bhagavad Gita Aarti Lyrics (English)
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Refrain
Om Jai Bhagavad Gite, Maiya Jai Bhagavad Gite
Hari-hiy-kamal-viharini, sundar supunite
Karm-sumarm-prakashini, kamasaktihara
Tattvagyan-vikashini, vidya Brahm para
Meaning
You reveal the real secret of action and loosen the grip of craving; you unfold the knowledge of truth and are the highest learning that leads to Brahman.
Nishchal-bhakti-vidhayini, nirmal malhari
Sharan-sahasya-pradayini, sab vidhi sukhkari
Meaning
You settle the mind in unshaken devotion and wash away its stains; you grant the strength of surrender and bring comfort of every kind.
Rag-dvesh-vidarini, karini mod sada
Bhav-bhay-harini tarini, parmanandprada
Meaning
You cut through likes and dislikes and keep the heart in lasting gladness; you remove the fear of worldly existence, ferry the soul across, and give supreme bliss.
Aasur-bhav-vinashini, nashini tam rajni
Daivi sad gundayini, hari-rasika sajni
Meaning
You destroy the demonic impulses within and scatter the night of ignorance; you bestow divine virtues and stay near as a friend who delights in Hari.
Samta, tyag sikhavani, hari-mukh ki bani
Sakal shastra ki svamini, shrutiyon ki rani
Meaning
You teach evenness of mind and the art of letting go, and you are the word from the Lord's own mouth; you preside over every scripture and reign as queen of the Vedas.
Daya-sudha barsavani, matu! kripa kijai
Haripad-prem daan kar, apno kar lijai
Meaning
Rain down the nectar of your mercy, Mother, and be gracious; grant me love for the Lord's feet and take me as your own.
Meaning & Significance
The whole aarti works by treating the Bhagavad Gita not as a book but as a person, a mother who carries Krishna’s teaching and gives it freely to anyone who turns to her. Each line pairs a problem of the inner life, such as craving, fear, aversion, or ignorance, with the exact gift the Gita offers against it. Read together, the six stanzas map the journey the scripture describes, from restless action to steady devotion to the peace of self-knowledge.
Calling the Gita the queen of the Vedas and the mistress of all scriptures reflects a long devotional view that its eighteen chapters gather the heart of Hindu wisdom into one conversation on the battlefield. Singing this aarti is a way of thanking that teaching and asking, in the closing verse, for love of the divine and a place at the Lord’s feet.
How Do You Perform the Aarti?
- Keep a copy of the Gita ready. — Place the Bhagavad Gita, or an image of Krishna teaching Arjuna, on a clean cloth or small altar before you begin.
- Light a lamp and incense. — A ghee or oil diya and a stick of incense set the tone; many sing this aarti at the close of reading a chapter of the Gita.
- Begin with the refrain. — Start on 'Om Jai Bhagavad Gite' and return to it after every stanza, moving the lamp gently in a clockwise circle.
- Sing the six stanzas in order. — Follow the lines through the gifts of the Gita, from clear action in the first verse to the plea for grace in the last.
- Close and share the flame. — End on the refrain, offer the lamp before the text or image, then pass the aarti flame to those present and take the blessing.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
Sung with attention, the Gita Aarti settles the mind and renews the reader’s bond with the teaching. Its blessings are inward first.
- Steadies devotion: The second stanza asks for unwavering bhakti, and repeating it helps hold the mind on one point instead of scattering it.
- Loosens attachment and fear: The verses name craving, aversion, and the fear of birth and death as the very things the Gita dissolves, so the aarti works as a short daily reminder of that release.
- Honours the day of the Gita: On Gita Jayanti, singing this aarti marks the occasion the teaching was first spoken and joins the reader to a shared tradition of gratitude.
- Frames a Gita reading: Used before or after study, it turns a plain reading into an act of worship and helps the words settle in memory.
- Brings a sense of shelter: The closing appeal to be taken as the Mother's own leaves the singer with the calm of having asked for grace rather than only knowledge.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
The aarti is traditional and its composer is not recorded with certainty. It circulates widely through Gita Press and other devotional collections, which is how it reached most households, and it belongs to the broad body of Hindi bhakti verse that personifies sacred texts as goddesses. Because it is a folk-devotional composition passed down by singing rather than a signed literary work, it is best described as traditional, author unknown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bhagavad Gita Aarti?
The Bhagavad Gita Aarti, opening with 'Om Jai Bhagavad Gite', is a devotional hymn that honours the Gita as a divine mother and praises its power to remove attachment, fear, and ignorance.
When is the Gita Aarti sung?
It is sung most often on Gita Jayanti, which falls on the Shukla Ekadashi of the Margashirsha month, and by many readers at the close of studying a chapter of the Gita.
Which deity does this aarti address?
It addresses the Bhagavad Gita itself, personified as a mother-goddess who holds the words of Krishna, so the aarti is closely tied to the worship of Krishna.
How many verses does the Gita Aarti have?
The standard text has a repeating refrain and six short stanzas, each naming a gift the Gita offers, from clarity in action to love for the Lord's feet.
What does 'Jai Bhagavad Gite' mean?
It means 'Victory to the Bhagavad Gita', a call of praise to the scripture addressed as a living, motherly presence held within Krishna's heart.
॥ जय भगवद् गीते ॥