Shantadurga Aarti
श्री शांतादुर्गेची आरती
What is the Shantadurga Aarti?
Shantadurga Aarti The Shantadurga Aarti is a traditional Marathi devotional song to Goddess Shantadurga of Kavlem in Goa, a peaceful form of Durga, praising her as the mother who ends her devotees' sorrows.
The Shantadurga Aarti is sung to Goddess Shantadurga, the presiding deity of the well-known temple at Kavlem in Ponda, Goa. Her name joins shanta (peace) with Durga, since tradition holds that she settled a quarrel between Vishnu and Shiva, and the aarti addresses her as the mother who calms suffering. The five verses move from her home at Kavlem to her cosmic vastness, closing with the singers Padmaji and Babaji who set their joy in her praise.
Shantadurga Aarti Lyrics (English)
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Refrain
Jai Devi Jai Devi Jai Shante Janani
Durge Bahudukhadamane Ratalo Tava Bhajani
Bhukailasa Aisi Hi Kavala Nagari
Shantadurga Tethe Bhaktabhavahari
Asurate Marduniya Suravarakaivari
Smarati Vidhiharishankara Suragana Antari
Meaning
Devotees call Kavlem an earthly Kailasa, and there Shantadurga lives, lifting away the fears of worldly life. She crushed the demons to guard the gods, and Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the host of celestials remember her in their hearts.
Prabodha Tujha Navhe Vishvabhitari
Neti Neti Shabde Garjati Pai Chari
Sahi Shastre Mathita Na Kalisi Nirdhari
Ashtadasha Garjati Pari Nenati Tava Thori
Meaning
Your full nature cannot be grasped within this universe, and the four Vedas keep declaring of you 'not this, not this'. The six schools of philosophy, however deeply they search, cannot pin you down for certain, and the eighteen Puranas proclaim you yet never know your greatness.
Koti Madana Rupa Aisi Mukhashobha
Sarvangi Bhushane Jambunadagabha
Nasagri Muktaphala Dinamanichi Prabha
Bhaktajanate Abhaya Desi Tu Amba
Meaning
Your face carries the beauty of a million gods of love, and your whole body glows with ornaments of bright gold. The pearl at the tip of your nose shines like the sun, and to your devotees you give fearlessness, O Mother.
Ambe Bhaktansathi Hosi Sakara
Natari Jagajivana Tu Navhasi Gochara
Viratarupa Dharuni Karisi Vyapara
Triguni Virahita Sahita Tuja Kaicha Para
Meaning
For your devotees, Mother, you take a form the eyes can see, or else, as the very life of the world, you stay beyond all perception. Wearing a vast cosmic body you carry on your work, and being both apart from the three gunas and present within them, who can find your limit.
Tritapatape Shramalo Nijavi Nijasadani
Ambe Sakalarambhe Raka Shashivadani
Agame Nigame Durge Bhaktanche Janani
Padmaji Babaji Ramala Tava Bhajani
Meaning
Worn out by the three kinds of suffering, I rest in your care within my own home, O Mother of all beginnings, whose face is like the full moon. Known through the Agamas and Nigamas, O Durge, mother of devotees, Padmaji and Babaji found their joy in singing your praise.
Meaning & Significance
The aarti reads as a set of contrasts. In one line Shantadurga is a neighbour goddess with a home at Kavlem who removes everyday fears, and in the next she is so vast that the Vedas can only say ‘not this’ about her. That swing between the near and the boundless is the point: she is close enough to answer a devotee’s call, yet larger than any scripture can measure.
The word shanta, peace, sits at the centre of her name and her worship. A popular Goan account says she stepped between Vishnu and Shiva during a fierce dispute and brought calm, and the aarti keeps returning to that role, addressing her as the one who quiets the three great sorrows of body, mind and fate. The closing verse names the singers Padmaji and Babaji, marking it as a devotional composition passed down through generations of worshippers.
How Do You Perform the Aarti?
- Light the lamp. — Prepare a brass or silver aarti thali with a ghee or oil diya, a few flowers, kumkum and incense before the image of Shantadurga.
- Begin with the refrain. — Start and end each verse with the 'Jai Devi Jai Devi' chorus, keeping a steady, even pace so others can join in.
- Circle the flame. — Move the lit lamp in slow clockwise circles in front of the deity while singing, ringing a small bell if you have one.
- Sing all five verses. — Complete the five stanzas in order, then hold the flame steady for the final refrain.
- Share the aarti flame. — At the close, offer the flame to those present by passing a hand over it toward the head, then distribute prasad.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
Devotees sing the Shantadurga Aarti for inner calm and the goddess’s protection, especially during Navratri and at her Kavlem shrine.
- A settled mind: The aarti's focus on peace and its steady refrain give the singer a few unhurried minutes to slow down and let tension ease.
- A sense of protection: Addressing Shantadurga as the mother who guards devotees and crushes demons offers reassurance in times of worry or conflict.
- A daily devotional habit: Its short length, five verses and a repeated chorus, makes it easy to include in a morning or evening routine at the home shrine.
- A tie to Goan tradition: Singing it connects worshippers, at home or on pilgrimage, to the living practice of the Shantadurga temple at Kavlem.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
The Shantadurga Aarti is a traditional Marathi composition of the kind long sung in Goan and Konkan households. Its final verse names the devotees Padmaji and Babaji, a common way for older aartis to sign off with the singers rather than a formal author, so the piece is best treated as traditional, its precise date and composer unrecorded. It has spread through temple worship and printed aarti collections rather than a single fixed manuscript.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Shantadurga Aarti?
The Shantadurga Aarti is a traditional Marathi devotional song to Goddess Shantadurga of Kavlem in Goa, a peaceful form of Durga, praising her as the mother who ends her devotees' sorrows.
Who is Shantadurga?
Shantadurga is a form of the goddess Durga worshipped mainly in Goa, with her most famous temple at Kavlem near Ponda. Her name means the Durga who brings peace, from a tradition that she calmed a quarrel between Vishnu and Shiva.
When is the Shantadurga Aarti sung?
It is sung at daily or evening worship before the goddess, and especially during Navratri and at festivals held at the Shantadurga temple in Kavlem, Goa.
What language is the Shantadurga Aarti in?
The aarti is in Marathi, the devotional language of much Goan and Konkan worship, and is written in the Devanagari script.
How many verses does the aarti have?
The traditional text has five numbered verses, each followed by the recurring refrain that begins 'Jai Devi Jai Devi Jai Shante Janani'.
॥ जय शांतादुर्गा ॥