The text
जय अम्बे गौरी, मैया जय श्यामा गोरी ।
jaya ambe gaurī, maiyā jaya śyāmā gorī |
Hail Amba Gauri, mother, hail Shyama Gauri,
तुमको निशि दिन ध्यावत हरि ब्रह्मा शिवरी॥
tumako niśi dina dhyāvata hari brahmā śivarī||
whom Hari, Brahma and Shiva meditate upon night and day.
मांग सिंदूर विराजत टीको मृगमद को।
māṃga siṃdūra virājata ṭīko mṛgamada ko|
Vermilion graces the parting of your hair, a musk tilak on your brow,
उज्ज्वल से दोङ नैना चन्द्रबदन नीको
ujjvala se doṅa nainā candrabadana nīko
your two eyes are bright, your moon-like face is lovely.
कनक समान कलेवर रक्ताम्बर राजै।
kanaka samāna kalevara raktāmbara rājai|
Your body is like gold, you shine in crimson garments,
रक्तपुष्प की माला कंठन पर साजे
raktapuṣpa kī mālā kaṃṭhana para sāje
a garland of red flowers rests upon your throat.
केहरि वाहन राजत खड्ग खप्पर धारी।
kehari vāhana rājata khaḍga khappara dhārī|
You ride a lion, bearing the sword and the skull-bowl;
सुर-नर-मुनिजन सेवत तिनके दुखहारी
sura-nara-munijana sevata tinake dukhahārī
gods, men and sages serve you, and you take their sorrow away.
कारन कुण्डल शोभित नासाग्रे मोती।
kārana kuṇḍala śobhita nāsāgre motī|
Earrings adorn your ears, a pearl sits at the tip of your nose,
कोटिक चन्द्र दिवाकर राजत सम ज्योति
koṭika candra divākara rājata sama jyoti
and you shine with the light of ten million moons and suns.
शुम्भ निशुम्भ विदारे महिषासुर घाती।
śumbha niśumbha vidāre mahiṣāsura ghātī|
You tore Shumbha and Nishumbha apart and struck down Mahishasura;
धूम्र विलोचन नैना निशदिन मदमाती
dhūmra vilocana nainā niśadina madamātī
Dhumralochana's eyes, night and day, were heavy with pride.
चण्ड-मुण्ड संहारे, शोणित बीज हरे।
caṇḍa-muṇḍa saṃhāre, śoṇita bīja hare|
You destroyed Chanda and Munda and carried off Raktabija,
मधु-कैटभ दोऊ मारे, सुर भयहीन करे
madhu-kaiṭabha doū māre, sura bhayahīna kare
you killed both Madhu and Kaitabha and made the gods fearless.
ब्रह्माणी, रुद्राणी, तुम कमला रानी।
brahmāṇī, rudrāṇī, tuma kamalā rānī|
Brahmani, Rudrani, you are queen Kamala;
आगम निगम बखानी, तुम शिव पटरानी
āgama nigama bakhānī, tuma śiva paṭarānī
the Agamas and Nigamas declare you Shiva's chief queen.
चौंसठ योगिनी गावत नृत्य करत भैरू।
cauṃsaṭha yoginī gāvata nṛtya karata bhairū|
Sixty-four yoginis sing and Bhairava dances,
बाजत ताल मृदंगा अरु बाजत डमरू
bājata tāla mṛdaṃgā aru bājata ḍamarū
cymbals and mridanga sound, and the damaru sounds with them.
तुम ही जग की माता, तुम ही हो भरता।
tuma hī jaga kī mātā, tuma hī ho bharatā|
You alone are the mother of the world, you alone sustain it,
भक्तन की दुःख हरता, सुख सम्पत्ति करता
bhaktana kī duḥkha haratā, sukha sampatti karatā
you take away your devotees' grief and bring them happiness and plenty.
शुजा चार अति शोभित वरमुद्रा धारी।
śujā cāra ati śobhita varamudrā dhārī|
Your four arms are beautiful, held in the gesture that grants boons;
मनवांछित फल पावत सेवत नर नारी
manavāṃchita phala pāvata sevata nara nārī
the men and women who serve you obtain the fruit they desire.
कंचन थाल विराजत अगर कपूर बाती।
kaṃcana thāla virājata agara kapūra bātī|
A golden platter shines with agar and camphor wicks,
श्रीमालकेतु में राजत कोटि रतन ज्योति
śrīmālaketu meṃ rājata koṭi ratana jyoti
and on Shrimalketu ten million jewel-lights blaze.
अम्बे को आरती जो कोई नर गावे।
ambe ko āratī jo koī nara gāve|
Whoever sings the aarti of Amba —
चहत शिवानन्द स्वामी सुख-सम्पत्ति पाये
cahata śivānanda svāmī sukha-sampatti pāye
Shivanand Swami asks that he obtain happiness and plenty.
When and how it is recited
Sung at the Vaishno Devi shrine and at Devi temples generally, during Navratri, and at the morning and evening aarti. It is the standard Durga aarti rather than one peculiar to Vaishno Devi.
About the text
| Author | The text signs itself in the last couplet: "chahat Shivanand Swami" — the poet gives his name as Shivanand Swami. NOTE a common confusion: this aarti is often credited to Pandit Shardha Ram Phillauri, but he wrote "Om Jai Jagdish Hare", which is a different aarti. The signature inside this text names Shivanand. |
|---|---|
| Dating | Not established. The text is old enough to be anonymous in practice and appears in compilations without an author credit beyond its own signature. |
| Language | Devotional Hindi with Braj forms |