Om Jai Gangadhar Aarti — Kailase Girishikhare: Sanskrit Shiv Aarti Lyrics in English, Meaning

Om Jai Gangadhar Aarti is a Sanskrit aarti of Lord Shiva with the refrain “Om Har Har Har Mahadev”. It beautifully describes the jewelled hall in the wish-tree forest on Mount Kailash, the play of Shiva and Parvati, the dance and song of gods, apsaras and kinnaras, and Shiva’s tandava. In North India Om Jai Shiv Omkara is more common, while this aarti is sung in Shiva temples, in Sawan and on Mahashivratri. Below are the full lyrics, English transliteration and the meaning of each verse.

Om Jai Gangadhar Aarti lyrics in English

Om Jai Gangadhar Jai Har, Jai Girijadhisha,
Tvam Mam Palay Nityam, Kripaya Jagadisha.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Kailase Girishikhare, Kalpadrum Vipine,
Gunjati Madhukar Punje, Kunjavane Gahane.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Kokil Koojit Khelat, Hansavan Lalita,
Rachayati Kalakalapam, Nrityati Mud Sahita.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Tasmin Lalit Sudeshe, Shala Mani Rachita,
Tanmadhye Har Nikate, Gauri Mud Sahita.
Kreeda Rachayati, Bhusharanjit Nijamisham,
Indradik Sur Sevat, Namayate Shisham.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Vibudh Vadhu Bahu Nrityat, Hridaye Mud Sahita,
Kinnar Gayan Kurute, Sapt Swar Sahita.
Dhinakat Thai Thai Dhinakat, Mridang Vadayate,
Kvan Kvan Lalita Venum, Madhuram Natayate.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Run Run Charane Rachayati, Nupur Mujjvalita,
Chakravarte Bhramayati, Kurute Tam Dhik Tam.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Tam Tam Lup Chup, Tam Tam Damru Vadayate,
Angushthanguli Nadam, Lasakatam Kurute.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Karpur Dyuti Gauram, Panchanan Sahitam,
Trinayan Shashidhar Maulim, Vishadhar Kanth Yutam.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Sundar Jata Kalapam, Pavak Yut Bhalam,
Damru Trishul Pinakam, Kardhrit Nrikapalam.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Mundai Rachayati Mala, Pannagam Upavitam,
Vam Vibhage Girija, Rupam Ati Lalitam.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Sundar Sakal Sharire, Krit Bhasmabharanam,
Iti Vrishabhadhvaj Rupam, Tapatray Haranam.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Shankh Ninadam Kritva, Jhallari Nadayate,
Nirajayate Brahma, Ved Richam Pathate.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Ati Mridu Charan Sarojam, Hrit Kamale Dhritva,
Avalokayati Mahesham, Isham Abhinatva.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Dhyanam Aarti Samaye, Hridaye Ati Kritva,
Ramastrijatanatham, Isham Abhinatva.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Sangatimevam Pratidin, Pathanam Yah Kurute,
Shiv Sayujyam Gachchhati, Bhaktya Yah Shrinute.
॥ Om Har Har Har Mahadev ॥

Om Jai Gangadhar Aarti in Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ॐ जय गंगाधर जय हर, जय गिरिजाधीशा।
त्वं मां पालय नित्यं, कृपया जगदीशा॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

कैलासे गिरिशिखरे, कल्पद्रुमविपिने।
गुंजति मधुकरपुंजे, कुंजवने गहने॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

कोकिलकूजित खेलत, हंसावन ललिता।
रचयति कलाकलापं, नृत्यति मुदसहिता॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

तस्मिंल्ललितसुदेशे, शाला मणिरचिता।
तन्मध्ये हरनिकटे, गौरी मुदसहिता॥
क्रीडा रचयति, भूषारंचित निजमीशम्।
इंद्रादिक सुर सेवत, नामयते शीशम्॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

बिबुधबधू बहु नृत्यत, हृदये मुदसहिता।
किन्नर गायन कुरुते, सप्त स्वर सहिता॥
धिनकत थै थै धिनकत, मृदंग वादयते।
क्वण क्वण ललिता वेणुं, मधुरं नाटयते॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

रुण रुण चरणे रचयति, नूपुरमुज्ज्वलिता।
चक्रावर्ते भ्रमयति, कुरुते तां धिक तां॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

तां तां लुप चुप, तां तां डमरू वादयते।
अंगुष्ठांगुलिनादं, लासकतां कुरुते॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

कर्पूरद्युतिगौरं, पञ्चाननसहितम्।
त्रिनयनशशिधरमौलिं, विषधरकण्ठयुतम्॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

सुन्दरजटाकलापं, पावकयुतभालम्।
डमरुत्रिशूलपिनाकं, करधृतनृकपालम्॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

मुण्डै रचयति माला, पन्नगमुपवीतम्।
वामविभागे गिरिजा, रूपं अतिललितम्॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

सुन्दरसकलशरीरे, कृतभस्माभरणम्।
इति वृषभध्वजरूपं, तापत्रयहरणम्॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

शंखनिनादं कृत्वा, झल्लरि नादयते।
नीराजयते ब्रह्मा, वेदऋचां पठते॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

अतिमृदुचरणसरोजं, हृत्कमले धृत्वा।
अवलोकयति महेशं, ईशं अभिनत्वा॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

ध्यानं आरति समये, हृदये अति कृत्वा।
रामस्त्रिजटानाथं, ईशं अभिनत्वा॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

संगतिमेवं प्रतिदिन, पठनं यः कुरुते।
शिवसायुज्यं गच्छति, भक्त्या यः श्रृणुते॥
॥ ॐ हर हर हर महादेव ॥

Meaning of Om Jai Gangadhar Aarti

1. Refrain: Glory to you, bearer of the Ganga, O Har, lord of Girija (Parvati). O Lord of the world, protect me always by your grace.
2. Forest of Kailash: on the peak of Mount Kailash is a forest of wish-fulfilling trees, where swarms of bees hum in dense groves.
3. Birds: there the cuckoo sings, graceful swans play, and peacocks spread their feathers and dance with joy.
4. Jewelled hall: in that lovely place is a hall made of gems; in its middle, beside Shiva, joyful Gauri plays and delights her ornamented lord; Indra and the gods bow their heads in service.
5. Dance and song: celestial women dance with joy, kinnaras sing in all seven notes; the mridang plays to the beat “dhinakat thai thai” and the flute sounds sweetly.
6. Shiva’s dance: bright anklets jingle at his feet; Shiva whirls like a wheel to the beat “tam dhik tam”, plays the damru and dances the lasya, keeping time with thumb and fingers.
7. Shiva’s form: fair as camphor, five-faced, three-eyed, the moon on his head, a serpent at his throat; lovely matted locks, fire on his forehead, damru, trident, Pinaka bow and skull in his hands; a garland of skulls, a serpent as sacred thread, beautiful Girija on his left, his body adorned with ash — this form of the bull-bannered lord removes the three kinds of suffering.
8. Brahma’s aarti: sounding the conch and cymbals, Brahma performs Shiva’s aarti while reciting Vedic hymns.
9. Phalashruti: whoever holds Shiva’s soft lotus feet in the heart, meditates at aarti time and recites this daily or hears it with devotion attains union with Shiva.

How to do the Om Jai Gangadhar Aarti

1. Offer water, milk, bel leaves, datura, aak flowers and bhasma on the Shivling.
2. Chant “Om Namah Shivaya” 108 times.
3. Light a ghee or camphor lamp and sing this aarti with conch and bell — everyone joins in the refrain “Om Har Har Har Mahadev”.
4. On Mondays, Pradosh, Sawan and Mahashivratri sing it along with Om Jai Shiv Omkara.

7 rules of Om Jai Gangadhar Aarti

• Stand and do the aarti with a ghee or camphor lamp, moving it clockwise.
• Wave the lamp 4 times at the feet, 2 at the navel, 1 at the face and 7 times over the whole form.
• Offer bhog first, then do the aarti.
• Blow the conch, ring the bell or clap during the aarti — it keeps the mind focused.
• Do not get up or talk in the middle of the aarti.
• Afterwards take the aarti with both hands and share the prasad.
• Keep pronunciation clear; do not rush — sing with feeling.

Benefits of Om Jai Gangadhar Aarti

• Believed to calm the three kinds of suffering — of body, of fate and of the world.
• Brings deep peace and focus to the mind.
• Gives practice in Sanskrit pronunciation.
• According to the phalashruti, daily recitation leads to union with Shiva.

Also read Om Jai Shiv Omkara and the Shiv Tandav Stotram. Read more on Wikipedia.

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