Aarti: The Hindu Ceremony of Lights
The Aarti is one of the most important and popular ceremonies of the Hindu faith. The Aarti ceremony is said to have descended from the ancient Vedic concept of fire rituals, or homa. It is a prayer ceremony performed to greet and give thanks to the gods.
Origin of Aarti
Many centuries ago, the ancient practice of showing light to a god's idol or statue, set deep inside the dark recess of a temple's cave-like inner compartment, lead to the practice of Aarti. To allow devotees a look or darshan of the sacred image, the priest would show an oil lamp from the Deity's head-to-toe while chanting Vedic mantras or singing a hymn. Gradually, this practice developed into the Aarti.
Meaning
In Sanskrit, the word 'Aarti' – "Aa" means "towards or to" and "rati" means "right or virtue." The Aarti is thus an expression of one's absolute and steadfast love and devotion towards God. It is sung and performed with a deep sense of reverence, adoration, and meditative awareness. This prayer is joyously sung to musical instruments' accompaniment, including drums, bells, gongs, and a conch-shell. Aarti is performed and sung to develop the highest love for God.
Practice
At home and in smaller temples, the Aarti is performed twice daily, in the morning and the evening. Often called the 'ceremony of light,' the Aarti involves rotating a lit diya or incense before God's sacred image to seek the Deities' love, energy, and blessings. Everyone, in turn, performs it.
The Aarti also features as a component of other, more elaborate rituals within Hindu worship, and is often the concluding prayer in religious assemblies and festivals. In the Indian tradition, the Aarti is a part of prayer in which live-fire is lit either as a Diya, camphor pieces, or incense. It is offering to the deities that we worship. It generally marks to end of the ceremony or Pooja.
Significance
Like other Hindu rituals, the Aarti has profound spiritual significance and sentiments associated with it.
1). Like the diya or incense which burns itself to provide light and aroma, so do the devotees pray that their lives can be of service to others.
2). Another simile associated with Aarti is that as the diya burns in praise to the gods, similarly, human beings should burn their ego and their preoccupation with the self? They must realize that life is for the service of others.
3). Furthermore, the way a diya provides light and dispels darkness, only the actual knowledge of God, can dispel ignorance and false understanding.
Lakshmi Mata Aarti
Lyrics in Hindi
(ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता, मैया जय लक्ष्मी माता
तुमको निशदिन सेवत, मैया जी को निशदिन सेवत
हरि विष्णु विधाता, ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता) x २
1).
(उमा, रमा, ब्रह्माणी, तुम ही जग-माता
सूर्य-चन्द्रमा ध्यावत, नारद ऋषि गाता
ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता) x २
2).
(दुर्गा रुप निरंजनी, सुख सम्पत्ति दाता
जो कोई तुमको ध्यावत, ऋद्धि-सिद्धि धन पाता
ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता) x २
3).
(तुम पाताल-निवासिनि, तुम ही शुभदाता
कर्म-प्रभाव-प्रकाशिनी, भवनिधि की त्राता
ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता) x २
4).
(जिस घर में तुम रहतीं, सब सद्गुण आता
सब सम्भव हो जाता, मन नहीं घबराता
ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता) x २
5).
(तुम बिन यज्ञ न होते, वस्त्र न कोई पाता
खान-पान का वैभव, सब तुमसे आता
ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता) x २
6).
(शुभ-गुण मन्दिर सुन्दर, क्षीरोदधि-जाता
रत्न चतुर्दश तुम बिन, कोई नहीं पाता
ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता) x २
7).
(महालक्ष्मीजी की आरती, जो कोई नर गाता
उर आनन्द समाता, पाप उतर जाता
ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता) x २
(ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता, मैया जय लक्ष्मी माता
तुमको निशदिन सेवत, मैया जी को निशदिन सेवत
हरि विष्णु विधाता, ॐ जय लक्ष्मी माता) x २
Lyrics in English
[Om jai lakshmi mata, maiya jai lakshmi mata
tumako nishidin sewat, maiya jee ko nishdin sewat
hari vishnu vidhata, om jai lakshmi mata] x 2
1).
[uma rama brahmani, tum hi jag-mata
surya-chandrama dhyavat naarad rishi gata
om jai lakshmi mata] x 2
2).
[durga roop niranjani, sukh sampatti data
jo koi tumako dhyavat, riddhi-siddhi dhan pata
om jai lakshmi mata] x 2
3).
[tum patal-nivasini, tum hi shubhdata
karma-prabhav-prakashini, bhavanidhi ki trata
om jai lakshmi mata] x 2
4).
[jis ghar mein tum rahti, sab sadgun aata
sab sambhav ho jata, man nahi ghabrata
om jai lakshmi mata] x 2
5).
[tum bin yagya na hote, vastra na koi pata
khan-pan ka vaibhav, sab tumase aata
om jai lakshmi mata] x 2
6).
[shubh gun mandir sundar, kshirodadhi jata
ratna chaturdash tum bin, koi nahi pata
om jai lakshmi mataa] x 2
7).
[mahalakshmi ji ki aarti, jo koi jan gata
ur anand samata, paap utar jata
om jai lakshmi maata] x 2
[om jai lakshmi mata, maiya jai lakshmi mata
tumako nishidin sewat, maiya jee ko nishdin sewat
hari vishnu vidhata, om jai lakshmi mata] x 2
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