About this aarti
Om Jai Shiv Omkara is the most popular aarti of Shiva in North India, sung in homes and Shiva temples every evening, every Monday, through the month of Shravana and above all on Maha Shivaratri. Its closing verse carries the signature of Shivanand Swami, a poet about whom little is known, and it is traditionally dated to the 19th century or earlier.
The aarti is a hymn of Shiva as the whole of God. It opens by hailing him as Omkara, the sacred syllable Om itself, in whom Brahma, Vishnu and Sadashiva are joined, and it describes him with one face, four faces and five faces, riding the swan, Garuda and the bull: the vehicles of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The point is made explicitly in a later verse: the ignorant think of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as separate, but in the syllable Om the three are one. This makes it a favourite of Smarta and non-sectarian worshippers.
Other verses picture Shiva’s forms and ornaments: garlands of rudraksha, forest flowers and skulls, the crescent moon, white, yellow and tiger-skin garments, the water pot, discus and trident, and his home in Kashi, guarded by Nandi.
How to perform the aarti
- Bathe the lingam with water or milk and offer bilva leaves, white flowers and vibhuti.
- Light a ghee lamp or camphor and ring the bell, or blow the conch and play the damaru.
- Wave the lamp clockwise while singing, returning to “Om Jai Shiv Omkara” after each verse.
- Close with “Har Har Mahadev” and offer the flame to everyone present.
Variants
This aarti is sung with many variant and additional verses, for example about Shiva’s matted hair and the Ganga, his food of bhang and dhatura, or Parvati at his side. The text here gives the most widely sung form.