Aarti of Shri Ramayana
An aarti to the Ramayana scripture itself, praising it as the essence of all texts, sung by gods and sages, and a cure for the ills of Kali Yuga.
Verses
This is the Aarti of Shri Ramayana.
Verse 1
We offer this Aarti to Shri Ramayana, which celebrates the beautiful and graceful glory of Sita and her Lord.
Verse 2
Brahma, Narada, the sage Valmiki who is an expert in spiritual knowledge, Suka, Sanaka and others, Shesha, and Saraswati sing it; and Hanuman has described its excellent glory.
Verse 3
We offer this Aarti to Shri Ramayana, which celebrates the beautiful and graceful glory of Sita and her Lord.
Verse 4
The Vedas, the eighteen Puranas, the six Shastras, and the essence of all scriptures sing it; it is the treasure of the sages' minds and the wealth of the saints, and is accepted as the essence by all.
Verse 5
We offer this Aarti to Shri Ramayana, which celebrates the beautiful and graceful glory of Sita and her Lord.
Verse 6
Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati constantly sing it, as does the wise sage Agastya; Vyasa and other great poets have proclaimed it, as have Kakabhushundi and Garuda.
Verse 7
We offer this Aarti to Shri Ramayana, which celebrates the beautiful and graceful glory of Sita and her Lord.
Verse 8
It destroys the sins of Kali Yuga and makes worldly pleasures taste insipid; it is the beautiful adornment of the bride of devotion; it destroys diseases and is the nectar-like herb for the cycle of rebirth; it is like a father and mother to Tulsidas in every way.
Verse 9
We offer this Aarti to Shri Ramayana, which celebrates the beautiful and graceful glory of Sita and her Lord.
Verse 10
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Daily or auspicious lunar days (Ekadashi, Purnima, Pradosham)
Brahma Muhurta (4:00 AM – 6:00 AM) or Evening Dusk (Sandhya)
Ghee lamp (Deepa), Incense (Dhoopa), Fresh flowers & Water offering
- Peace of mind, spiritual upliftment, and harmonious energy in the home
Background
This is the aarti of the Ramayana as a sacred book, sung to honor the scripture at the close of a reading or recitation and on occasions such as Ram Navami. It is traditionally attributed to Goswami Tulsidas, the sixteenth-century poet of the Ramcharitmanas, whose name appears in its closing line, and the Kavita Kosh anthology lists it under his name. Its language is the Hindi of the Awadhi and Braj devotional tradition, and it is a beloved part of household worship across North India.
About this Text
Composed by: Goswami Tulsidas · Medieval Bhakti Poet-Saint · 16th century, Awadh & Varanasi (North India)
A Sanskrit and Awadhi poet-saint best known for the Ramcharitmanas, his Awadhi retelling of the Ramayana. Tradition holds he faced years of hardship and wandering before settling in Varanasi, where he composed most of his other major works, including the Hanuman Chalisa and Vinaya Patrika, as devotional offerings to Rama and Hanuman.
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Authorship
Tradition ascribes this aarti to Tulsidas, the sixteenth-century author of the Ramcharitmanas. The closing line of Verse 9, 'tat mat sab bidhi Tulsi ki' (father and mother in every way to Tulsi), carries his name as a signature.
What is worshipped
The aarti is offered not to a deity's image but to the Ramayana itself, treated as a living embodiment of divine glory. The refrain praises the 'fame of Sita's Beloved' (Rama), so the book's power is inseparable from the divine couple it narrates.
The celestial choir
Verse 3 names those who sing the glory of the Ramayana: Brahma, the sage Narada, Valmiki, Shuka, Sanaka and the other eternal sages, Shesha and Sharada (Saraswati), with Hanuman (Pavansut, son of the wind) describing its beauty. Verse 7 adds Shambhu and Bhavani (Shiva and Parvati), Agastya, Vyasa and other great poets, and Kakabhushundi and Garuda.
The essence of all wisdom
Verse 5 sets the Ramayana beside the Vedas, the eighteen Puranas and the six shastras, calling it the essence of all texts, the wealth of the sages' minds and the whole treasure of saints.
A text that heals
Verse 9 says the Ramayana destroys the impurities of the Kali age, makes worldly pleasures taste bland, adorns liberation like a bride's ornament and works as the herb of nectar that cures the disease of worldly existence. It reflects the devotional belief that hearing or reciting the text purifies the listener.
Rama
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