Aarti to Goddess Ambe (Jai Ambe Gauri)
A devotional aarti to Goddess Ambe, the Divine Mother, describing her radiant form, weapons, and heroic victories over demons.
Verses
Victory to Mother Gauri, the fair-complexioned one, victory to the dark-complexioned Gauri. Day and night, Hari, Brahma, and Shiva meditate upon You.
Verse 1
Your forehead is adorned with vermilion and a musk tilak. Both Your eyes are radiant, and Your moon-like face is beautiful.
Verse 2
Your body shines like gold, and You are clad in a red garment. A garland of red flowers adorns Your neck.
Verse 3
You ride upon a lion, holding a sword and a skull bowl. Gods, humans, and sages serve You; You remove their sorrows.
Verse 4
Your ears are adorned with earrings, and a pearl shines at the tip of Your nose. Your radiance equals that of millions of moons and suns.
Verse 5
You tore apart Shumbha and Nishumbha, and slew the demon Mahishasura. Your eyes are like smoky lotuses, and You are ever intoxicated with divine bliss.
Verse 6
You destroyed Chanda and Munda, and vanquished the demon Raktabija. You killed Madhu and Kaitabha, and removed the fear of the gods.
Verse 7
You are Brahmani, Rudrani, and the queen Kamala. The Vedas and scriptures proclaim You as the chief queen of Shiva.
Verse 8
The sixty-four Yoginis sing auspicious songs, and Bhairava dances. The cymbals and mridangam play, and the damaru drum sounds.
Verse 9
You alone are the mother of the world, You alone are the sustainer. You remove the sorrows of devotees and bestow happiness and wealth.
Verse 10
Your four arms are greatly adorned, and You hold the boon-giving gesture. Men and women who serve You obtain the fruits of their desires.
Verse 11
A golden platter shines with lamps of camphor and agarwood. In the temple of Shri Malaketu, the radiance of millions of jewels shines.
Verse 12
Whoever sings the aarti of Shri Ambeji, says Shivanand Swami, obtains happiness and wealth.
Verse 13
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 hymn is part of the Hindu Shakta tradition, which reveres the Divine Mother in her many forms. It is traditionally sung as an aarti — a ritual of offering light accompanied by song — during evening worship in temples and homes, especially in North India. The final verse attributes the composition to Swami Shivananda, a devotional poet, though the hymn draws on well-known imagery from the broader Goddess literature. The hymn's central imagery — the slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha, Mahishasura, Chanda and Munda, Raktabija, and Shumbha and Nishumbha — follows the sequence of demon-slaying episodes told in the Devi Mahatmyam (Durga Saptashati) of the Markandeya Purana — a text of thirteen chapters in all — beginning with the Madhu-Kaitabha episode in chapter 1 and continuing through the defeat of Shumbha-Nishumbha in chapters 8-10.
Did You Know?
Structure and Purpose
This is an aarti — a Hindu devotional song traditionally sung while waving a lamp before a deity. It has 12 verses plus a closing couplet, each verse praising a different aspect of the goddess Ambe (a form of Durga or Parvati). The final line credits the composition to a devotee named Shivanand Swami.
Iconic Descriptions
The goddess is depicted with vivid details: a vermilion mark on her forehead, a deer-musk tilak, moon-like face, golden complexion, red garments, and a garland of red flowers. She rides a lion and carries a sword and a skull-bowl (khappar), symbols of her power to destroy evil and protect devotees.
Demons Defeated
The aarti lists several demons she vanquished: Shumbha and Nishumbha, Mahishasura (the buffalo demon), Dhumralochana, Chanda and Munda, Shonitabeeja (whose blood spawned more demons), and Madhu and Kaitabha. These victories establish her as the supreme warrior goddess who removes fear from gods and humans.
Cosmic Celebration
Verse 8 describes the 64 Yoginis (female divine beings) singing auspicious songs while Bhairava (a fierce form of Shiva) dances. Instruments like the mridanga (drum) and damaru (Shiva's small drum) play, creating a scene of celestial joy and worship surrounding the goddess.
Devotional Promise
The final verse states that whoever sings this aarti will receive happiness and prosperity. This is a common feature of aartis — they end with a blessing, encouraging regular recitation as a means of spiritual and material well-being.
Devi
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