Annapurna Aarti – Barambar Pranam Lyrics, Meaning & Blessings of the Food Goddess
Annapurna Aarti Lyrics (हिंदी में)
बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम।
जो नहीं ध्यावे तुम्हें अम्बिके, कहाँ उसे विश्राम।
अन्नपूर्णा देवी नाम तिहारो, लेत होत सब काम॥
बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम।
प्रलय युगान्तर और जन्मान्तर, कालान्तर तक नाम।
सुर सुरों की रचना करती, कहाँ कृष्ण कहाँ राम॥
बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम।
चूमहि चरण चतुर चतुरानन, चारु चक्रधर श्याम।
चंद्रचूड़ चन्द्रानन चाकर, शोभा लखहि ललाम॥
बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम।
देवि देव! दयनीय दशा में, दया-दया तब नाम।
त्राहि-त्राहि शरणागत वत्सल, शरण रूप तब धाम॥
बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम।
श्रीं, ह्रीं श्रद्धा श्री ऐं विद्या, श्री क्लीं कमला काम।
कांति, भ्रांतिमयी, कांति शांतिमयी, वर दे तू निष्काम॥
बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम॥
Annapurna Aarti – Transliteration (English)
Barambar pranam, Maiya barambar pranam.
Jo nahin dhyaave tumhen Ambike, kahan use vishram.
Annapurna Devi naam tihaaro, let hot sab kaam.
Barambar pranam, Maiya barambar pranam.
Pralay yugaantar aur janmaantar, kaalaantar tak naam.
Sur suron ki rachna karti, kahan Krishna kahan Ram.
Barambar pranam, Maiya barambar pranam.
Choomahi charan chatur chaturanan, chaaru chakradhar Shyam.
Chandrachud chandraanan chaakar, shobha lakhi lalaam.
Barambar pranam, Maiya barambar pranam.
Devi Dev! Dayaniya dasha mein, daya-daya tab naam.
Traahi-traahi sharanagat vatsal, sharan roop tab dhaam.
Barambar pranam, Maiya barambar pranam.
Shrim, Hrim shraddha Shri Aim Vidya, Shri Klim Kamala Kaam.
Kaanti, bhrantimayi, kaanti shantimayi, var de tu nishkaam.
Barambar pranam, Maiya barambar pranam.
Meaning & Significance
The aarti's refrain - barambar pranam, salutations again and again - is not mere repetition but a rhythmic act of re-surrendering to the goddess with each breath, acknowledging that no single bow can adequately honour the one who sustains all life through food. The second verse places her beyond cosmic destruction and rebirth: when even the gods (Krishna, Rama) are absorbed back into the absolute at the end of a cycle, it is Annapurna who remains, for nourishment is anterior to all forms. The penultimate verse employs a sequence of Tantric bija mantras - Shrim, Hrim, Aim, Klim - embedding the aarti with a mantra-like resonance that operates at a level below conscious thought, directly conditioning the subtle body of the devotee.
About Annapurna Devi
Annapurna, whose name literally means she who is full of food (anna = food, purna = complete), is the goddess of nourishment and the one who ensures that the world never goes hungry. She is regarded as a form of Parvati who took on this sustaining role after Shiva wagered that the world could exist without food - the universe immediately began to wither, and it was Annapurna's grace that restored life and consciousness to all beings. Her principal temple stands in Varanasi (Kashi), where she is said to feed the entire city, and legend holds that Lord Shiva himself comes to her door with a begging bowl each morning at dawn. She is worshipped with particular fervour by householders, cooks, farmers, and all who seek abundance.
Benefits of Reciting the Annapurna Aarti
- Ensures sufficiency of food and material resources in the household; the goddess's name invoked in prayer is said to make all tasks successful (lēt hot sab kaam).
- Cultivates gratitude for the gift of nourishment, transforming every meal into a sacred act of receiving the goddess's grace.
- Invokes the Tantric shakti embedded in the bija mantras woven into the aarti's final verse, harmonising the devotee's subtle energies.
- Brings consolation in times of destitution or crisis; the verse traahi-traahi sharanagat vatsal affirms that the goddess is especially responsive to those who seek refuge in desperate need.
- Fosters a spirit of sharing and generosity, since Annapurna's energy is intrinsically oriented toward abundance flowing outward.
- Supports spiritual aspirants engaged in sadhana who recite the aarti as part of their daily discipline in the Shakta tradition.
How to Perform the Aarti (Pooja Vidhi)
- Set up the puja near the kitchen or in the main puja room; place an image of Maa Annapurna - traditionally depicted holding a golden ladle and a vessel of rice - on a clean altar.
- Offer a small quantity of cooked rice, dal, or sweets as the primary naivedya (food offering), symbolising the return of the goddess's gift back to her.
- Light a ghee lamp and incense; the fragrance of food-related offerings like sesame, rice husks, or ghee is particularly pleasing to Annapurna.
- Hold the aarti thali and rotate it gently before the deity in a complete clockwise circle while chanting each verse, pausing at the refrain to make a full bow.
- Ring the bell with steady rhythm throughout; the sound purifies the space and signals the goddess's welcome presence.
- After the aarti, distribute the offered food to all members of the household and to any guest or visitor, honouring the tradition of anna-daan (gift of food) that is central to Annapurna's worship.
Best Day & Time to Recite
Annapurna Jayanti (observed on the full moon of Margashirsha, typically November–December) is the most auspicious annual occasion for this aarti. The daily morning aarti, performed before the first meal is prepared or consumed, is the most devout practice for householders who wish to invoke the goddess's blessing on the day's food and nourishment. Fridays and the sixth day (Shashthi) of each fortnight are also considered auspicious for her worship. During Annakoot (the day after Diwali in the Kartika month), when mountains of food are offered at temples as an act of gratitude, recitation of this aarti carries special significance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the story of Shiva and Annapurna that explains her significance?
According to a celebrated Puranic account, Shiva once declared that the material world including food was maya (illusion) and hence of no real importance. Parvati, to demonstrate the indispensable nature of matter and nourishment, withdrew from the world along with her energy of sustenance. All life immediately began to decline. Shiva, realising his error, came to Kashi with a begging bowl and received food from Parvati in her form as Annapurna - acknowledging that matter and spirit are inseparable. This moment is immortalised in the iconography of the goddess at Varanasi.
Is it appropriate to recite this aarti before meals?
Reciting this aarti before the morning meal is a widely practised devotional custom, particularly in households that keep a kitchen puja. It transforms the act of cooking and eating from a routine physical necessity into an act of divine receiving, fostering gratitude and mindfulness around food - values that lie at the heart of Annapurna's teaching.
What do the bija mantras in the last verse mean?
The bija mantras Shrim (prosperity, Lakshmi's seed sound), Hrim (divine presence, Parvati's seed sound), Aim (wisdom, Saraswati's seed sound), and Klim (divine attraction, Krishna's seed sound) invoke the complete range of Shakti - abundance, awareness, knowledge, and love - through single-syllable sonic encodings. Their presence in the aarti elevates it from a devotional song to a mantra-practice, making it particularly effective when recited with focused intention.
Annapurna Mata: honouring the goddess who sustains all life
Goddess Annapurna - whose name joins anna (food, grain) with purna (complete, full) - is venerated as the divine mother who ensures that no living being on earth ever goes hungry. Her presiding city is Kashi (Varanasi), where legend says even Lord Shiva himself once received her blessed alms, and her ancient temple there draws pilgrims year-round. Devotees sing this aarti especially on Annapurna Jayanti, on Margashirsha Purnima, and at the inaugural meal of a new kitchen or home - moments when the miracle of nourishment feels most immediate and worthy of gratitude.
What distinguishes this particular aarti is its quality of tender abundance: the devotional mood it invokes is one of deep thankfulness rather than petition alone. In Indian spiritual life, expressing gratitude for food is considered an act of awareness that food is not merely a material provision but a form of divine shakti flowing through the mother's grace. Families traditionally place this aarti in their kitchen or near the hearth. Devotees believe that sincere recitation with an offering of fruits or cooked prasad invites the goddess's blessings of sufficiency - that no member of the household will know want. A gentle, nourishing rasa pervades the entire hymn, making it one of the warmest expressions of the shakti tradition.