Shri Banke Bihari Aarti – Lyrics and Significance of Vrindavan's Divine Aarti
Shri Banke Bihari Aarti Lyrics (हिंदी में)
श्री बाँकेबिहारी तेरी आरती गाऊँ ।
कुंजबिहारी तेरी आरती गाऊँ ।
श्री श्यामसुन्दर तेरी आरती गाऊँ ।
श्री बाँकेबिहारी तेरी आरती गाऊँ ॥
मोर मुकुट प्रभु शीश पे सोहे ।
प्यारी बंशी मेरो मन मोहे ।
देखि छवि बलिहारी जाऊँ ।
श्री बाँकेबिहारी तेरी आरती गाऊँ ॥
चरणों से निकली गंगा प्यारी ।
जिसने सारी दुनिया तारी ।
मैं उन चरणों के दर्शन पाऊँ ।
श्री बाँकेबिहारी तेरी आरती गाऊँ ॥
दास अनाथ के नाथ आप हो ।
दुःख सुख जीवन प्यारे साथ हो ।
हरि चरणों में शीश नवाऊँ ।
श्री बाँकेबिहारी तेरी आरती गाऊँ ॥
श्री हरिदास के प्यारे तुम हो ।
मेरे मोहन जीवन धन हो ।
देखि युगल छवि बलि-बलि जाऊँ ।
श्री बाँकेबिहारी तेरी आरती गाऊँ ॥
आरती गाऊँ प्यारे तुमको रिझाऊँ ।
हे गिरिधर तेरी आरती गाऊँ ।
श्री श्यामसुन्दर तेरी आरती गाऊँ ॥
Shri Banke Bihari Aarti – Transliteration (English)
Shri Banke Bihari Teri Aarti Gaun,
Kunja Bihari Teri Aarti Gaun,
Shri Shyam Sundar Teri Aarti Gaun,
Shri Banke Bihari Teri Aarti Gaun ॥
Mor Mukut Prabhu Sheesh Pe Sohe,
Pyari Banshi Mero Man Mohe,
Dekhi Chhavi Balihaar Jaun,
Shri Banke Bihari Teri Aarti Gaun ॥
Charanaun Se Nikli Ganga Pyari,
Jisne Sari Duniya Tari,
Main Un Charanaun Ke Darshan Paun,
Shri Banke Bihari Teri Aarti Gaun ॥
Das Anath Ke Nath Aap Ho,
Dukh Sukh Jeevan Pyare Sath Ho,
Hari Charanaun Mein Sheesh Navaun,
Shri Banke Bihari Teri Aarti Gaun ॥
Shri Haridas Ke Pyare Tum Ho,
Mere Mohan Jeevan Dhan Ho,
Dekhi Yugal Chhavi Bali Bali Jaun,
Shri Banke Bihari Teri Aarti Gaun ॥
Aarti Gaun Pyare Tumko Rijhaun,
Hey Giridhar Teri Aarti Gaun,
Shri Shyam Sundar Teri Aarti Gaun ॥
Meaning & Significance
The Shri Banke Bihari Aarti is a heartfelt outpouring of love addressed directly to Lord Krishna in His most beloved form - the three-fold bending (tribhanga) pose that gives Him the name Banke. The word Banke means one who is beautifully bent, and Bihari means the supreme enjoyer; together they describe the playful, irresistibly charming Lord of Vrindavan. The aarti captures the devotee's complete surrender - acknowledging Krishna as the companion in joy and sorrow, as the shelter of the helpless, and as the source of all spiritual wealth.
Traditionally associated with the devotional stream of Swami Haridas, this aarti is sung at the famous Banke Bihari Mandir in Vrindavan during the morning and evening darshan, filling the sacred precincts with ecstatic devotion.
About Shri Banke Bihari
Banke Bihari is the presiding deity of the renowned Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, one of the most visited Krishna shrines in India. The deity was discovered by the saint-poet Swami Haridas, a great devotee and musician of the sixteenth century, in a grove (kunj) of Vrindavan through the power of his devotional singing. Unique among Krishna shrines, the Banke Bihari Temple is known for its distinctive darshan practice - the curtain before the deity opens and closes every few seconds to protect devotees from being overwhelmed by the divine gaze. The Haridasiya Sampradaya, founded by Swami Haridas, continues to maintain the temple and its liturgical traditions to this day.
Benefits of Reciting the Shri Banke Bihari Aarti
- Opens the heart to pure devotion (bhakti) and helps quiet the restless mind.
- Traditionally believed to invoke the compassion of Banke Bihari, who is worshipped as the refuge of the helpless and orphaned.
- Regular recitation fosters a sense of divine companionship and reduces feelings of loneliness or fear.
- Elevates the spiritual atmosphere of the home, making it conducive to prayer and meditation.
- Deepens an understanding of the Vrindavan devotional tradition and the poetry of the bhakti saints.
- Cultivates gratitude and a surrender-based attitude that is central to the Vaishnava path.
How to Perform the Aarti (Pooja Vidhi)
- Wake early, bathe, and prepare a clean puja space with a murti or image of Banke Bihari.
- Decorate the altar with fresh flowers, preferably including fragrant jasmine and marigold, which are dear to Krishna.
- Light a ghee diya and incense; offer tulsi leaves at the feet of the deity.
- Ring a bell gently to signal the commencement of the aarti and to focus the mind.
- Hold the aarti thali and move it in a slow clockwise motion before the image while chanting or singing this aarti melodiously.
- Conclude with a brief silent prayer, distribute prasad to family members, and perform a respectful pranam.
Best Day & Time to Recite
This aarti is ideally recited at the time of mangal aarti before sunrise and again at sandhya (evening twilight). Wednesday is considered especially auspicious for Krishna worship, as is Ekadashi. The most blessed occasions for an extended recitation include Janmashtami, Radha Ashtami, Holi (especially in Vrindavan), and the entire month of Shravan. Daily devotion, however, is always more meritorious than periodic observance alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the Banke Bihari Aarti?
The aarti belongs to the devotional tradition of Vrindavan and is closely connected to the Haridasiya Sampradaya founded by Saint Swami Haridas. While the exact authorship of this particular aarti text is traditionally attributed to the sampradaya's poets, it has been passed down through centuries of temple worship and bhakti communities.
What is special about the Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan?
The Banke Bihari Temple is unique because the deity's darshan is offered through an opening and closing curtain - a practice rooted in the belief that prolonged eye contact with the Lord can cause overwhelming spiritual ecstasy in devotees. The temple does not use a conch shell (shankha) during aarti, as it is believed the sound might draw the deity toward Vrindavan's groves and away from the temple.
Can this aarti be sung by those who do not know Braj or Sanskrit?
Yes. This aarti is composed primarily in accessible Brajbhasha Hindi, making it easy for most Hindi-speaking devotees to follow and sing. The transliteration provided above can help those unfamiliar with the Devanagari script to participate fully in the devotional practice.
Madhurya rasa and the irresistible sweetness of Banke Bihari's darshan
Shri Banke Bihari, the beloved form of Krishna enshrined in Vrindavan's celebrated Banke Bihari Temple, is worshipped in the rasa of madhurya -- a devotional sweetness so tender and intimate that it softens even the most guarded heart. The name itself, meaning the one who stands bent at three places, evokes the enchanting tribhanga posture of Krishna that has captivated Vaishnava hearts for generations. The aarti sung in his honour carries this quality: it is not a formal ceremonial hymn so much as a direct, loving address to a deity whose relationship with the devotee is understood as deeply personal, almost playful, woven through with the colours, fragrances, and moods of Braj.
The aarti is performed daily in the temple at Vrindavan following specific traditions unique to that sacred seat of Vaishnava worship, including the famous practice of intermittently drawing a curtain so that the deity's overwhelming beauty is glimpsed only in brief, longed-for moments. Devotees who cannot make the journey to Vrindavan sing this aarti at their home shrines, especially on Ekadashi, Janmashtami, and Radhashtami, believing that the Name and praise of Banke Bihari carry the fragrance of Braj to wherever they are offered. The devotional tradition holds that this aarti, sung with an open and yearning heart, draws one naturally into the mood of the Braj bhaktas -- those for whom every moment is coloured by the joy and longing of divine love.