Govardhan Aarti Lyrics: Shri Govardhan Maharaj with Meaning (PDF)

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Verse 1
श्री गोवर्धन महाराज, ओ महाराज, तेरे माथे मुकुट विराज रहेओ॥
Shri govardhan maharaj, o maharaj, Tere mathe mukut viraj raheo ||
O Shri Govardhan Maharaj, a crown shines upon your brow. ‘Viraj raheo’ is Braj for ‘is shining, is seated in glory’.
Verse 2
तोपे पान चढ़े, तोपे फूल चढ़े, तोपे चढ़े दूध की धार॥
Tope pan chadhe, tope phool chadhe, Tope chadhe doodh ki dhar ||
On you (‘tope’, Braj for ‘on you’) betel leaves and flowers are offered, and a stream of milk is poured.
Verse 3
तेरी सात कोस की परिकम्मा, चकलेश्वर है विश्राम॥
Teri saat kos ki parikamma, Chakleshvar hai vishram ||
Your circuit (parikamma) is seven kos long, and Chakleshwar is its resting place. Seven kos is taken to be about 21 kilometres; the temple of Chakleshwar Mahadev stands by the Manasi Ganga in Govardhan.
Verse 4
तेरे गले में कण्ठा साज रहेओ, ठोड़ी पे हीरा लाल॥
Tere gale mein kantha saj raheo, Thodi pe hira lal ||
A necklace (kantha) adorns your neck, and a diamond and a ruby (heera, laal) shine on your chin.
Verse 5
तेरे कानन कुण्डल चमक रहेओ, तेरी झाँकी बनी विशाल॥
Tere kanan kundal chamak raheo, Teri jhanki bani vishal ||
Earrings sparkle in your ears, and your jhanki (the adorned form shown for darshan) is grand.
Verse 6
गिरिराज धरण प्रभु तेरी शरण, करो भक्त का बेड़ा पार॥
Giriraj dharan prabhu teri sharan, Karo bhakta ka beda par ||
O Lord who held up Giriraj (Krishna), I am in your shelter. Carry your devotee’s boat (beda) across, that is, bring them safely over the ocean of worldly life.

Meaning, sources and more prayers: sanatanbodh.in/en/prayers/govardhan-aarti/

In short

“Shri Govardhan Maharaj, tere mathe mukut viraj raheo” is a folk aarti of Govardhan ji (Giriraj), sung in Braj. It describes the betel leaves, flowers and stream of milk offered to Mount Govardhan, its adornment, and the seven-kos circuit around it. It is sung on the day of Govardhan Puja and Annakut, and while walking the Govardhan parikrama. The name of its author is not known.

This is a folk aarti of Braj, so the order of verses and some words vary between versions. In many versions the ‘saat kos ki parikamma’ verse comes after the ‘kanan kundal’ verse; some read ‘parikrama’, ‘aur Chakleshwar vishram’, ‘kantha saj raheo’ and ‘Giriraj dharan’, and ‘raheo’ is also spelt ‘rahyo’ in Braj. When sung, ‘tere mathe mukut viraj raheo’ and then the first lines (the refrain) are repeated after every verse.

After the aarti, most homes recite: कर्पूरगौरं करुणावतारं संसारसारं भुजगेन्द्रहारम्।

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Frequently asked questions

When is the Govardhan aarti sung?

On Kartik Shukla Pratipada at Govardhan Puja and Annakut, after worship of the Govardhan shaped from cow dung, and while walking the parikrama of Mount Govardhan.

Why is Mount Govardhan worshipped?

In the Bhagavata Purana (10.24), Krishna has the people of Braj worship Mount Govardhan, the cows and the brahmins in place of Indra’s sacrifice, and himself takes a huge form, saying ‘I am the mountain’, to accept the offerings. In the next chapter (10.25) he lifts this very mountain to shelter Braj from Indra’s rains.

What is the seven-kos parikrama?

A circuit of about 21 kilometres around Mount Govardhan that devotees complete on foot. The aarti calls Chakleshwar its resting place; the temple of Chakleshwar Mahadev stands by the Manasi Ganga.

What do ‘tope’ and ‘viraj raheo’ mean?

‘Tope’ is Braj for ‘on you’, and ‘viraj raheo’ means ‘is shining, is seated in glory’. It is also often written ‘rahyo’.

Sources

Traditional (Braj) aarti text
Govardhan Puja and the lifting of Govardhan: Bhagavata Purana 10.24 and 10.25

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Text checked against: drikpanchang.com, bhaktibharat.com, aajtak.in, srimandir.com

Govardhan Aarti: Shri Govardhan Maharaj

Frequently asked questions

Sources