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Vindhyeshwari Aarti: Sun Meri Devi Parvat Vasini

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A hilltop Devi temple with flags above the Ganga at dusk, its steps lit with lamps
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  1. Verse 1

    सुन मेरी देवी पर्वतवासिनी, कोई तेरा पार न पाया॥

    Sun meri devi parvatvasini, Koee tera par na paya ||

    Hear me, my Goddess who dwells on the mountain. No one has ever found the limit of your glory.

  2. Verse 2

    पान सुपारी ध्वजा नारियल, ले तेरी भेंट चढ़ाया॥

    Pan supari dhvaja nariyal, Le teri bhent chadhaya ||

    Bringing betel leaves, areca nuts, a banner and a coconut, I have made my offering to you.

  3. Verse 3

    सुवा चोली तेरे अंग विराजे, केसर तिलक लगाया॥

    Suva choli tere ang viraje, Kesar tilak lagaya ||

    A colourful bodice (suva choli) adorns your body, and a mark of saffron graces your forehead.

  4. Verse 4

    नंगे पग माँ अकबर आया, सोने का छत्र चढ़ाया॥

    Nange pag man akbar aaya, Sone ka chhatra chadhaya ||

    O Mother, the aarti says that Emperor Akbar came to you barefoot and offered a golden canopy (chhatra). This points to a folk legend linked with Jwala Devi.

  5. Verse 5

    ऊँचे ऊँचे पर्वत भयो देवालय, नीचे शहर बसाया॥

    Oonche oonche parvat bhayo devalay, Niche shahar basaya ||

    Your temple stands high on the mountain, and a town has grown up below it.

  6. Verse 6

    सतयुग त्रेता द्वापर मध्ये, कलियुग राज सवाया॥

    Satyug treta dvapar madhye, Kaliyug raj savaya ||

    Your glory stood through the Satya, Treta and Dvapara ages, and in the Kali age your reign is greater still.

  7. Verse 7

    धूप दीप नैवेद्य आरती, मोहन भोग लगाया॥

    Dhoop dip naivedya aarti, Mohan bhog lagaya ||

    With incense, lamp, food offering and aarti, mohan bhog (a sweet halwa) has been offered to you.

  8. Verse 8

    ध्यानू भगत मैया तेरे गुण गावैं, मनवांछित फल पाया॥

    Dhyanoo bhagat maiya tere gun gavain, Manvanchhit phal paya ||

    O Mother, Dhyanu Bhagat sings your praises. The aarti says he received what his heart desired.

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

In short

“Sun Meri Devi Parvat Vasini” is the well-known aarti of Maa Vindhyeshwari (Vindhyavasini). The main shrine of this Goddess of the Vindhya hills is at Vindhyachal, on the bank of the Ganga near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. Along with offerings, adornment and bhog, the aarti recalls the folk legend of Akbar and Dhyanu Bhagat. It is sung during Navratri, at Mata ki Chowki and at jagrans.

This aarti appears in slightly different forms in different collections. Some give the refrain as ‘Sun meri Devi Parvat Vasini, tera paar na paya’, and singers often add ‘Maa’ at the end of the lines. Drik Panchang joins the couplets in pairs into four verses and sings ‘Jai Vindhyeshwari Mata’ after each. Other differences: ‘saadi choli’ for ‘suva choli’, ‘nange paanv Akbar jaakar’ for ‘nange pag Maa Akbar aaya’, ‘oonche parvat banyo devalay’ for ‘oonche oonche parvat bhayo devalay’, and ‘gun gaaya’ for ‘gun gaavain’. When sung, the first line (the refrain) is repeated after every verse. The last verse names Dhyanu Bhagat as a devotee; the author of the aarti is not known.

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

Frequently asked questions

Who is Maa Vindhyeshwari?

The Goddess who dwells on the Vindhya hills, also called Vindhyavasini. In the Durga Saptashati (11.41 and 11.42) the Goddess says that when two more great asuras named Shumbha and Nishumbha arise in the twenty-eighth yuga of the Vaivasvata Manvantara, she will be born of Yashoda in the house of Nanda the cowherd, will dwell on Vindhyachal and will destroy them. Her main temple is at Vindhyachal near Mirzapur.

Why does the aarti mention Akbar and Dhyanu Bhagat?

This is a well-known folk legend of the Jwala Devi (Jwalamukhi) temple in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. According to the story, Akbar tested the devotee Dhyanu, then acknowledged the Goddess’s greatness and offered her a golden canopy. It is a story of folk tradition and is not confirmed by any contemporary historical source.

Is this aarti only for Vindhyeshwari Mata?

It is best known as the Vindhyeshwari aarti, but because it addresses the Goddess as ‘Parvat Vasini’ (she who dwells on the mountain), the same aarti is also sung in the worship of other hill goddesses, such as Sharda Mata of Maihar and Hinglaj Mata.

When is this aarti sung?

During Sharad and Chaitra Navratri, in worship at the Vindhyachal shrine, and at Mata ki Chowki and jagrans.

Sources

  1. Traditional aarti text
  2. Vindhyachal-nivasini: Durga Saptashati 11.41 and 11.42
  3. Story of Akbar and Jwala Devi: folk tradition

Something wrong? Report a mistake

Text checked against: drikpanchang.com, bhaktibharat.com, amarujala.com, dharmsaar.com, aartigyan.com, archive.org, en.wikipedia.org