Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki is the aarti sung to Krishna in temples and homes across north India, and it is the one most often heard on Janmashtami, his birthday. Kunj is a grove or bower and bihari is one who roams or plays, so Kunjbihari means the one who plays in the groves. Giridhar is the holder of the mountain, a reference to the story of Krishna lifting Govardhan hill, and Murari means the enemy of the demon Mura.
An aarti is a song of praise sung while a lit lamp is waved before the deity. The text on the usual websites does not name an author, so none is named here. It is in the Braj-flavoured Hindi of the old devotional songs, and its date is not known.
The text, transliteration and meaning
The aarti has a two-line refrain and four stanzas. The refrain is sung first and again after each stanza, and its second half returns at the end of every stanza. The stanzas are shown below line by line, each with its own transliteration and meaning.
Refrain, sung first and after every stanza
आरती कुंजबिहारी की,
श्री गिरिधर कृष्ण मुरारी की ॥
Aarti Kunjbihari ki
Shri Giridhar Krishna Murari ki
MeaningThe aarti of Kunjbihari, the one who plays in the groves, of Shri Giridhar Krishna Murari, the holder of the hill and enemy of Mura.
Stanza 1
गले में बैजंती माला, बजावै मुरली मधुर बाला ।
Gale mein baijanti mala, bajavai murli madhur bala
MeaningAround his neck is the Baijanti garland, and the dark youth plays sweetly on the flute.
श्रवण में कुण्डल झलकाला, नंद के आनंद नंदलाला ।
Shravan mein kundal jhalkala, Nand ke anand Nandlala
MeaningEarrings gleam at his ears. He is the joy of Nanda, Nandalala.
गगन सम अंग कांति काली, राधिका चमक रही आली ।
Gagan sam ang kanti kali, Radhika chamak rahi aali
MeaningHis limbs have the dark glow of the sky, and Radha shines beside him, O friend.
लतन में ठाढ़े बनमाली, भ्रमर सी अलक, कस्तूरी तिलक, चंद्र सी झलक,
Latan mein thadhe banmali, bhramar si alak, kasturi tilak, chandra si jhalak
MeaningBanmali, the one in a garland of forest flowers, stands among the vines. His curls are like dark bees, his tilak is of musk, and his glow is like the moon.
ललित छवि श्यामा प्यारी की, श्री गिरिधर कृष्णमुरारी की ॥
Lalit chhavi Shyama pyari ki, Shri Giridhar Krishnamurari ki
MeaningThe lovely form of the beloved Shyama, usually taken to mean Radha, and of Shri Giridhar Krishnamurari, the one who held up the hill.
Stanza 2
कनकमय मोर मुकुट बिलसै, देवता दरसन को तरसैं ।
Kanakmay mor mukut bilsai, devta darsan ko tarsain
MeaningHis crown of gold and peacock feather shines, and the gods long for a glimpse of him.
गगन सों सुमन रासि बरसै, बजे मुरचंग, मधुर मिरदंग, ग्वालिन संग,
Gagan son suman rasi barsai, baje murchang, madhur mirdang, gvalin sang
MeaningFlowers rain down from the sky. The murchang and sweet mridang drums sound among the cowherd women.
अतुल रति गोप कुमारी की, श्री गिरिधर कृष्णमुरारी की ॥
Atul rati gop kumari ki, Shri Giridhar Krishnamurari ki
MeaningThe incomparable love of the cowherd maidens, and the beauty of Shri Giridhar Krishnamurari.
Stanza 3
जहां ते प्रकट भई गंगा, कलुष कलि हारिणि श्रीगंगा ।
Jahan te prakat bhai Ganga, kalush kali harini Shri Ganga
MeaningFrom his feet, the text says, the Ganga appeared, the Ganga who washes away the stains of this dark age.
स्मरन ते होत मोह भंगा, बसी सिव सीस, जटा के बीच, हरै अघ कीच,
Smaran te hot moh bhanga, basi Shiv sis, jata ke beech, harai agh keech
MeaningRemembering her breaks the hold of delusion. She came to rest on the head of Shiva, in the middle of his matted hair, and removes the mud of sin.
चरन छवि श्रीबनवारी की, श्री गिरिधर कृष्णमुरारी की ॥
Charan chhavi Shri Banwari ki, Shri Giridhar Krishnamurari ki
MeaningThe beauty of the feet of Banwari, the flute-player, Shri Giridhar Krishnamurari.
Stanza 4
चमकती उज्ज्वल तट रेनू, बज रही वृंदावन बेनू ।
Chamakti ujjwal tat renu, baj rahi Vrindavan benu
MeaningThe bright sandy bank glitters, and the flute sounds in Vrindavan.
चहुं दिसि गोपि ग्वाल धेनू, हंसत मृदु मंद, चांदनी चंद, कटत भव फंद,
Chahun disi gopi gval dhenu, hansat mridu mand, chandni chand, katat bhav phand
MeaningGopis, cowherds and cows are on every side. There is soft laughter and moonlight, and the snares of worldly life are cut.
टेर सुन दीन दुखारी की, श्री गिरिधर कृष्णमुरारी की ॥
Ter sun deen dukhari ki, Shri Giridhar Krishnamurari ki
MeaningHear the call of the poor and sorrowing, O Shri Giridhar Krishnamurari.
Text: no edition of this aarti exists on Hindi or Sanskrit Wikisource, so the words were compared across seven publishers (Bhakti Bharat, Sanskrit Documents, Drik Panchang, Bharat Discovery, Amar Ujala, Patrika and Boldsky, with a page on a further site treated as a copy and not counted) using a word-by-word script. A word is shown only when two or more of them share its spelling. Several of these pages are near-identical, so the standard wording is well attested but the sources are less independent than for the other aartis here. Transliteration is simplified; meanings are our own.
Where the versions differ
The wording is stable, and the differences are mostly spelling. The first line of the first stanza is gale mein baijanti mala in most sources and gale mein vaijanti mala in the Sanskrit Documents text, which also prints Kunj Bihari as two words with a nasal mark on the first. Some versions print jahan te prakat bhai Ganga in the third stanza as jahan se prakat bhayi Ganga, and the Sanskrit Documents text also repeats the last word of several lines. Spellings vary from book to book.
Older printed versions often repeat the last word of one line at the start of the next, for example mala, mala, which is a feature of the folk singing style and not part of the verse itself. Such repeats are not shown above.
When and how it is traditionally sung
The aarti closes the puja to Krishna. On Janmashtami the singing comes at midnight, when the birth of Krishna is celebrated, with a bell and conch and the lamp waved before the image. In Vrindavan, Mathura and many Vaishnava temples it is sung at the evening aarti, and in homes it follows the daily prayer to a small image of Bal Gopal. Ekadashi and Purnima are days many devotees keep. Customs differ by region and family, and the tune and tempo of your temple are the right ones to use.
A common way to sing it is with one voice taking each line and the group answering with the refrain, with cymbals and a drum. The slow, rocking beat suits the images of the stanzas.
What the aarti describes
The first stanza is a portrait. Krishna wears the Baijanti garland of forest flowers, plays the flute and has earrings that gleam. His body is as dark as the sky and Radha shines beside him, while the curls are like bees, the tilak is of musk and the glow is like the moon.
The second stanza turns to the scene around him. A crown of gold and peacock feather, the gods longing to see him, flowers falling from the sky and drums sounding among the cowherd women. The third stanza says that the Ganga appeared from his feet and now rests on the head of Shiva. This is a tradition drawn from the Puranas, in which the Ganga flows from the feet of Vishnu, and the aarti applies it to Krishna as a form of Vishnu. The fourth stanza returns to Vrindavan, with the flute, gopis, cowherds and cows, and ends by asking Krishna to hear the cry of the poor and sorrowing.
The text makes no promises of results, only praise and a request in the last line. This page does not add any. A prayer sits alongside practical help in difficulty, never in place of it.
Pronunciation notes
Kunjbihari is “kunj-bi-haa-ree”, with a short u and a hard j. Giridhar is “gi-ri-dhar”, with a breathy dh. Murari is “moo-raa-ree”. In ang and sang the final sound is a soft nasal, like the end of “song”. Baijanti is said “bai-jun-tee”, where the first syllable rhymes with “my”.
Related mantras and pages
- Krishnashtakam: eight verses in praise of Krishna
- Janmashtami: dates and background for his birthday
- Janmashtami Puja: how the midnight puja is done
- Govardhan Puja: the festival linked to the story of the hill
- Om Jai Jagdish Hare: another aarti to Vishnu and his forms
- Ekadashi: the fasting day many Vaishnava devotees keep
- All mantras, stotras, chalisas and aartis
Frequently asked questions
↳ What does Kunj Bihari mean?
Kunj means a grove or bower and bihari means one who roams or plays. Kunjbihari is Krishna, the one who plays in the groves of Vrindavan.
↳ Who wrote Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki?
The sources compared do not name an author, so none can be given with confidence. It is a traditional aarti of the Braj devotional style.
↳ What do Giridhar and Murari mean?
Giridhar means the holder of the mountain, from the story of Krishna lifting Govardhan hill. Murari means the enemy of Mura, a demon in the Puranic stories.
↳ When is Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki sung?
It is sung at the end of puja to Krishna, most of all on Janmashtami and at the evening aarti in Krishna temples. Customs differ by region and family.
↳ Does the aarti really say the Ganga comes from Krishna's feet?
Yes, the third stanza says so. It follows the Puranic tradition in which the Ganga flows from the feet of Vishnu, and the aarti applies it to Krishna, a form of Vishnu.