Om Jai Shiv Omkara is the Hindi aarti that most people have in mind when they say the Shiv aarti. It praises Shiva as Omkara, the sacred syllable Om, and spends most of its eight verses on his forms and on the idea that Brahma, Vishnu and Sadashiva are one. An aarti is a song of praise sung while a lit lamp is waved before the deity, and this one is sung in Shiva temples and homes throughout India, on Mondays, on Pradosh evenings and on Maha Shivaratri.
There is another well-known Shiva aarti on this site, Om Jai Gangadhar Har. It is a different song. It is Sanskrit-based and has its own tune and its own refrain, Om Har Har Har Mahadev, while this page gives the Hindi Om Jai Shiv Omkara, whose refrain is the line Om jai Shiv Omkara.
The last verse gives the name Swami Shivananda, and tradition credits him with the aarti. Because that name appears as a signature in several aartis and no manuscript or date is given, the attribution is traditional rather than certain.
The text, transliteration and meaning
The aarti has eight verses. The refrain is sung after every verse, and the first verse is repeated at the end. Each verse below is shown once, in the plain form on which the sources agree.
Verse 1
ॐ जय शिव ओंकारा, स्वामी जय शिव ओंकारा।
ब्रह्मा, विष्णु, सदाशिव, अर्द्धांगी धारा ॥
Om jai Shiv Omkara, swami jai Shiv Omkara
Brahma, Vishnu, Sadashiv, ardhangi dhara
MeaningOm, victory to Shiva as Omkara, the sound Om itself, my master. He is Brahma, Vishnu and Sadashiva, and he carries a consort as half of his body.
Verse 2
एकानन चतुरानन पंचानन राजे ।
हंसासन गरूड़ासन वृषवाहन साजे ॥
Ekanan chaturanan panchanan raje
Hansasan garudasan vrishvahan saje
MeaningHe appears with one face, with four faces and with five faces. The swan, the Garuda bird and the bull are the mounts. The usual reading is that the one face is Vishnu, the four faces are Brahma and the five faces are Shiva, though the text does not say so.
Verse 3
दो भुज चार चतुर्भुज दसभुज अति सोहे ।
त्रिगुण रूप निरखते त्रिभुवन जन मोहे ॥
Do bhuj char chaturbhuj dasbhuj ati sohe
Trigun roop nirakhate tribhuvan jan mohe
MeaningTwo arms, four arms and ten arms are all beautiful on him. Seeing these three forms, the people of the three worlds are charmed.
Verse 4
अक्षमाला वनमाला, मुण्डमाला धारी ।
चंदन मृगमद सोहे, भाले शशिधारी ॥
Akshamala vanamala, mundamala dhari
Chandan mrigmad sohe, bhale shashidhari
MeaningHe wears a rosary, a garland of forest flowers and a garland of skulls. Sandal and musk shine on him, and the moon is on his brow.
Verse 5
श्वेताम्बर पीताम्बर बाघम्बर अंगे ।
सनकादिक गरुणादिक भूतादिक संगे ॥
Shwetambar pitambar baghambar ange
Sanakadik garunadik bhootadik sange
MeaningOne form wears white, one wears yellow and one wears the skin of a tiger. The sage Sanaka and others, Garuda and others, and spirits and others keep his company.
Verse 6
कर के मध्य कमण्डलु चक्र त्रिशूलधारी ।
सुखकारी दुखहारी जगपालन कारी ॥
Kar ke madhya kamandalu, chakra trishuldhari
Sukhkari dukhhari, jagpalan kari
MeaningIn his hands are a water pot, a discus and a trident. He is the giver of happiness, the remover of sorrow and the sustainer of the world.
Verse 7
ब्रह्मा विष्णु सदाशिव जानत अविवेका ।
प्रणवाक्षर में शोभित ये तीनों एका ॥
Brahma Vishnu Sadashiv janat aviveka
Pranavakshar mein shobhit ye teenon eka
MeaningThe unwise, says the text, know Brahma, Vishnu and Sadashiva as separate. In the sacred syllable Om, these three shine as one.
Verse 8
त्रिगुणस्वामी जी की आरती जो कोइ नर गावे ।
कहत शिवानंद स्वामी
Trigunswami ji ki aarti jo koi nar gave
Kahat Shivanand swami
MeaningThis is the aarti of the Lord of the three qualities, whoever sings it, says Swami Shivananda. The last line goes on in different words in different sources, so it is not quoted here.
Refrain after every verse
ॐ जय शिव ओंकारा
Om jai Shiv Omkara
MeaningOm, victory to Shiva as Omkara. This line is sung after each verse.
Text: no edition of this aarti exists on Hindi or Sanskrit Wikisource, so the words were compared across five independent publishers (Bhakti Bharat, Sanskrit Documents, Drik Panchang, Boldsky and Hindi Bhajan Manjari) with a word-by-word script. The words above are those that at least two of them spell identically. The final line differs between the sources and is shown only as far as they agree. Transliteration is simplified; meanings are our own.
Where the versions differ
The eight verses are the same everywhere, in the same order, and the variants are in spelling and in a few words. The Sanskrit Documents text writes the title word as ॐकारा, where the others write ओंकारा, and some sources print Om as ओम and others as ॐ. In the sixth verse some sources have kamandalu and others kamandal, and spellings such as garun and garud vary.
The final verse differs the most. After kahat Shivanand swami, some sources read sukh sampati pave (comfort and wealth are gained), and others read manvanchhit phal pave (the wished-for fruit is gained). Since the sources split, the closing words are not quoted on this page, and if your family sings one of these endings it belongs to your own tradition.
One of the sources adds verses about Vishwanath of Kashi. They were not found in a second independent source, so they are not given here.
When and how it is traditionally sung
Aarti closes the puja. In Shiva temples it is sung with a bell, a conch and a drum, and a lamp, often of camphor or ghee, is waved clockwise before the lingam or image. Mondays are sacred to Shiva in popular practice, and many devotees sing it on Monday evenings. Pradosh, the twilight of the thirteenth lunar day, is another favourite time, and so is the night of Maha Shivaratri, when many keep a vigil. Customs differ by region and family, so use the tune of your temple or household.
Many people sing it in a group, with one voice leading each verse and the others answering with the refrain, and some end by saying Har Har Mahadev.
What the aarti describes
The first verse names Shiva as Omkara and says he is Brahma, Vishnu and Sadashiva together. Verses two to six describe the three forms in turn: the swan, Garuda and the bull; two, four and ten arms; the white, yellow and tiger-skin dress; and the water pot, discus and trident. The text then shows these three as aspects of one divine power. The seventh verse is the plainest statement of it, that the unwise see three and the wise see one, shining together in the syllable Om.
This idea of one Lord in three forms is the main thought of the aarti. The verses on which the sources agree make no promises of results, and this page does not add any. A prayer sits alongside practical help in hard times, never in place of it.
Pronunciation notes
Omkara is “om-kaa-raa”, with a long first vowel and a nasal m held for a moment. Swami is “swaa-mee”. Sadashiv is “sa-da-shiv”, with a soft sh. In akshamala the ksh is a quick k followed by sh. Pranavakshar is “pra-na-vak-shar”. Take the refrain slowly, with the sound of Om open and even.
Related mantras and pages
- Om Jai Gangadhar Har: the other Shiva aarti, in Sanskrit-based words
- Om Namah Shivaya: the five-syllable Shiva mantra
- Rudrashtakam: eight stanzas in praise of Shiva
- Shiva Panchakshara Stotram: five stanzas on the syllables of Namah Shivaya
- Maha Shivaratri: the great night of Shiva worship
- Pradosh Vrat: the twilight observance many devotees keep
- Somvar Vrat Vidhi: the Monday fast
- All mantras, stotras, chalisas and aartis
Frequently asked questions
↳ Is Om Jai Shiv Omkara the same as Om Jai Gangadhar Har?
No. They are two different Shiva aartis. Om Jai Shiv Omkara is in Hindi with the refrain Om jai Shiv Omkara, while Om Jai Gangadhar Har is Sanskrit-based with the refrain Om Har Har Har Mahadev.
↳ Who wrote Om Jai Shiv Omkara?
The last verse names Swami Shivananda, and tradition credits him. The same signature appears in several aartis and no date is given, so the author is best described as traditional and uncertain.
↳ What does Omkara mean?
Omkara means the form of the sacred syllable Om. The aarti praises Shiva as that syllable and says that Brahma, Vishnu and Sadashiva shine as one in it.
↳ When is this aarti sung?
It is sung at the end of Shiva puja, on Mondays, on Pradosh evenings and on Maha Shivaratri. Customs differ by region and family.
↳ Why does the last line differ between books?
The final words are printed differently in different sources, with the endings sukh sampati pave and manvanchhit phal pave both found. Because the sources split, this page leaves the ending unquoted.