I was new to ashram and stood in the temple ready to participate in Sri Hari Aarti, clueless about the lyrics of the aarti! Unasked, Suvi ji gave me this laminated leaf with aarti printed on them in English and Hindi I was so thankful to him at that moment. I had so much fun chanting the aarti that day.

It was a very refreshing rendition of Aarti. I can not explain enough. Many times I just do not chant some of the traditional hymn/aarti because there is just lot of pleading in them!

An aarti, which was full of eulogy for the Lord so that one could connect with the joy and glory that Lord is, not remember one’s struggle and stand there like a decorated and a moral beggar seeking this and that and missing out on the Joy and Elation that one may get an access to in those 10-12 minutes. I guess being in sentiment and devotion does not give us a bypass ticket from all the struggle but just shifts one’s focus from brooding on one’s struggle to residing and staying in loving sentiment of Lord. Shift of focus and sentiment.

One day I was seeing one of the Sanskrit text it said the name of the author and after that was a suffix – कृत (done by); example तुलसीदास कृत रामायण which means – Ramayan written By Tulsidas.

I thought how beautiful it would look if a little booklet of the Sri Hari Arti said –

|| ॐ स्वामी कृत श्री हरि आरात्रिक ||
(Meaning – Sri Hari Aarti as Written by Om Swami).

That day I felt I should write few copies of the Sri Hari Aarti on which those Sanskrit words be written on the first page of that little booklet or a leaf like the one I was handed during Aarti. It had this very beautiful cultural beauty to it. Sanskrit is a beautiful language. The Sanskrit language is guidance in itself. Till the time I create such a leaflet/notebook of the aarti, mentioning this on this digital platform! 🙂 😛

I quote a passage from the Book Om Swami : As we Know Him

This is a conversation between Swami Vidyananda Om and Om Swami –

​One morning when I took Swamiji’s tomato soup to Him for breakfast, He mentioned the arti of Sri Hari. ‘What should we do, Swamiji?’ I said. ‘Should we take one of the standard artis?’ Gurudev asked for His notepad and started scribbling. In a mere five minutes, He had composed a beautiful temple arti. There was to be no going back and changing it. He wrote it, and it was final. I offered my pranams to His lotus feet. My heart was so filled with His love and grace.
Jaya jaya arti hari tumhari Vishnu prabhu srinath murari||
All glories and a million obesiance to Bhagwan The one who is Vishnu, almighty, consort of Sri, all encompassing.
Sri Hari’s idol is Prakruti-Purusha, Shiva-Shakti, Vishnu-Lakshmi; and in accordance with  t​​heir devotional bhava or sentiment, the devotees would experience the Lord’s and the Goddesses’ magnificence. The arti encapsulates the glory, the greatness of the two divine principles of creation.

Probably this discourse is befitting to include here in – Sri Hari Kaun Hain || The Esoteric Meaning of Sri Hari – [Hindi] – (there is an English Transliteration by Mohit Kakkar ji in the comment section)

YouTube video

I have tried to make an effort to elaborate on each nama (name) of the Lord as present in the Aarti…

The Aarti starts with the Sound of the Conch – Blown thrice 🙂

Source: omswami(. )org

​In the presence of Swami ji the Arti is sung on piano (wish I knew the chords) it sounds so very gentle. There is a little lovely thing Swami ji disclosed to the devotees associated with aarti sung in the evening (when Swami ji sings it, I have shared it in the end of the below description and meaning of the aarti)

​जय जय आरती हरि तुम्हारी
विष्णु प्रभु श्री नाथ मुरारी
आरती हरि तुम्हारी जय जय
जय जय…आरती हरि तुम्हारी||1||
Jaya jaya ārathī hari thumhārī,
Viṣṇu prabhu śrīnātha murārī
Ārathī hari thumhārī
Jaya Jaya Ārathī hari thumhārī ||1||

Victory to Lord Hari, I pray to Lord Hari (one who takes away all the sorrows of his devotees), I pray to Lord Vishnu (one who is All Pervasive); to Lord Srinath (who is Husband of Goddess Lakshmi); to Murari (who slayed the demon Mura).
Victory to Lord Hari, I pray to Lord Hari ||1|| 

​पीताम्बर वैजयन्ती माला
मेघवर्ण भुज नयन विशाला
आरती हरि तुम्हारी
जय जय…आरती हरि तुम्हारी ||2||
Pītāmbara vaijayanthī mālā
Mēghavaraṇa bhuja nayana viśhālā
Ārathī hari thumhārī
Jaya Jaya Ārathī hari thumhārī ||2||

Victory to the One who adorns yellow colored attire and garland of Victory (flowers of Vaijayanti)
Victory to the one who is blue bodied – color of the hue of the sky, who has big beautiful eyes and has expansive arms.
Victory to Lord Hari, I pray to Lord Hari ||2||

​श्रीवास विभु श्रीवत्स-वक्षा,
श्रीमाता श्रीपति त्रिपुरारी,
आरती हरि तुम्हारी
जय जय…आरती हरि तुम्हारी ||3||
Śrīvāsa vibhu śrīvathsa-vakṣhā
Śrīmāthā śrīpathi tripurārī
Ārathī hari thumhārī
Jaya Jaya Ārathī hari thumhārī ||3||

Victory to the mighty Lord in whom Goddess Lakshmi lives; Srivatsa, a mark on the chest of Lord Vishnu where his consort Lakshmi resides. Victory to the one who is the Mother Goddess Himself and who is the Husband of Goddess Lakshmi/Goddess Sri and Destroyer of three cities (of three qualities of darkness, passion and purity)
Victory to Lord Hari, I pray to Lord Hari ||3||

​शंख पदम गदा चक्र-धारी
शेषविराजे गरूड़ सवारी
आरती हरि तुम्हारी
जय जय…आरती हरि तुम्हारी ||4||
Śhaṅkha padama gadā chakra dhārī
Śhēṣavirājē garuḍa savārī
Ārathī hari thumhārī
Jaya Jaya Ārathī hari thumhārī ||4||

Victory to the Lord who, in his beautiful hands adorns Pāñcajanya Conch, Lotus, Kaumodakī Mace and Sudarshana Discus.
He is rests on the Shesh (coiled serpent which denotes Kundalini Shakti of the Universe) and whose vehicle mount is King of the Birds, Garuda.
Victory to Lord Hari, I pray to Lord Hari ||4||

​क्षीर सागर वैकुण्ठ निवासा
लक्ष्मी पखारे चरण पुरारी
आरती हरि तुम्हारी…
जय जय….आरती हरि तुम्हारी ||5||
Kṣīra sāgara vaikuṇṭha nivāsā
Lakṣhmī pakhārē charaṇa purārī
Ārathī hari thumhārī
Jaya Jaya Ārathī hari thumhārī ||5||

Victory to the Lord whose residing space is Vaikuntha (where one is without contempt and in peace) in the ocean of milk. Goddess Lakshmi tends to Lord Hari’s feet with Love.
Victory to Lord Hari, I pray to Lord Hari ||5||

​जय परब्रह्म जय विश्व विहारी
शक्ति तुम्ही तुम्ही शंभु संहारी
आरती हरि तुम्हारी
जय जय…आरती हरि तुम्हारी||6||
Jaya parabrahma jaya viśhva vihārī
Śhakti tumhī tumhī śhambhu sanhārī
Ārathī hari thumhārī
Jaya Jaya Ārathī hari thumhārī ||6||

Victory to the Lord of Supreme Knowledge. Victory to the one who pervades in the entire Universe. Oh Lord you are the Goddess Adishakti and you are Lord Shambho who is the destroyer (of one’s foes and fears) as well. Victory to Lord Hari, I pray to Lord Hari ||6||

​जय जगजननी जय जगवन्दन
जय अम्बे जय देवकीनंदन
आरती हरि तुम्हारी
जय जय…आरती हरि तुम्हारी||7||
Jaya jagajananī jaya jagavandana
Jaya ambē jaya dēvakīnandana
Ārathī hari thumhārī
Jaya Jaya Ārathī hari thumhārī ||7||

Victory to the Mother of the entire Universe, out of whom everything is born. Victory to the one who is worthy of being bowed to/prayed to (vandan) by the entire world (jag).Victory to the Mother Divine (Amba) , Victory to the son of Devaki ( Lord Krishna).
Victory to Lord Hari, I pray to Lord Hari ||7||

​​जय सिते जय राघव जय जय
जय राधे जय कृष्णा जय जय
जय माँ उमा जय शंकर जय जय
जय माँ श्री जय श्रीपति जय जय
आरती हरि तुम्हारी
जय जय…आरती हरि तुम्हारी||8||
Jaya sitē jaya rāghava jaya jaya
Jaya rādhē jaya kr̥iṣṇa jaya jaya
Jaya mā umā jaya śhaṅkara jaya jaya
Jaya mā śrī jaya śrīpathi jaya jaya
Ārathī hari thumhārī
Jaya Jaya Ārathī hari thumhārī ||8||

Victory to Mother Goddess Sita and to Her Consort Lord Ram
Victory to Goddess Radha and Lord Krishna
Victory to Mother Uma (Maa Parvathy) and Lord Shankara
Victory to Mother Sri – Goddess Lakshmi and Her consort Sripati ( Lord Vishnu)
Victory to Lord Hari, I pray to Lord Hari ||8||

​जय नरसिंह जय वामन जय जय
जय वैकुण्ठ जय गोविन्द जय जय
जय मोहन जय मोहिनी जय जय
जय हरि श्री हरि हरिहर जय जय
आरती हरि तुम्हारी
जय जय…आरती हरि तुम्हारी||9||
Jaya narasiṃha jaya vāmana jaya jaya
Jaya vaikuṇṭha jaya gōvinda jaya jaya
Jaya mōhana jaya mōhinī jaya jaya
Jaya hari śrī hari harihara jaya jaya
Ārathī hari thumhārī
Jaya Jaya Ārathī hari thumhārī ||9||

Victory to Lord Narashimha and Lord Vamana (incarnations of Lord Narayan)
Victory to Vaikuntha, (place where Lord Sri Hari resides), Victory to Lord of Earth (Govinda)
Victory to the one who enchants all (Mohana), Victory to Goddess Mohini ( a female incarnation of Lord Vishnu)
Victory to Lord Hari (who takes the suffering of his devotees) Victory to Lord Sri Hari (who represents the Feminine and Masculine principal of the creation) Victory to Lord HariHara (a form representing union between Lord Hari i.e. Lord Vishnu and Lord Hara i.e. Lord Shiva)
Victory to Lord Hari, I pray to Lord Hari ||9||

Śrī hari bhagavāna kī jaya!
Victory to Lord Sri Hari!
Gōvinda! Gōvinda! Gōvinda!!
Hail Lord Govinda Govinda Govinda!
(A name chanted in Glory of Lord Srinivasa Govinda also Lord Sri Venkatesa Govinda in temples in the south part of India)
Namō Pārvatipatayē Hara Hara Mahādēva!!!
Obeisances and Glory to Lord Mahadeva, consort of Goddess Paravathy.

|| ॐ स्वामी कृत श्री हरि आरात्रिक ||

Source: omswami(. )org 

Once after the evening aarti Swami ji said the aarti is like a Lullaby to Lord Sri Hari he goes to sleep when the aarti is sung to him (by Swami ji) in the evening so the euphoric chanting of the last three lines (as highlighted above) was omitted at the ashram during evening aarti when Swami ji sung it (not otherwise) and at home we continue to chant the three lines as it is sung always. (fyi-this is an old sharing!)

The aarti indeed is so magical, sweet and soothing when Swami ji sings it. May this mellifluous aarti invoke devotional sentiment abundantly in our hearts.

Thanks to Dipti Om Sanghavi ji for providing Hindi version of the aarti and reviewing the meaning of the nama(s) for its aptness.