Evening Ārati Ākhars: Translations and Guide

During evening ārati, kīrtana leaders often sing added sung phrases called ākhars to enhance the kīrtana. These vary from temple to temple and singer to singer, and most singers will usually choose two or three to sing in a single ārati. During longer āratis, such as on major festival days, they may sing more.

Understanding the Notation

The ellipsis (...) after an ākhar signifies that you repeat the previous unindented line.

Example:

jaga janer mana-lobhā (Base line)
gaurāṅgera ārati śobhā...Sing as: gaurāṅgera ārati śobhā — jaga janer mana-lobhā

Śrī Gaura-ārati Ākhars

Verse 1

jaya jaya gorācāder āratiko śobhā / jāhnavī-taṭa-vane jaga-mana-lobhā (1)

(Ākhars sung after the verse):

jaga janer mana-lobhā — Enchanting the minds of the people of the universe.
gaurāṅgera ārati śobhā — jaga janer mana-lobhā — The beauty of Lord Gaurāṅga's ārati enchants the minds of the people of the universe.
jāhnavī-taṭa-vane — jaga janer mana-lobhā — In the forest on the banks of the Jāhnavī, it enchants the minds of the people of the universe.

(Note: The word gaurāṅgera here and in any of the ākhars below may be replaced with mahāprabhur, gaura-nityānander, etc.)

Verse 2

dakṣine nitāicānd, vāme gadādhara / nikaṭe advaita, śrīnivāsa chatra-dhara (2)

(Ākhars sung after line 2):

śrīnivāsa chatra-dhare — Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita holds the royal umbrella.

General Ākhars

These may be sung with the ākhars in Verses 2, 3, or 4:

gaurāṅgera ārati kāle... — At the time of Lord Gaurāṅga's ārati...
navadvīpe māyāpure... — In Māyāpur, Navadvīpa...
gaura guṇa gān kare... — Singing the glories of Lord Gaura...
āmāy dayā karo bole... — Saying, "Please bestow mercy upon me"...
(āmi) gaura kṛpā pābo bole... — Saying, "I shall obtain the mercy of Lord Gaura"...
'jaya nitāi jaya gaura' bole... — Chanting "Jaya Nitāi! Jaya Gaura!"...
'haribol haribol haribol' bole... — Chanting "Haribol! Haribol! Haribol!"...

Verse 3

basiyāche gorācānd ratna-simhāsane (Ākhar sung after line 1):

ratna-simhāsana ālo kare-re basiyāche gorācānd ratna-simhāsane — Illuminating the jeweled throne, Gorācānd sits upon the jeweled throne.

ārati karena brahmā-ādi deva-gaṇe (3) (Ākhars sung after line 2):

deva-gaṇe ārati kare... — The demigods perform the ārati...
brahmā ādi deva-gaṇe gaurāṅger ārati kare — Brahmā and the other demigods perform Lord Gaurāṅga's ārati.
gaurāṅgera bhakta sane... — Along with the devotees of Lord Gaurāṅga...

Verse 4

narahari-ādi kari' cāmara dhulāya (Ākhar sung after line 1):

samay bujhe cāmara dhulāya, dhulāya-re, narahari-ādi kari' cāmara dhulāya — Understanding the proper time, Narahari and others wave the cāmara.

sañjaya-mukunda-vāsu-ghoṣa-ādi gāya (4) (Ākhars sung after line 2):

vāsu-ghoṣa gāna kare — Vāsu Ghoṣa sings.
sañjaya-mukunda-sane — vāsu-ghoṣa gāna kare — Along with Sañjaya and Mukunda, Vāsu Ghoṣa sings.

Alternatively:

gaura-guṇa-gāna kare — Singing the glories of Lord Gaura.
sañjaya-mukunda-vāsu-ghoṣa — gaura-guṇa-gāna kare — Sañjaya, Mukunda, and Vāsu Ghoṣa sing the glories of Lord Gaura.

Verse 5

śaṅkha bāje, ghaṇṭā bāje, bāje karatāla (Ākhar sung after line 1):

bāje madhur madhur madhur bāje-re śaṅkha bāje, ghaṇṭā bāje — It sounds so sweet, sweet, sweet! The conch sounds, the bell sounds.

madhura mṛdaṅga bāje parama rasāla (5) (Ākhars sung after line 2):

madhur madhur madhur bāje — It sounds so sweet, sweet, sweet.
gaurāṅger ārati kāle — madhur madhur madhur bāje — At the time of Gaurāṅga's ārati, it sounds so sweet, sweet, sweet.
śaṅkha bāje ghaṇṭā bāje — madhur madhur madhur bāje — The conch and bell sound, and it sounds so sweet, sweet, sweet.
madhura mṛdaṅga bāje — madhur madhur madhur bāje — The sweet mṛdaṅga sounds, and it sounds so sweet, sweet, sweet.
śaṅkha ghaṇṭā khol karatāla — madhur madhur madhur bāje — Conch, bell, mṛdaṅga, and karatālas—they all sound sweet, sweet, sweet.
bāje karatāla — The karatālas sound.

Verse 6

bahu-koṭī candra jini' vadana ujjvala (Ākhar sung after line 1):

o ki vadane tār śobhā lāge-re bahu koṭi candra jini' vadana ujjvala — Oh, what beauty shines upon His face! His radiant face outshines millions of moons.

gala-deśe vana-mālā kare jhalamala (6) (Ākhars sung after line 2):

(mālā) jhalamala jhalamala jhalamala kare — The garland sparkles, sparkles, sparkles.
gaura-gale vana-phuler mālā — (mālā) jhalamala jhalamala jhalamala kare — The forest-flower garland on Gaura’s neck sparkles, sparkles, sparkles.
gadādhare gāthā mālā — (mālā) jhalamala jhalamala jhalamala kare — The garland strung by Gadādhara sparkles, sparkles, sparkles.
(mālā) nā dulāle āpani dole — (mālā) jhalamala jhalamala jhalamala kare — Even if not swung, it sways on its own and sparkles, sparkles, sparkles.
(mālā) kato-i śobhā kareche re — (mālā) jhalamala jhalamala jhalamala kare — How greatly beautiful it has become, and it sparkles, sparkles, sparkles.

Verse 7

śiva-śuka-nārada preme gadagada (Ākhar sung after line 1):

gaura-preme gadagada-re śiva-śuka-nārada preme gadagada — Choked with love for Gaura—Śiva, Śuka, and Nārada are choked with divine love.

bhakativinoda dekhe gorāra sampada (7) (Ākhars sung after line 2):

gorār sampada sei to' dekhe — He indeed beholds the wealth of Lord Gaura.
gaura bine āra jāne nā re — gorār sampada sei to' dekhe — He knows nothing other than Gaura; he indeed beholds the wealth of Lord Gaura.
gaura' boli' āra jāne nā re — gorār sampada sei to' dekhe — Calling out "Gaura," he knows nothing else; he indeed beholds the wealth of Lord Gaura.
gaura pade prāṇa svapeche — gorār sampada sei to' dekhe — He has offered his life at the feet of Gaura; he indeed beholds the wealth of Lord Gaura.

Śrī Yugala-ārati Ākhars

Verse 5

viśākhādi sakhī-gaṇa nānā rāge gāya / priya-narma-sakhī jato cāmara dhulāya (5)

(Ākhars sung after line 2):

cāmara dhulāya re — Oh, they wave the cāmara!
rādhā-kṛṣṇer ārati kāle — cāmara dhulāya re — At the time of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s ārati, they wave the cāmara.
jaya rādhe śrī rādhe bole — cāmara dhulāya re — Chanting "Jaya Rādhe! Śrī Rādhe!" they wave the cāmara.