Shankar Aarti — Lavathavati Vikrala

Lavathavati Vikrala is the traditional aarti of Shankar — composed by Samarth Ramdas Swami, sung every evening in Shiv worship and especially on Mahashivratri and Shravani Somvar.

Deity: Shankar

Shankar

Mantra & aarti

Composer: Samarth Ramdas Swami (1608–1682 CE) — a contemporary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and author of the Manache Shlok and Dasbodh.

When to sing it: The daily evening Shiv aarti, Mahashivratri, Shravani Somvar (the Mondays of Shravan), and during jyotirlinga darshan.

Lavathavati vikrala brahmandi mala |Vishe kanth kala trinetri jwala |Lavanyasundar mastaki bala |Tethuniya jal nirmal vahe zulzula || 1 ||Jai dev jai dev jai Shrishankara |Aarti ovalu tuj karpurgaura || dhru ||Karpurgaura bhola nayani vishala |Ardhangi Parvati sumananchya mala |Vibhutiche udhalan shitikanth nila |Aisa Shankar shobhe Umavelhala || 2 ||Devi daityi sagarmanthan pai kele |Tyamaji je avachit halahal uthile |Te twa asurpane prashan kele |Nilkanth nam prasiddha zale || 3 ||Vyaghrambar phanivardhar sundar madanari |Panchanan manmohan munijansukhkari |Shatkotiche bij vache uchchari |Raghukultilak Ramdasa antari || 4 ||

Meaning (brief): O Shankar, you are fierce in form yet gentle at heart; the crescent moon rests on your head, and your throat is dark from poison, while a flame blazes in your three eyes. Parvati occupies half of your form. You drank the halahal poison that arose from the Samudra Manthan (the churning of the ocean) — and so you came to be known by the name Nilkanth, the blue-throated one. You are clad in a tiger skin and Panchanan (five-faced) — and in Samarth Ramdas's heart there is constant remembrance of Raghukultilak, Lord Ram, jewel of the Raghu clan.

The words and tune can vary slightly by household or sect. This text follows a traditional household Aarti Sangrah booklet.

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