Aarti

Aarti Kije Shri Natavara Ji Ki

आरती कीजै श्रीनटवर जी की

Krishna as Natavara, the finest of dancers — five verses moving from the cowherd boy to the supreme Brahman.

HindiOptional meaning4 min
Dedicated toLord Krishna
Sacred textOriginal Hindi

आरती कीजै श्रीनटवर जी की,गोवर्धन-धर बंशीधर की ॥

नन्द-सुवन जसुमति के लाला,गोधन गोपी प्रिय गोपाला।देवप्रिय असुरन के काला,मोहन विश्वविमोहन वर की ॥

जय वसुदेव-देवकी-नन्दन,कालयवन-कंसादि-निकन्दन।जगदाधार अजय जगवन्दन,नित्य नवीन परम सुन्दर की ॥

अकल कलाधर सकल विश्वधर,विश्वम्भर कामद करुणाकर।अजर, अमर, मायिक, मायाहर,निर्गुन चिन्मय गुणमन्दिर की ॥

पाण्डव-पूत परीक्षित रक्षक,अतुलित अहि अघ मूषक-भक्षक।जगमय जगत निरीह निरीक्षक,ब्रह्म परात्पर परमेश्वर की ॥

नित्य सत्य गोलोकविहारी,अजाव्यक्त लीलावपुधारी।लीलामय लीलाविस्तारी,मधुर मनोहर राधावर की ॥

Text source

Cross-checked against Drik Panchang and Pujasthan editions

Traditional public-domain Braj devotional composition; BhajanDhara transcription and meanings prepared independently

The two editions are identical, which may mean one derives from the other; this is the least independently attested text in the Krishna set. No modern source translation is reproduced.

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Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki Shri Banke Bihari Teri Aarti Gaun Aarti Shri Krishna Kanhaiya Ki
Meaning & context

What does Aarti Kije Shri Natavara Ji Ki mean?

This aarti does something the simpler Braj songs avoid: it puts the cowherd boy and the metaphysical absolute in the same breath and refuses to rank them. The third verse is the clearest case — unaging and undying, within maya and the remover of maya, without qualities and yet the temple of every quality. The tradition does not treat these as contradictions to be explained away but as the actual shape of the thing being worshipped, and the aarti closes not on the absolute but on Radha's beloved.