Om Jai Jagdish Hare
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे
Om Jai Jagdish Hare is the aarti to Vishnu that closes countless home and temple pujas, from everyday worship to Diwali. It was written around 1870 by the Punjabi scholar Shardha Ram Phillauri in plain Hindi, so that anyone holding the lamp could sing along.
- Written by
- Shardha Ram Phillauri (died 1881)
- Music
- Traditional
- In the video
- Anuradha Paudwal
- Context
- Aarti to Vishnu, the lamp-offering hymn written by Shardha Ram Phillauri around 1870
- Year
- c. 1870
- Language
- Hindi
Om Jai Jagdish Hare lyrics with English translation
Full eight-stanza text as transcribed on Hindi Wikipedia; line-end punctuation, a footnote asterisk and one spelling slip (स्वमी for स्वामी) were tidied. Popular recordings vary slightly, for example in the fifth stanza.
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे भक्त जनों के संकट दास जनों के संकट क्षण में दूर करे ॐ जय जगदीश हरे
Om jai Jagdish hare Swami jai Jagdish hare Bhakt janon ke sankat Das janon ke sankat Kshan mein door kare Om jai Jagdish hare
Glory to you, Lord of the world, O Hari, glory, Master, Lord of the world, O Hari. The troubles of your devotees, the troubles of your servants, you take away in a moment. Glory to you, Lord of the world, O Hari.
जो ध्यावे फल पावे दुख बिनसे मन का स्वामी दुख बिनसे मन का सुख सम्पति घर आवे सुख सम्पति घर आवे कष्ट मिटे तन का ॐ जय जगदीश हरे
Jo dhyave phal pave Dukh binse man ka Swami dukh binse man ka Sukh sampati ghar aave Sukh sampati ghar aave Kasht mite tan ka Om jai Jagdish hare
Whoever meditates on you receives the reward; the sorrow of the mind falls away, Master, the sorrow of the mind falls away. Happiness and plenty come into the home, happiness and plenty come into the home, and the pains of the body end. Glory to you, Lord of the world, O Hari.
मात पिता तुम मेरे शरण गहूं मैं किसकी स्वामी शरण गहूं मैं किसकी तुम बिन और न दूजा तुम बिन और न दूजा आस करूं मैं जिसकी ॐ जय जगदीश हरे
Maat pita tum mere Sharan gahun main kiski Swami sharan gahun main kiski Tum bin aur na dooja Tum bin aur na dooja Aas karun main jiski Om jai Jagdish hare
You are my mother and my father; in whose shelter else should I seek refuge, Master, in whose shelter else should I seek refuge? Without you there is no other, without you there is no other in whom I could place my hope. Glory to you, Lord of the world, O Hari.
तुम पूरण परमात्मा तुम अंतरयामी स्वामी तुम अंतरयामी पारब्रह्म परमेश्वर पारब्रह्म परमेश्वर तुम सब के स्वामी ॐ जय जगदीश हरे
Tum pooran Paramatma Tum antaryami Swami tum antaryami Parabrahm Parameshwar Parabrahm Parameshwar Tum sab ke swami Om jai Jagdish hare
You are the complete, supreme Self; you know every heart from within, Master, you know every heart from within. Supreme Brahman, supreme Lord, supreme Brahman, supreme Lord, you are the master of all. Glory to you, Lord of the world, O Hari.
तुम करुणा के सागर तुम पालनकर्ता स्वामी तुम पालनकर्ता मैं मूरख खल कामी मैं सेवक तुम स्वामी कृपा करो भर्ता ॐ जय जगदीश हरे
Tum karuna ke sagar Tum palankarta Swami tum palankarta Main moorakh khal kami Main sevak tum swami Kripa karo bharta Om jai Jagdish hare
You are an ocean of compassion; you are the one who sustains all, Master, the one who sustains all. I am foolish, wicked and full of desire; I am the servant, you are the master: show me grace, O sustainer. Glory to you, Lord of the world, O Hari.
तुम हो एक अगोचर सबके प्राणपति स्वामी सबके प्राणपति किस विधि मिलूं दयामय किस विधि मिलूं दयामय तुमको मैं कुमति ॐ जय जगदीश हरे
Tum ho ek agochar Sabke pranpati Swami sabke pranpati Kis vidhi miloon dayamay Kis vidhi miloon dayamay Tumko main kumati Om jai Jagdish hare
You are the One, beyond the reach of the senses, the lord of every living breath, Master, the lord of every living breath. By what means can I meet you, merciful one, by what means can I meet you, merciful one, I whose understanding is so poor? Glory to you, Lord of the world, O Hari.
दीनबंधु दुखहर्ता ठाकुर तुम मेरे स्वामी ठाकुर तुम मेरे अपने हाथ उठाओ अपने शरण लगाओ द्वार पड़ा तेरे ॐ जय जगदीश हरे
Deenbandhu dukhharta Thakur tum mere Swami Thakur tum mere Apne haath uthao Apne sharan lagao Dwar pada tere Om jai Jagdish hare
Friend of the helpless, remover of sorrow, you are my Lord, Master, you are my Lord. Raise your hand in blessing, take me into your shelter; I lie at your door. Glory to you, Lord of the world, O Hari.
विषय विकार मिटाओ पाप हरो देवा स्वामी पाप हरो देवा श्रद्धा भक्ति बढ़ाओ श्रद्धा भक्ति बढ़ाओ संतन की सेवा ॐ जय जगदीश हरे
Vishay vikar mitao Paap haro deva Swami paap haro deva Shraddha bhakti badhao Shraddha bhakti badhao Santan ki seva Om jai Jagdish hare
Wipe away the cravings of the senses and take away sin, O God, Master, take away sin, O God. Increase my faith and devotion, increase my faith and devotion, and my service to holy people. Glory to you, Lord of the world, O Hari.
Translation: Lyriccs (original translation). Transliteration: Lyriccs.
The story behind Om Jai Jagdish Hare
The aarti was composed around 1870 by Pandit Shardha Ram Phillauri (1837-1881), a scholar, preacher and writer from the town of Phillaur in Punjab. Besides devotional verse he wrote Bhagyawati, one of the first novels in Hindi, and works of Punjabi prose, and he has been called the father of modern Punjabi prose. He died in Lahore in June 1881.
Phillauri wrote the hymn in simple, everyday Hindi rather than Sanskrit. It addresses Vishnu as Jagdish, Lord of the world, and its repeating refrain makes it easy for a family or a temple congregation to sing together while the lamp is waved before the deity.
Its reach grew sharply after it was used in the 1970 Hindi film Purab Aur Paschim; from then on it became a fixture of temple pujas as well as homes. Scholars have described it as a near-universal aarti, sung for many deities and in Hindu communities from New Delhi to Leicester and Toledo, Ohio. It is also heard at the end of many family pujas during festivals such as Diwali, which falls on 8 November in 2026.
The text below follows the eight-stanza version transcribed on Hindi Wikipedia. Sung versions differ slightly in a few words and repeats; the linked recording is by Anuradha Paudwal on T-Series Bhakti Sagar.
What Om Jai Jagdish Hare means
The refrain Om jai Jagdish hare hails Vishnu as Jagdish, Lord of the world, and as Hari. Each stanza repeats its second line with Swami, Master, so a group can follow the words easily while the aarti lamp is circled.
The first stanzas promise relief: whoever meditates on God finds peace of mind, a home blessed with plenty and freedom from bodily pain. The middle stanzas put deep ideas in plain words, calling God mother and father, the complete supreme Self, the inner witness of every heart and the One beyond the reach of the senses.
The singer then speaks humbly, as foolish, wicked and full of desire, a servant asking how such a poor understanding can ever reach the merciful Lord, and lies at God's door asking to be taken into shelter. The last stanza asks for sin and the cravings of the senses to be wiped away, and for shraddha, faith, and bhakti, devotion, to grow along with service to holy people. Shraddha is also the first part of the poet's own name, Shardha (Shraddha) Ram.
Quick facts
- Written around 1870 by Shardha Ram Phillauri, born in September 1837 in Phillaur, Punjab, and died on 24 June 1881 in Lahore.
- Addressed to Vishnu as Jagdish, Lord of the world, and sung during aarti, the ritual of waving a lamp before the deity.
- Its use in the 1970 Hindi film Purab Aur Paschim helped make it a fixture of temple pujas.
- Phillauri also wrote Bhagyawati, one of the first novels in Hindi.
- It is sung in Hindu communities worldwide and for many deities, not only Vishnu.