Karpur Gauram
The verse sung at the end of almost every aarti, to Lord Shiva white as camphor, who lives in the heart with Goddess Parvati. In English letters, with its meaning word by word.
Sing the verse once as the camphor is lit and the aarti plate is waved, then read what each word means. It is sung after the aarti of Lord Shiva and of many other deities too.
The verse
- The mantra
कर्पूरगौरं करुणावतारं
संसारसारं भुजगेन्द्रहारम् ।
सदा वसन्तं हृदयारविन्दे
भवं भवानीसहितं नमामि ॥Karpura gauram karunavataram,
Sansara saram bhujagendra haram,
Sada vasantam hridayaravinde,
Bhavam Bhavani sahitam namami.White as camphor, compassion itself, the essence of the world, wearing the king of serpents as a garland: I bow to Shiva, who lives always in the lotus of the heart, with Bhavani.
जो कपूर जैसे गोरे हैं, करुणा का रूप हैं, संसार का सार हैं और नागराज को हार की तरह पहनते हैं: हृदय के कमल में सदा बसने वाले उन शिव को, भवानी के साथ, मैं नमन करता हूँ।
Word by word
- Word 1
कर्पूरगौरं
Karpura gauram
White as camphor (karpura), the camphor that burns in the aarti: pure and shining.
कपूर (कर्पूर) जैसे गोरे, वही कपूर जो आरती में जलता है: उजले और पवित्र।
- Word 2
करुणावतारं
Karunavataram
Compassion (karuna) itself, come down in a form (avatara).
करुणा का साकार रूप, मानो करुणा ही अवतार लेकर आई हो।
- Word 3
संसारसारं
Sansara saram
The essence (sara) of the world (sansara), its truest part.
संसार का सार, यानी उसका सबसे सच्चा तत्व।
- Word 4
भुजगेन्द्रहारम्
Bhujagendra haram
Who wears the king of serpents (bhujagendra) as a garland (hara).
जो सर्पों के राजा (भुजगेन्द्र) को हार की तरह पहनते हैं।
- Word 5
सदा वसन्तं
Sada vasantam
Who always (sada) dwells (vasantam) there.
जो वहाँ सदा बसते हैं।
- Word 6
हृदयारविन्दे
Hridayaravinde
In the lotus (aravinda) of the heart (hridaya).
हृदय रूपी कमल (अरविन्द) में।
- Word 7
भवं
Bhavam
Bhava, Shiva as the one from whom all that is comes to be.
भव को, यानी उन शिव को, जिनसे सब कुछ उत्पन्न होता है।
- Word 8
भवानीसहितं
Bhavani sahitam
Together with (sahitam) Bhavani, that is Parvati, his wife.
भवानी, यानी पार्वती जी, के साथ।
- Word 9
नमामि
Namami
I bow down; I offer my salutation.
मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ, नमन करता हूँ।
How to recite it
- When · At the end of the aarti, as the camphor is lit; above all on Mondays, at Pradosh and on Maha Shivratri.
- How · Stand before the shrine, wave the aarti plate with the burning camphor in slow circles, and sing the verse once. Many ring a bell as they sing.
- Why camphor · Camphor burns with a clean white flame and leaves almost no ash, and the verse opens by likening Lord Shiva to it.