Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki in Bengali

আরতী কুঞ্জবিহারী কী

Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki is one of the best-loved aartis of Lord Krishna, sung in homes and temples across North India and the diaspora. Below is the complete Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki in Bengali script, every line also in English letters, with the meaning of each verse in simple English.

  • Bengali script
  • 5 verses
  • 4 min
  • Traditional (author unknown)
  • Best on Wednesday
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Recite line by line, listen, count with a mala. The reader opens in Bengali.

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The text

Refrain

আরতী কুঞ্জবিহারী কী, Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki,

শ্রী গিরিধর কৃষ্ণ মুরারী কী॥ Shri Girdhar Krishna Murari Ki

Meaning

This aarti is for Kunj Bihari, who roams the groves of Vrindavan: Shri Krishna Murari, the lifter of Mount Govardhan.

Verse 1

গলে মেং বৈজন্তী মালা, বজাবৈ মুরলী মধুর বালা। Gale Mein Baijanti Mala, Bajave Murli Madhur Bala

শ্রবণ মেং কুণ্ডল ঝলকালা, নন্দ কে আনন্দ নন্দলালা। Shravan Mein Kundal Jhalkala, Nand Ke Anand Nandlala

গগন সম অংগ কান্তি কালী, রাধিকা চমক রহী আলী। Gagan Sam Ang Kanti Kali, Radhika Chamak Rahi Aali

লতন মেং ঠাঢে বনমালী, Latan Mein Thade Banmali

ভ্রমর সী অলক, কস্তূরী তিলক, চন্দ্র সী ঝলক, Bhramar Si Alak, Kasturi Tilak, Chandra Si Jhalak

ললিত ছবি শ্যামা প্যারী কী॥ Lalit Chhavi Shyama Pyari Ki

শ্রী গিরিধর কৃষ্ণ মুরারী কী॥ Shri Girdhar Krishna Murari Ki

আরতী কুঞ্জবিহারী কী, … Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki, … Refrain, sung again

Meaning

A Vaijayanti garland hangs at his neck, and the young Lord plays sweet music on his flute. Earrings gleam in his ears. He is Nanda's joy, Nanda's darling son. His body has the dark glow of a rain-filled sky, and beside him Radhika shines, dear friend. The Lord of the forest garland stands among the vines, his curls dark as bees, a musk tilak on his brow, his face aglow like the moon. This aarti is for the lovely form of Radha's beloved, Shri Girdhar Krishna Murari.

Verse 2

কনকময় মোর মুকুট বিলসৈ, দেবতা দরসন কো তরসৈং। Kanakmay Mor Mukut Bilse, Devta Darsan Ko Tarse

গগন সোং সুমন রাসি বরসৈ, Gagan Son Suman Raasi Barse

বজে মুরচংগ, মধুর মিরদংগ, গ্বালিন সংগ, Baje Murchang, Madhur Mirdang, Gwalin Sang

অতুল রতি গোপ কুমারী কী॥ Atul Rati Gop Kumari Ki

শ্রী গিরিধর কৃষ্ণ মুরারী কী॥ Shri Girdhar Krishna Murari Ki

আরতী কুঞ্জবিহারী কী, … Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki, … Refrain, sung again

Meaning

A golden crown of peacock feathers gleams on his head, and even the gods long for a glimpse of him. Heaps of flowers rain down from the sky. The murchang and the sweet mridanga play as he moves among the cowherd girls. This aarti is for the one who holds the matchless love of the gopis, Shri Girdhar Krishna Murari.

The murchang is a small metal jaw harp still played in Braj and Rajasthan.

Verse 3

জহাং তে প্রকট ভঈ গংগা, সকল মন হারিণি শ্রী গংগা। Jahan Te Prakat Bhai Ganga, Sakal Man Harini Shri Ganga

স্মরন তে হোত মোহ ভংগা, Smaran Te Hot Moh Bhanga

বসী শিব সীস, জটা কে বীচ, হরৈ অঘ কীচ, Basi Shiv Sees, Jata Ke Beech, Hare Agh Keech

চরন ছবি শ্রীবনবারী কী॥ Charan Chhavi Shri Banwari Ki

শ্রী গিরিধর কৃষ্ণ মুরারী কী॥ Shri Girdhar Krishna Murari Ki

আরতী কুঞ্জবিহারী কী, … Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki, … Refrain, sung again

Meaning

From his feet the holy Ganga came forth, Shri Ganga, who captivates every heart. Remembering her shatters delusion. She came to rest in Shiva's matted locks and washes away the mire of sin. This aarti is for the beauty of the feet of Shri Banwari, Shri Girdhar Krishna Murari.

Tradition holds that the Ganga flowed from the foot of the Lord in his Vamana (Trivikrama) form and was caught in Shiva's hair as she descended to earth.

Verse 4

চমকতী উজ্জ্বল তট রেনূ, বজ রহী বৃন্দাবন বেনূ। Chamakti Ujjwal Tat Renu, Baj Rahi Vrindavan Benu

চহুং দিসি গোপি গ্বাল ধেনূ, Chahun Disi Gopi Gwal Dhenu

হংসত মৃদু মন্দ, চান্দনী চন্দ, কটত ভব ফন্দ, Hansat Mridu Mand, Chandni Chand, Katat Bhav Phand

টের সুন দীন দুখারী কী॥ Ter Sun Deen Dukhari Ki

শ্রী গিরিধর কৃষ্ণ মুরারী কী॥ Shri Girdhar Krishna Murari Ki

আরতী কুঞ্জবিহারী কী, … Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki, … Refrain, sung again

Meaning

The bright sand of the Yamuna's banks glitters, and the flute of Vrindavan is playing. On every side are gopis, cowherd boys and cows. He smiles a soft, gentle smile beneath the moonlit sky, and the snares of worldly life are cut. This aarti is for the one who hears the cry of the humble and the suffering, Shri Girdhar Krishna Murari.

About Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki

'Kunj Bihari' means the one who roams the kunjas, the flowering groves of Vrindavan, and 'Girdhar' is the lifter of Mount Govardhan. The aarti is in the sweet Braj idiom of Krishna's homeland. Its long lines break into short rhyming phrases, 'bhramar si alak, kasturi tilak, chandra si jhalak', which make it easy to sing together. Its author is unknown. It reached many Hindi-speaking homes through temples and aarti booklets.

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Questions

Is this the same Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki that is sung in Hindi?

Yes. These are the same Braj words, written in Bengali letters so you can read them aloud. It is a transliteration, not a translation into Bengali. The meaning of each verse is given in English.

How was the Bengali text prepared?

We keep one checked Devanagari edition (Traditional Braj/Hindi aarti as printed in popular aarti-sangrah booklets; text cross-checked against BhaktiBharat.com, Drik Panchang (Hindi) and two further lyric collections (chantchalisa.com, hindibhajanlyrics.co.in)) and write it in Bengali letters with fixed spelling rules, so every verse matches the original letter for letter. The English-letter line is the common singing spelling.

Source: Traditional Braj/Hindi aarti as printed in popular aarti-sangrah booklets; text cross-checked against BhaktiBharat.com, Drik Panchang (Hindi) and two further lyric collections (chantchalisa.com, hindibhajanlyrics.co.in)

The Bengali lettering is generated from our Devanagari edition. If any letter looks wrong to you, please tell us.

The meanings are our own first draft. A scholar has not reviewed them yet. If you spot a mistake, please tell us.

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