Kakad Aarti Karito Sainath Deva
काकड आरती करीतों साईनाथ देवा
Kakad Aarti Karito is the song that gives the Shirdi morning aarti its name. Its refrain and three stanzas, written in Marathi by K. J. Bhishma, turn the morning lamp into a picture of the inner life: the wick is made of our faults, the ghee is detachment and the flame is devotion to the Guru. It is sung before dawn at Shirdi and in Sai temples that keep the Kakad aarti.
- 4 verses
- 5 min
- Krishnashastri Jageshwar Bhishma (1854–1935), devotee of Sai Baba and compiler of the Shirdi aarti book
- Best on Thursday
Kakad Aarti Karito Sainath Devaकाकड आरती करीतों साईनाथ देवा ।
Chinmay Roop Dakhavi Gheuni Balak Laghu Sevaचिन्मयरूप दाखवीं घेउनि बालक-लघुसेवा ॥
O Lord Sainath, I offer you the Kakad aarti. Accept this small service from your child, and show me your form of pure consciousness.
Chinmay means "made of pure consciousness". The child offering a small service is the poet, and every devotee who sings it.
Kam Krodh Mad Matsar Atuni Kakada Kelaकाम क्रोध मद मत्सर आटुनी कांकडा केला ।
Vairagyache Toop Ghaluni Mi To Bhijavilaवैराग्याचे तूप घालुनी मी तो भिजविला ।
Sainath Guru Bhakti Jwalane To Mi Petavilaसाईनाथगुरुभक्तिज्वलनें तो मी पेटविला ।
Tadvrutti Jaluni Gurune Prakash Padilaतद्वृत्ती जाळुनी गुरुनें प्रकाश पाडिला ।
Dwait Tama Nasuni Milavi Tatswaroopi Jivaद्वैत-तमा नासूनी मिळवी तत्स्वरूपीं जीवा ॥
I have twisted lust, anger, pride and envy together and made them into the wick. I have soaked it in the ghee of detachment. I have lit it with the flame of devotion to Guru Sainath. Burning those tendencies away, the Guru has shed his light. He destroys the darkness of duality and unites the soul with its true Self.
Kakad Aarti Karito Sainath Devaकाकड आरती करीतों साईनाथ देवा ।
Chinmay Roop Dakhavi Gheuni Balak Laghu Sevaचिन्मयरूप दाखवीं घेउनि बालक-लघुसेवा ॥
Bhoo Khechar Vyapuni Avaghe Hrutkamali Rahasiभू-खेचर व्यापूनी अवघे हृत्कमलीं राहसी ।
Tochi Dattadev Tu Shirdi Rahuni Pavasiतोचि दत्तदेव तू शिरडी राहुनी पावसी ।
Rahuni Yethe Anyatrahi Tu Bhaktanstav Dhavasiराहुनि येथे अन्यत्रहि तू भक्तांस्तव धांवसी ।
Nirasuniya Sankata Dasa Anubhav Davisiनिरसुनियां संकटा दासा अनुभव दाविसी ।
Na Kale Twalleelahi Konya Deva Va Manavaन कळे त्वल्लीलाही कोण्या देवा वा मानवा ॥
You fill the earth and the sky, and you live in the lotus of every heart. You are that same Lord Datta, who stays in Shirdi and answers our prayers. Though you live here, you hurry elsewhere too for your devotees. You clear away your servants' troubles and let them feel your presence. No god and no human can understand your play.
Devotees believe Baba helped people far from Shirdi, and the Shri Sai Satcharita tells many such stories. The stanza says this in the devotee's voice.
Kakad Aarti Karito Sainath Devaकाकड आरती करीतों साईनाथ देवा ।
Chinmay Roop Dakhavi Gheuni Balak Laghu Sevaचिन्मयरूप दाखवीं घेउनि बालक-लघुसेवा ॥
Twadyash Dundubhine Sare Ambar He Kondaleत्वद्यशदुंदुभीनें सारें अंबर हें कोंदलें ।
Sagun Murti Pahanya Atur Jan Shirdi Aaleसगुण मूर्ति पाहण्या आतुर जन शिरडी आले ।
Prashuni Twadvachanamrut Amuche Dehabhan Harapaleप्राशुनि त्वद्वचनामृत अमुचे देहभान हरपलें ।
Soduniya Durabhiman Manas Twachcharani Vahileसोडूनियां दुरभिमान मानस त्वच्चरणीं वाहिले ।
Krupa Karuniya Saimaule Das Padari Ghyavaकृपा करूनियां साईमाउले दास पदरीं घ्यावा ॥
The drum of your fame fills the whole sky. People have come to Shirdi, eager to see you in visible form. Drinking the nectar of your words, we have forgotten even our bodies. Giving up false pride, we have laid our minds at your feet. Be kind, Mother Sai, and take this servant into your care.
Maule, "mother", is the loving Marathi name devotees give to a saint, as Varkaris call Dnyaneshwar "Mauli". "Padari ghyava" is to take someone into the fold of your sari, the way a mother shelters a child.
Kakad Aarti Karito Sainath Devaकाकड आरती करीतों साईनाथ देवा ।
Chinmay Roop Dakhavi Gheuni Balak Laghu Sevaचिन्मयरूप दाखवीं घेउनि बालक-लघुसेवा ॥
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Questions
What time is Kakad aarti?
It is the first aarti of the day, held before or around dawn. At Shirdi the Sansthan's current timetable lists the Kakad aarti a little after 5 AM, after the Bhupali song at 5. Timings there change from time to time, so check sai.org.in before you plan a visit. At home, do it whenever your morning puja begins.
What does kakad mean?
A kakad, or kakada, is a thick wick of cloth wound round a stick and soaked in ghee or oil. In this song the poet makes the wick out of his own faults and lights it with devotion.
Who wrote Kakad Aarti Karito?
Krishnashastri Jageshwar Bhishma (1854–1935), a devotee who wrote nine of the Shirdi aarti songs and compiled the Shirdi aarti book, the Shri Sainath Sagunopasana.
Is this the whole Kakad aarti?
No. At Shirdi the Kakad aarti is a sequence of about a dozen songs, many of them older abhangs by Tukaram, Namdev and Janabai. This page gives the song the service is named after. Many families and smaller temples sing only this one, or this and a few others.
Can I do Kakad aarti at home?
Yes. Light a ghee lamp or camphor before Baba's photo early in the morning and sing this aarti as you wave it. Some devotees do it every day; others only on Thursdays.
Source and review
Source: Marathi aarti by K. J. Bhishma from the Shirdi Kakad aarti. Devanagari collated from sites.google.com/site/vaibhavbirit (Kakad aarti, word by word, credits Bhishma) and aajtak.in (Shri Sai Baba Kakad Aarti); Roman and attribution checked against the aarti book of the Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Austin and shirdisaimyworld.blogspot.com (Kakad aarti with meaning, credits Shri Krishna Jogiswar Bhishma)
Copyright: Bhishma died on 8 August 1935 (saiamrithadhara.com), so the text is public domain in India. It was printed in his Shri Sainath Sagunopasana (Khaparde's printings to 1922, Sansthan edition from 1923; shradhasaburi.blogspot.com, saiamrithadhara.com), so it was published before 1931. Readings: the two Devanagari sources differ only in small spellings and a few typing slips (aajtak has "तवृत्ती" for "तद्वृत्ती" and drops "तू" in stanza 2). We follow the reading both Roman sources support. Stanza 3, last line: aajtak and both Roman sources have "साईमाउले"; one source has "साईमाउली". At Shirdi the refrain is sung after every stanza.
We checked the text line by line against the sources named here. The meanings are an AI-assisted draft. A scholar has not reviewed them yet.
The meanings are our own first draft. A scholar has not reviewed them yet. If you spot a mistake, please tell us.
Key facts
- Author
- Krishnashastri Jageshwar Bhishma (1854–1935), devotee of Sai Baba and compiler of the Shirdi aarti book
- Verses
- 4
- Original language
- Marathi
- Source edition
- Marathi aarti by K. J. Bhishma from the Shirdi Kakad aarti. Devanagari collated from sites.google.com/site/vaibhavbirit (Kakad aarti, word by word, credits Bhishma) and aajtak.in (Shri Sai Baba Kakad Aarti); Roman and attribution checked against the aarti book of the Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Austin and shirdisaimyworld.blogspot.com (Kakad aarti with meaning, credits Shri Krishna Jogiswar Bhishma)
- Last checked
- Review status
- Script verified
Cite this page
“Kakad Aarti Karito Sainath Deva”. Nitya, updated 2026-10-04. https://getnitya.com/en/sai-baba/kakad-aarti/