Shej Aarti: Jai Jai Sainath
शेज आरती: जय जय साईनाथ
Jai Jai Sainath is the main song of the Shej aarti, the night aarti with which Shirdi closes each day. Written in Marathi by K. J. Bhishma, its refrain and three stanzas ask Baba to lie down and rest, thank him for carrying his devotees' troubles, and promise to come back in the morning. It is sung at 10 PM at Shirdi and at the last aarti in many Sai temples.
- 4 verses
- 5 min
- Krishnashastri Jageshwar Bhishma (1854–1935), devotee of Sai Baba and compiler of the Shirdi aarti book
- Best on Thursday
Jai Jai Sainath Aata Pahudave Mandiri Hoजय जय साईनाथ आतां पहुडावें मंदिरीं हो ।
Aalavito Sapreme Tujala Aarti Gheuni Kari Hoआळवितों सप्रेमें तुजला आरति घेउनि करीं हो ॥
Glory, glory to you, Sainath! Now please lie down to rest in your temple. Holding the aarti lamp in our hands, we call to you with love.
Pahudave is a gentle Marathi word for lying down to sleep. Aalavane is to call to someone lovingly, the way a mother sings to a child.
Ranjavisi Tu Madhur Boluni Maay Jashi Nij Mula Hoरंजविसी तूं मधुर बोलुनी माय जशी निज मुला हो ।
Bhogisi Vyadhi Tunch Haruniya Nijsevak Dukhala Hoभोगिसि व्याधी तूंच हरुनियां निजसेवकदुःखाला हो ।
Dhavuni Bhakta Vyasan Harisi Darshan Desi Tyala Hoधांवुनि भक्तव्यसन हरिसी दर्शन देसी त्याला हो ।
Jhale Asatil Kashta Atishay Tumache Ya Dehala Hoझाले असतील कष्ट अतिशय तुमचे या देहाला हो ॥
You comfort us with sweet words, as a mother comforts her own child. You take away your servants' suffering and bear their illness yourself. You run to remove a devotee's trouble and give him your darshan. This body of yours must be very tired.
Devotees believe Baba took the illnesses of those he loved upon himself; the Shri Sai Satcharita tells such stories. The stanza speaks from that belief.
Jai Jai Sainath Aata Pahudave Mandiri Hoजय जय साईनाथ आतां पहुडावें मंदिरीं हो ।
Aalavito Sapreme Tujala Aarti Gheuni Kari Hoआळवितों सप्रेमें तुजला आरति घेउनि करीं हो ॥
Kshama Shayan Sundar Hi Shobha Suman Shej Tyavari Hoक्षमा शयन सुंदर ही शोभा सुमनशेज त्यावरी हो ।
Ghyavi Thodi Bhaktajananchi Pujanadi Chakari Hoघ्यावी थोडी भक्तजनांची पूजनादि चाकरी हो ।
Ovalito Panchaprana Jyoti Sumati Kari Hoओंवाळीतों पंचप्राण ज्योति सुमती करीं हो ।
Seva Kinkar Bhakta Preeti Attar Parimal Vari Hoसेवा किंकर भक्त प्रीती अत्तर परिमळ वारी हो ॥
Forgive us, and lie down; how lovely the bed of flowers spread for you looks. Accept a little service from your devotees, their worship and offerings. We wave our five life-breaths before you as the lamp, with a clear mind for its flame. Your servants offer perfume and fragrant water with love.
At Shirdi a pot of water is set out for the night as part of the Shej aarti. Kshama here can also be read as "patience"; most translations take it as a request for forgiveness.
Jai Jai Sainath Aata Pahudave Mandiri Hoजय जय साईनाथ आतां पहुडावें मंदिरीं हो ।
Aalavito Sapreme Tujala Aarti Gheuni Kari Hoआळवितों सप्रेमें तुजला आरति घेउनि करीं हो ॥
Soduni Jaya Dukh Vatate Sai Twachcharanansi Hoसोडुनि जाया दुःख वाटतें साई त्वच्चरणांसी हो ।
Aadnyestav Ha Ashirprasad Gheuni Nijsadanasi Hoआज्ञेस्तव हा आशीरप्रसाद घेउनि निजसदनासी हो ।
Jato Aata Yeu Punarapi Twachcharanache Pashi Hoजातों आतां येऊं पुनरपि त्वच्चरणाचे पाशीं हो ।
Uthavu Tujala Saimaule Nijhit Sadhayasi Hoउठवूं तुजला साईमाउले निजहित साधायासी हो ॥
It hurts to leave your feet, Sai. At your word we take this blessing and prasad home with us. We go now, and we will come back to your feet again. Mother Sai, we will come to wake you, for our own good.
The last line looks ahead to the next morning's Kakad aarti, which wakes Baba, so the day's four aartis form a circle.
Jai Jai Sainath Aata Pahudave Mandiri Hoजय जय साईनाथ आतां पहुडावें मंदिरीं हो ।
Aalavito Sapreme Tujala Aarti Gheuni Kari Hoआळवितों सप्रेमें तुजला आरति घेउनि करीं हो ॥
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Questions
What is the Shej aarti?
Shej means bed. It is the night aarti, the last of the four daily aartis at Shirdi, held at 10 PM by the Sansthan's timetable. Devotees wish Baba rest for the night, much as a family would see an elder to bed.
Who wrote Jai Jai Sainath?
Krishnashastri Jageshwar Bhishma (1854–1935). He also wrote the morning song Kakad Aarti Karito and compiled the Shirdi aarti book.
Can I sing the Shej aarti at home?
Yes. Many devotees sing it before going to bed, with a small lamp in front of Baba's photo. Some do it every night; others only on Thursday nights.
Why do devotees ask Sai Baba to sleep?
In Hindu temple worship the deity is cared for through the day like an honoured guest: woken, bathed, fed and put to rest. Devotees believe Baba is present at his samadhi, so the day there ends the same way. The song says it lovingly. After a day of taking on everyone's troubles, he must be tired.
Source and review
Source: Marathi aarti by K. J. Bhishma from the Shirdi Shej aarti. Devanagari collated from sites.google.com/site/vaibhavbirit (Shej aarti, word by word) and hindipath.com (Sai Baba Shej Aarti); Roman and attribution checked against the aarti book of the Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Austin and shirdisaimyworld.blogspot.com (Shej aarti with meaning, credits Shri Krishna Jogeswar Bhishma)
Copyright: Bhishma died on 8 August 1935 (saiamrithadhara.com), so the text is public domain in India, and it was printed in the Shri Sainath Sagunopasana (to 1922 by Khaparde, Sansthan edition from 1923), before 1931. Readings: stanza 2, line 2 "पूजनादि चाकरी" (vaibhavbirit and Austin; hindipath has a garbled form). Stanza 3, line 2: vaibhavbirit has "आज्ञेस्तव आशीरप्रसाद"; hindipath and both Roman sources have "हा" after "आज्ञेस्तव", so we include it. Stanza 3, line 4: "साधायासी" as in both Roman sources (the Devanagari sources print "सादायासी"), and "साईमाउले" as in Austin and hindipath. In singing, the first three lines of each stanza are usually sung twice, and the first line of stanza 3 is sung once with "Baba" and once with "Sai".
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 Shej aarti. Devanagari collated from sites.google.com/site/vaibhavbirit (Shej aarti, word by word) and hindipath.com (Sai Baba Shej Aarti); Roman and attribution checked against the aarti book of the Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Austin and shirdisaimyworld.blogspot.com (Shej aarti with meaning, credits Shri Krishna Jogeswar Bhishma)
- Last checked
- Review status
- Script verified
Cite this page
“Shej Aarti: Jai Jai Sainath”. Nitya, updated 2026-10-04. https://getnitya.com/en/sai-baba/shej-aarti/