Lavthavti Vikrala (Shankarachi Aarti) लवथवती विक्राळा (शंकराची आरती)
The standard Marathi aarti of Shiva, sung on Mondays and at Mahashivaratri: the fearsome yet lovely lord with the garland of worlds, the blue throat, the moon on his head and Ganga flowing from it.
- Deity Shiva
- Type Aarti
- Language Marathi
- Tradition Common to many traditions
- Source Shriram Upasana Grantha — Ganesh Babaji Phadke Tasgaonkar, Tasgaon, 1910 — scan pages 59–60 (printed pp. 53–54), Marathi Wikisource revisions 192186, 192185
Source-attributed version Editorially checked
Text
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Refrain 1
जयदेव जयदेव जय श्रीशंकरा ।jayadev jayadev jay śrīśaṃkarā |ਜਯਦੇਵ ਜਯਦੇਵ ਜਯ ਸ਼੍ਰੀਸ਼ਂਕਰਾ ।
आरती ओंवाळूं तुज विश्वंभरा ॥ जयदेव० ॥ ध्रु० ॥āratī oṃvāḷūṃ tuj viśvaṃbharā || jayadeva0 || dhru0 ||ਆਰਤੀ ਓਂਵਾਲ਼ੂਂ ਤੁਜ ਵਿਸ਼੍ਵਂਭਰਾ ॥ ਜਯਦੇਵ0 ॥ ਧ੍ਰੁ0 ॥
Stanza 1
लवथवती विक्राळा ब्रह्मांडमाळा ।lavathavatī vikrāḷā brahmāṃḍamāḷā |ਲਵਥਵਤੀ ਵਿਕ੍ਰਾਲ਼ਾ ਬ੍ਰਹ੍ਮਾਂਡਮਾਲ਼ਾ ।
विषे कंठ काळा त्रिनेत्रीं ज्वाळा ॥viṣe kaṃṭh kāḷā trinetrīṃ jvāḷā ||ਵਿਸ਼ੇ ਕਂਠ ਕਾਲ਼ਾ ਤ੍ਰਿਨੇਤ੍ਰੀਂ ਜ੍ਵਾਲ਼ਾ ॥
लावण्य सुंदर मस्तकीं बाळा ॥lāvaṇya suṃdar mastakīṃ bāḷā ||ਲਾਵਣ੍ਯ ਸੁਂਦਰ ਮਸ੍ਤਕੀਂ ਬਾਲ਼ਾ ॥
तेथुनियां जळ निर्मळ वाहे झुळझुळां ॥ जय० ॥ २ ॥tethuniyāṃ jaḷ nirmaḷ vāhe jhuḷajhuḷāṃ || jaya0 || 2 ||ਤੇਥੁਨਿਯਾਂ ਜਲ਼ ਨਿਰ੍ਮਲ਼ ਵਾਹੇ ਝੁਲ਼ਝੁਲ਼ਾਂ ॥ ਜਯ0 ॥ 2 ॥
Stanza 2
कर्पूरगौरा भोळा नयनीं वीशाळा ॥karpūragaurā bhoḷā nayanīṃ vīśāḷā ||ਕਰ੍ਪੂਰਗੌਰਾ ਭੋਲ਼ਾ ਨਯਨੀਂ ਵੀਸ਼ਾਲ਼ਾ ॥
अर्धांगीं पार्वती सुमनांच्या माळा ॥ardhāṃgīṃ pārvatī sumanāṃcyā māḷā ||ਅਰ੍ਧਾਂਗੀਂ ਪਾਰ੍ਵਤੀ ਸੁਮਨਾਂਚ੍ਯਾ ਮਾਲ਼ਾ ॥
विभुतीचें उधळण शितिकंठ नीळा ॥vibhutīceṃ udhaḷaṇ śitikaṃṭh nīḷā ||ਵਿਭੁਤੀਚੇਂ ਉਧਲ਼ਣ ਸ਼ਿਤਿਕਂਠ ਨੀਲ਼ਾ ॥
ऐसा शंकर शोभे उमा वेल्हाळा ॥ जयदेव० ॥ ३ ॥aisā śaṃkar śobhe umā velhāḷā || jayadeva0 || 3 ||ਐਸਾ ਸ਼ਂਕਰ ਸ਼ੋਭੇ ਉਮਾ ਵੇਲ੍ਹਾਲ਼ਾ ॥ ਜਯਦੇਵ0 ॥ 3 ॥
Stanza 3
व्याघ्रांबर फणिवरधर सुंदर मदनारी ॥vyāghrāṃbar phaṇivaradhar suṃdar madanārī ||ਵ੍ਯਾਘ੍ਰਾਂਬਰ ਫਣਿਵਰਧਰ ਸੁਂਦਰ ਮਦਨਾਰੀ ॥
पंचानन मुनिजनमनमोहन सुखकारी ॥paṃcānan munijanamanamohan sukhakārī ||ਪਂਚਾਨਨ ਮੁਨਿਜਨਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸੁਖਕਾਰੀ ॥
शतकोटीचें बीज वाचे उच्चारी ।śatakoṭīceṃ bīj vāce uccārī |ਸ਼ਤਕੋਟੀਚੇਂ ਬੀਜ ਵਾਚੇ ਉਚ੍ਚਾਰੀ ।
रविकुळटीळक रामदासाअंतरीं ॥ जयदेव ॥ ४ ॥ravikuḷaṭīḷak rāmadāsāaṃtarīṃ || jayadev || 4 ||ਰਵਿਕੁਲ਼ਟੀਲ਼ਕ ਰਾਮਦਾਸਾਅਂਤਰੀਂ ॥ ਜਯਦੇਵ ॥ 4 ॥
Read in another script: ગુજરાતી বাংলা தமிழ் తెలుగు ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ଓଡ଼ିଆ · letter-for-letter from the Devanagari text, approximate
Text: Shriram Upasana Grantha (Tasgaon, 1910), printed pp. 53–54 = scan pages 59–60, as proofread on Marathi Wikisource (https://mr.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%3A%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE_%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A5.pdf/%E0%A5%AB%E0%A5%AF&oldid=192186, revision 192186; page 60 revision 192185; page quality 3); both scan images were read at 1920 px. Verified on 11 November 2026 against Shri Samartha Ramadasa-krita Samagra Grantha, ed. Anant Prabhu Tendulkar, 1891 (archive.org in.ernet.dli.2015.366287, OCR layer, 'आरती सांबाची', three stanzas; 2 identical, 12 differing, 0 only in edition, 0 only in witness; letter agreement 84.9%) and the Navanit 1871 scan on Marathi Wikisource (पान:नवनीत अथवा मराठी कवितांचे वेंचे.pdf/३४५, revision 184361, unproofread OCR, four stanzas; 3 identical, 11 differing, 0 only in edition, 0 only in witness; letter agreement 89.2%); cmp.py --loose, one quarter-line per line. Shri Ramadasanchi Kavita 1908 (dli.ministry.30703) does not contain the aarti. Lines: 14 (refrain 2 + 3 stanzas of 4; the print numbers the stanzas २, ३, ४ after the ध्रु०, kept). Corrections to the transcription: ‘ज्वाळा लावण्य’ → ‘ज्वाळा ॥ लावण्य’ (the ॥ after ज्वाळा, visible on the scan, was dropped by the transcriber (punctuation only)); ‘आँवाळूं’ → ‘ओंवाळूं’ (the font sets ओं as आ with e-matra and anusvara, which the proofreader typed as आँ; the Navanit scan reads ओंवाळू and the 1891 print ओवाळूं (OCR ओबाळं)); ‘अधोगी’ → ‘अर्धांगीं’ (transcription slip; the scan reads अर्धांगीं and the Navanit print अर्धांगी). Edition readings kept: वीशाळा (Navanit विशाळा); विभुतीचें उधळण (Navanit विभूतीचें, 1891 भस्माचें); ऐसा शंकर शोभे उमा वेल्हाळा (Navanit वामांकावर शोभे); मस्तकीं बाळा; रविकुळटीळक रामदासाअंतरीं (1891 रामदासा अंतरीं; Navanit भावें रामदास गातो अंतरीं); the refrain 'आरती ओंवाळूं तुज विश्वंभरा' (Navanit 'तुज कर्पूरगौरा'). The Navanit print adds a stanza on the churning of the ocean (देवीं दैत्यीं सागरमंथन केलें …) between stanzas 2 and 3; it is not in the 1910 or 1891 prints and is listed as a variant only. Modern booklets read 'ब्रह्मांडी माळा' for the print's ब्रह्मांडमाळा. The last stanza names Ramdas.
The Roman line is IAST transliteration derived from the Devanagari (ā = long a, ṃ = anusvara, ḥ = visarga, ś/ṣ = sh sounds, c = ch as in “church”). In Hindi, Awadhi and Braj texts the silent final “a” is dropped. Transliteration does not show Vedic accents.
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Questions
What is Lavthavti Vikrala (Shankarachi Aarti)?
The standard Marathi aarti of Shiva, sung on Mondays and at Mahashivaratri: the fearsome yet lovely lord with the garland of worlds, the blue throat, the moon on his head and Ganga flowing from it.
Who is Lavthavti Vikrala (Shankarachi Aarti) associated with?
Lavthavti Vikrala (Shankarachi Aarti) is associated with Shiva. Mahadeva, worshipped as the auspicious one, lord of yoga and of transformation; the central deity of Shaiva traditions.
What does Lavthavti Vikrala (Shankarachi Aarti) mean?
The refrain offers the aarti to Shankara, bearer of the universe. The stanzas picture him trembling-fierce with the garland of worlds, his throat dark with poison and flames in his third eye, the crescent on his head from which the pure stream flows; camphor-white, simple-hearted, wide-eyed, with Parvati at his left and garlands of flowers, ash scattered on his dark-throated body; clad in tiger skin and serpents, the five-faced enemy of Kama who charms the sages; whoever utters his seed-syllable gains the fruit of a hundred crore; Ramdas, jewel of the solar line, holds him in his heart.
What is the source of Lavthavti Vikrala (Shankarachi Aarti)?
Aartis of Samarth Ramdas — Aarti of Shankara; printed in Shriram Upasana Grantha (1910), pp. 53–54. Tradition: Common to many traditions.
Are there different versions of Lavthavti Vikrala (Shankarachi Aarti)?
The Navanit anthology prints a fourth stanza on the churning of the ocean and reads 'तुज कर्पूरगौरा' in the refrain; modern booklets read 'ब्रह्मांडी माळा'. This version follows the 1910 Tasgaon print (three stanzas); readings were changed only where the sources show a transcription error.