SANDHYA ARATI
SADHANA - 7 PM
One hour after the sun sets, Sandhya Arati or Gaura Arati is performed. Taste the sweetness of the ‘Gaura Arati’ song and sing it with love and surrender.
Srila Prabhupada recommended that ISKCON devotees should follow a so-called ‘sandwich program’ of morning and evening worship.
The evening program is called Sandhya Arati during which full arati is offered to the Deities and everyone sings the ‘Gaura Arati’ song. This prayer glorifies Lord Gauranga, the glorious Lord of Gaudiya Vaishnavas, along with His associates from Panca-tattva.
Lord Gauranga or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of God, Sri Krishna Himself, who appeared in Kali-yuga in one body with Srimati Radharani, in order to try to taste Her love for Him, Her mood. He never openly proclaimed Himself as God and instead acted as a devotee showing the example. He also fulfilled His intention to spread this divine love, by introducing the Sankirtan movement.
Srila Prabhupada recommended that ISKCON devotees should follow a so-called ‘sandwich program’ of morning and evening worship.
The evening program is called Sandhya Arati during which full arati is offered to the Deities and everyone sings the ‘Gaura Arati’ song. This prayer glorifies Lord Gauranga, the glorious Lord of Gaudiya Vaishnavas, along with His associates from Panca-tattva.
Lord Gauranga or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of God, Sri Krishna Himself, who appeared in Kali-yuga in one body with Srimati Radharani, in order to try to taste Her love for Him, Her mood. He never openly proclaimed Himself as God and instead acted as a devotee showing the example.
SANDHYA ARATI AT HOME
IS A DAILY OPPORTUNITY TO MEDITATE ON THE GOLDEN FORM OF GAURANGA AND END THE DAY IN A KRSNA CONSCIOUS ATMOSPHERE.
YOU CAN PERFORM A FULL ARATI WHILE SINGING THE SONG OR IF YOU PREFER, YOU CAN JUST SING THE SONG.
FOR THIS PARTICULAR ARATI
ITEMS THAT ARE USED
a conch, an arati plate (incense sticks, a ghee lamp (cotton wick soaked in ghee) + a ghee lamp, fresh flowers, small pot for water and small pot in which to pour the offered water; a small conch for offering water; a handkerchief), camara (yak tail fan) and peacock feather fan (in summertime) .
GAURA ARATIK
STEP BY STEP
If you do not have any Deities, you can still perform the full arati or a simplified one: incenses and a lamp, flowers. …. If you lack any of the items, use what you have.
GAURA ARATI STEP BY STEP
1) offer your obeisances, perform an acaman, and blow a conch 3 times;
2) sprinkle your hands and a bell with acaman water; light the candle and from this fire light the incenses as well, sprinkle them lightly with acaman water;
3) start singing or play the song, and then offer the incenses to the Deities with your right hand while ringing the bell with your left hand (4 clockwise circles for the feet, 2 for the waist, and 7 for the whole body, and then 3 circles of offering to Sri Panca-tattva, Sri Nrsimhadev, acaryas, Srila Prabhupada/and your own Guru);
HOW TO DO IT
ARATI AT HOME
In this VIDEO you will learn how to do arati at home
DEVOTIONAL EVENING
THE TUNE OF THE SONG AND THE LYRICS
You can watch the video to learn the tune and sing along.
FOR SINGING
LYRICS IN SANSKRIT
GAURA ARATI (SANSKRIT LYRICS)
(1)
(kiba) jaya jaya gorācāńder āratiko śobhā
jāhnavī-taṭa-vane jaga-mana-lobhā
jaga-jana-mana-lobhā
(Refrain 1)
(gaurāńger ārotik śobhā
jaga-janer-mana-lobhā)
(2)
dakhiṇe nitāicāńd, bāme gadādhara
nikaṭe advaita, śrīnivāsa chatra-dhara
(3)
bosiyāche gorācāńd ratna-siḿhāsane
ārati koren brahmā-ādi deva-gaṇe
A VISION OF THE SPIRITUAL WORLD
“GAURA ARATIK” ENGLISH TRANSLATION
GAURA ARATI ENGLISH TRANSLATION
1) All glories, all glories to the beautiful arati ceremony of Lord Caitanya. This Gaura-arati is taking place in a grove on the banks of the Jahnavi (Ganges) and is attracting the minds of all living entities in the universe.
(Refrain 1): The splendor of Lord Gauranga’s (Caitanya) arati attracts the minds of all living entities of the universe!
2) On Lord Caitanya’s right side is Lord Nityananda and on His left is Sri Gadadhara. Nearby stands Sri Advaita, and Srivasa Thakura is holding an umbrella over Lord Caitanya’s head.