Why not schedule alarm reminders in your calendar to remind you to perform arti.
Meaning
The word ārti means a form of bhakti filled with utmost love.
Ārti is the symbolic waving of a lighted wick in a clockwise motion in front of the murti of Bhagwan while singing a prayer. It symbolises the removal of darkness by true spiritual enlightenment. Ārti is a tradition dating back thousands of years. In ancient times, there was little light inside the mandirs, and even less light actually reached the garbha gruh, or the inner sanctum of the mandir where the murtis are located. The only way to have darshan of the murtis was from the light cast from a divo, a clay lamp with a cotton wick dipped in ghee. During ārti, this lamp was held near each part of the murti so that devotees could properly see all the parts of the murti. Today, millions of Hindus devoutly perform ārti in their homes or attend ārti at mandirs every day.
Origin | History
In the Swaminarayan Sampraday, around 66 ārtis have been composed by the paramhansas. Of these, the most commonly sung is the ārti written by Sadguru Muktanand Swami. After his guru Ramanand Swami passed away and appointed Bhagwan Swaminarayan as his successor, Muktanand Swami was reluctant to accept Bhagwan Swaminarayan as the present form of God. Ramanand Swami gave him divine darshan and explained the true greatness of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Muktanand Swami rushed to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and seated him on Ramanand Swami’s seat. From his heart flowed the words to the ārti, “Jay Sadguru Swami….”
Based on the Akshar-Purushottam doctrine revealed by Bhagwan Swaminarayan, Brahmaswarup Shastriji Maharaj (Swami Yagnapurushdasji), the third spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, enshrined the murtis of Parabrahman Purushottam Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami in the central shrines of majestic BAPS shikharbaddha mandirs in Gujarat. Thus, he established the tradition of offering devotion to Purushottam (Narayan) and his ideal devotee Akshar (Swami).
In keeping with the Hindu Dharma tradition of singing the glory of the enshrined deities of a mandir, his holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the sixth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, inspired the composition of an ārti dedicated to the glory of Akshar and Purushottam, that is, Swami and Narayan. This ārti is known as the ‘Shri Swaminarayan ārti’. It sings the praise of Swami or Akshar and Narayan or Purushottam.
This Shri Swaminarayan ārti is sung daily in BAPS mandirs, countless homes and on festive occasions reminding disciples of the glory of the divine forms of Akshar and Purushottam to whom they offer devotion.
Devotees visit their local mandirs and participate in this sacred ritual on a daily basis. In shikharbaddha mandirs, ārti is performed five times a day, while in hari mandirs, ārti is performed two times a day.
Significance
During ārti, devotees lovingly welcome Bhagwan Swaminarayan, by offering him the panch bhutas – five elements which together form ārti. These are: pruthvi (earth), jal (water), tej (light), vāyu (wind) and ākāsh (space).
The act of waving the lighted wick infuses the flames with the love, energy and blessings of the murtis. After the short prayer, devotees hover their down-turned hands over the flame and touch them to their eyes and head. The purificatory blessing, conveyed from the murtis to the flame, has now been passed on to the devotee.
A further significance is that just as the wicks burn in the service of God, devotees pray that they too, can selflessly offer themselves in the service of God and that their ego be eradicated through such service and humble worship
Things you will need
To perform the arti at home you will need the following:
- Ghar mandir and/or murtis
- A divo
- Wick
- Matches
Others materials that can be used include: incense, water, and flowers. Together, these components represent the five elements of the world, and symbolise the offering of the whole of creation to the Deity during the ārti ceremony.
When to perform Arti
At home, devotees perform ārti twice a day: once in the morning, and once in the evening.
- For the morning ārti, devotees should sing the ārti and the Guru parampara vandana stuti shloks to be sung while offering prostrations to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, “Krupa Karo…”
- For the evening ārti, devotees should sing the ārti and the full ashtakam
In shikharbaddha mandirs, ārti is performed five times a day, with each ārti relating to a specific part of the murti’s daily routine:
- Mangala ārti (meaning – auspicious) – the murtis offer the first darshan of the day, signifying the auspicious beginning of the day for devotees.
- Shangar ārti (meaning – adornments) – the murtis are dressed and adorned.
- Rajbhog ārti (meaning – royal offering) – the murti are offered their midday meal
- Sandhya ārti (meaning – evening) – the murtis offer their special evening darshan
- Shayan ārti (meaning - sleeping) – the murtis prepare to retire for the night
In hari mandirs, ārti is performed two times a day, in the mornings and evenings
To find out more
https://www.baps.org/arti