Durge Durghat Bhari – दुर्गे दुर्घट भारी (Durga Aarti)
A Marathi aarti to Goddess Durga, sung in Maharashtra during Navratri and at evening puja. Its refrain is "Jai Devi Jai Devi, Mahishasura-mardini".
Looking for Jai Ambe Gauri, the Hindi Durga aarti most people sing during Navratri? →
Lyrics
दुर्गे दुर्घट भारी तुजविण संसारी । अनाथनाथे अंबे करुणा विस्तारी ॥ वारी वारी जन्ममरणांते वारी । हारी पडलो आता संकट निवारी ॥ १ ॥
Durge durghat bhari tujvin sansari, anathnathe Ambe karuna vistari. Vari vari janma-maranante vari, hari padalo ata sankat nivari.
O Durga, without you this worldly life is very hard to bear. Mother Ambe, protector of the helpless, spread your compassion. Free me from the round of birth and death; I am beaten now, so take away my trouble.
जय देवी जय देवी महिषासुरमर्दिनी । सुरवर ईश्वर वरदे तारक संजीवनी ॥
Jai Devi Jai Devi Mahishasura-mardini, suravar ishvar varade tarak sanjivani.
Refrain, sung after every verse: Victory to the Goddess, who crushed the demon Mahishasura. Giver of boons to the gods, you carry us across and give us life.
त्रिभुवनभुवनी पाहता तुज ऐसी नाही । चारी श्रमले परंतु न बोलवे काही ॥ साही विवाद करिता पडिले प्रवाही । ते तू भक्तांलागी पावसि लवलाही ॥ २ ॥
Tribhuvan-bhuvani pahata tuj aishi nahi, chari shramale parantu na bolave kahi. Sahi vivad karita padile pravahi, te tu bhaktanlagi pavasi lavalahi.
Search all three worlds and there is no one like you. The four Vedas tired themselves out and still could not describe you; the six schools of philosophy argued and were swept away. Yet you come quickly to your devotees.
प्रसन्नवदने प्रसन्न होसी निजदासा । क्लेशांपासुनि सोडवी तोडी भवपाशा ॥ अंबे तुजवाचून कोण पुरविल आशा । नरहरि तल्लीन झाला पदपंकजलेशा ॥ ३ ॥
Prasanna-vadane prasanna hosi nijadasa, kleshanpasuni sodavi todi bhavapasha. Ambe tujvachun kon puravil asha, Narahari tallin jhala padapankaj-lesha.
Smiling, you are pleased with your own servants; you free them from suffering and cut the ties of worldly life. Mother Ambe, who but you can fulfil our hopes? Narahari is absorbed at your lotus feet.
Meaning of Durge Durghat Bhari – दुर्गे दुर्घट भारी (Durga Aarti)
Durge Durghat Bhari is a Marathi aarti to Goddess Durga. It is sung in homes and temples across Maharashtra, especially on the nine nights of Navratri, and at evening puja through the year.
The first line, "Durge durghat bhari tujvin sansari", means "O Durga, without you this worldly life is very hard to bear." The singer says they are worn out ("hari padalo", I am beaten) and asks the Mother, protector of the helpless, to spread her compassion and take away their trouble. The refrain, "Jai Devi Jai Devi Mahishasura-mardini", hails her as the goddess who defeated the demon Mahishasura, the story told in the Devi Mahatmya.
The second verse says the four Vedas tired themselves out trying to describe her, and the six schools of philosophy argued and were swept away, yet she comes quickly to a devotee who simply calls on her. The last verse asks her to free her devotees from suffering and cut the ties of worldly life, and closes with the poet's name, Narahari, absorbed at her lotus feet.
How to Perform the Aarti
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Prepare sacred space
Clean and sanctify your puja area. Place an image or statue of Goddess Durga before you. Light incense and a ghee lamp. Sit facing the deity in a calm, meditative posture. Take three deep breaths to center yourself.
- 2
Offer salutations
Begin with a prayer acknowledging Durga's presence. Touch your forehead to the ground three times or place your palms together at heart center. Mentally or aloud, invite the Goddess's blessings for the aarti you're about to perform.
- 3
Sing Durge Durghat Bhari
Sing the three verses, repeating the refrain "Jai Devi Jai Devi" after each one. If you are offering the lamp, move it in slow clockwise circles before the deity while you sing.
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Offer prayers
After completing the aarti, speak your personal prayers or intentions. Request Durga's guidance, strength, or blessings for specific areas of your life. Remain silent for a moment to receive her grace. Bow respectfully to the deity.
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Distribute blessed offerings
If flowers, fruit, or sweets were offered before the deity, distribute them as prasad (blessed offering) to family members or yourself. This completes the ritual cycle and embodies the principle that divine blessings flow through material and communal sharing.
Benefits of Durge Durghat Bhari – दुर्गे दुर्घट भारी (Durga Aarti)
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A traditional way to close Durga puja in Marathi homes, especially during Navratri.
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Simple Marathi words, so the meaning is easy to follow while you sing.
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The refrain repeats after every verse, so family and children can sing along.
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In a few lines it recalls Durga's victory over Mahishasura from the Devi Mahatmya.
Story & Symbolism
Durge Durghat Bhari is a traditional Marathi aarti. Its last line names the poet, Narahari ("Narahari tallin jhala…"), and the Marathi aarti collection on sanskritdocuments.org credits it to Narahari Sonar. It is sometimes attributed to Samarth Ramdas, but the poem's own signature points to Narahari. No reliable source gives an exact date.
It belongs to the Maharashtrian tradition of short sung aartis, the same family as Sukhkarta Dukhharta for Ganesha, and is sung at the end of puja while the lamp is offered. During Navratri it is a regular part of the evening aarti in many Marathi homes and Devi temples. The goddess it praises is the Durga of the Devi Mahatmya, who defeated Mahishasura.
Many people who search for "Durga aarti" mean the Hindi aarti that begins "Jai Ambe Gauri". That is a different aarti, and it has its own page on Mahakatha.
How to Use in Daily Life
Evening puja
Sing it at the end of your evening puja, before Durga's image or a lit lamp. It takes only a few minutes.
When life feels hard
Some devotees sing this aarti when they feel overwhelmed. Its first verse is itself a plea for help in a hard time.
Tuesdays and Fridays
Tuesdays and Fridays are traditionally kept for the Goddess, and many devotees sing this aarti on those days as well as during Navratri.
Singing as a family
Sing it together at the end of evening puja. The refrain repeats after every verse, so children pick it up quickly.