Jai Jagdish Hare

Om Jai Jagdish Hare is a Hindu bhajan (devotional song), composed in or near the 1870s by Pandit Shardha Ram Phillauri in Punjab, India. Even though it is in Hindi, it is universally used by Hindus around the world speaking any of the numerous Indian languages, or belonging to any one of many sects.

It may have been inspired by the Dashavatara (दशावतार कीर्ति धवलम्) section of Gita Govinda of Jayadeva, a lyrical composition of 12th century, which has the same refrain:

प्रलयपयोधिजले धृतवानसि वेदम् ॥ <br>विहितवहित्रचरित्रमखेदम्॥<br>केशवाधृतमीनशरीर जयजगदीशहरे॥

The prayer is sung by the entire congregation at the time of Aarti, worship of the deity using a festal lamp.()

There are also variants of the song, using the same tune and structure, but with focus on different deities. These include Om Jai Lakshmi Mata, Om Jai Shiva Omkara and Om Jai Shiva Shakti Hare.

Lyrics

• In some temples, "Prabhu" is sung instead of "Swami".

Key words

• Om: a bijakshara
• Jagdish: Lord of the universe
• Jay: glory, victory
• Hare: O! Hari (may imply either saguna Vishnu/Krishna or nirguna lord implied in a later verse)
• Thakur: an archaic term for......
...

Read More