An "Arti" is a song of praise for the Beloved from his lover / devotee.


Baba wrote this arti "Bujawe Naar Jallatani" otherwise known as  "Gujerati Arti" on the 11th January 1926.



Oh God command that the fire of our ignorance be extinguished
Your lovers yearn for You to bestow upon them the Light of Faith
Oh Murshed Meher Baba we (your lovers) lay our heads at your Feet
Oh Meher Baba, You have made yourself perfectly aware of your Godhood.
You are the Lord of Truth, You are the Lover and the Beloved in One.
Being the torrent of infinite Knowledge, You are the Ocean of Oneness,
Oh Master, bestow upon us, the wayfarers, the Knowledge of Ezad (the only One worthy of worhsip)
For You, Oh Paramatma are Omniscient and are Divine Knowledge Itself.
Give us to drink of the cup of God's Love that we become intoxicated.
Oh Saki, we offer our lives in sacrifice to You, give us this draught.
Only is You steer our ship while in mid ocean can we remain afloat
Oh Meher Baba, the Captain of our ship, You are our Protector.

Meheru, Mani and Mehera singing the Bujaawe Arti at Meherabad - Photo courtesy of MN Publications


To hear Jane Brown’s exquisite Western-style version (arranged by Raphael Rudd), please visit

American Arti


Music and lyrics by Henry S. Mindlin

© 1967 Sufism Reoriented



1. How can one fathom Your fathomless being?

How can we know You, we see with gross eyes?

A glimpse of Your Shadow has blinded our seeing;

How could Your Glory e’er be realized?


REFRAIN: (sing after each verse)

          Consumed is my mind in Your fire and flame,

          Accept it, oh Meher, in Oneness.

          Consumed is my heart in the sound of Your Name,

          Accept, oh Meher, my Arti;

          Accept, oh Meher, my song.


2. Thought cannot reach You and word cannot speak You,

Infinite Ocean of unending bliss.

Though we beseech You, how can we seek You?

How can the finite know Limitlessness?


3. At Your command suns and stars give their light,

What in the worlds can I offer as mine?

Even my gift of love would be naught in Your sight

But veiled reflection of Your love divine


4. You are the Ancient One, Lord of Creation,

How can we measure Your true majesty?

You are the Christ, the Divine Incarnation;

Dear Lord, please don’t be indifferent to me.


5. You are beginning and end of all things,

’Tis You alone Who assumes every role;

Sinners and saints, beggars and kings,

You are the Source and You are the Goal.


6. (repeat first verse)


(This is the correct version reviewed and approved by Meher Baba in 1968 and performed at Guruprasad at the darshan program in April 1969. The song was composed at the suggestion of Murshida Ivy Duce and the lyrics are based on Adi K. Irani’s English translation of Madhusudan’s Hindi arti. - hm)

1969, Guruprasad, Poona, India - Henry Mindlin - photo cropped


O glorious, eternal Ancient One
your face is a bright, transcendental sun -
lighten this dark world and the tears I weep;
my heart, Meher, I give to you to keep.

Creator, yet creationless you are -
truth and Truth's Body, divine Avatar
who, through compassion the three worlds maintains -
destroy this ignorance that life sustains.

These five lights are the whirling spokes of breath
of the world-wheel that bears me on to death
unless you, who are infinitely kind
break the wheel's hub which is conditioned mind.

This incense is my love, these fruits my art
which to please you I have shaped from my heart;
accept them as you would a simple flower
that has no use beyond it's shining hour.

You are my Self. I sing to you in praise
and beg your love to bear me through the days
till you, the Everlasting Perfect One,
illume by darkness with your shining sun.


Words & Music by : Francis Brabazon






The American Arti was composed for Avatar Meher Baba by Henry MIndlin in 1967. Meher Baba heard it and approved it. Arsenio Rodriguez rendered Henry's lyric in Spanish and set it to the original melody. Mischa Rutenberg sings it here accompanied with a track by Randy Hammon. The original music, lyric, performance, and video are ©Sufism Reoriented 2016.


Aadi Sachaytana shaanti nikaytana
namo Brahmo aao
Meher Prabhu arati apanaao
Meher Prabhu arati apanaao

Prema deepa may Diay jalaavoo
Nibida andhayraa mitataa paavoo
Apanaa suba koocha toomhay chadhaavoo
Tooma moojhko sarsaao
Meher Prabhu arati apanaao
Meher Prabhu arati apanaao

Jivana Ki hara saansa hamaari
Bana jaa-ay Prabhu gati toomhaari
Hay karoonaakara leelee-dhaari
Tooma kaaroonaa barsaao
Meher Prabhu arati apanaao
Meher Prabhu arati apanaao

Banay arati jeevana mayraa
Aadi anta-kaa laga ho ghayraa
Khoolay nayana aur dikhay savayraa
Tooma moojmay chaa jaao
Meher Prabhu arati apanaao
Meher Prabhu arati apanaao

Aadi Sachaytana shaanti nikaytana
namo Brahmo aao
Meher Prabhu arati apanaao
Meher Prabhu arati apanaao


He, from Whose Whim sprang up the universe, How can intellect fathom His Divinity.

Primordial, life-giving consciousness, heaven of peace, Salutations, Oh Brahma come, Lord Meher accept my Arti.

Light the lamp of love in my heart and annihilate this intense darkness offering everything to you and be blissful in Your Love: Oh Lord Meher, accept my Arti.

May every breath of my life become the flow of Your Will, Oh Compassionate One; Oh Master of the Divine game; shower Your Mercy upon me; Oh Lord Meher, accept my Arti.

May your Arti become my very life, that the round of births and deaths end forever. May my eyes be opened to the light of the dawn and you pervade in me; Oh Lord Meher, accept my Arti.

﻿Original Hindi Arti

Attached is the mp3 file of the original Hindi Arti of Beloved Baba written and sung by Madhusudan Pund in his mellifluous voice accompanied by Srirangapatnam Centre party singers (Karnataka State, India). It is recorded in 2 parts reflecting two sides of the one single record with a short silent interval between 1st and the 2nd part.
The sheer simplicity and beauty of this rendering in a very low key (with no pretensions whatsoever) makes it a treasure for all times.
From what I understand from Pratap Ahir of the Poona Baba Centre, Beloved Baba had asked His secretary Adi K. Irani to take Madhusudan to the recording studio of His Master’s Voice and get copies of the arti cut in the old 78rpm records (I believe, 100 copies).  Some Baba devotees may still be owning and holding this 78 rpm record today.

During the 4 days of November 1962 East West Gathering Madhusudan’s Arti was sung at the close of each day’s program.

﻿Click on the music note logo to play the original recording of the Arti.

Madhusudan's Hindi arti of Avatar Meher
MP3 Audio File 8.9 MB

Pratap Ahir ( with grey hair ) is seen playing the harmonium on the above video the "original Hindi Arti" during the Amartithi celebrations.

He also seen in the below photograph playing the harmonium taken in 1959, Guruprasad, Pune, India. Meher Baba is officiating at Madhusudan ( front left ) and Subhadra  ( lady seated next to Baba ) their wedding ceremony. Madhusudan wrote the original Hindi Arti.

Bhau Kalchuri’s Hindi arti ﻿

Bhau's version was much later adapted as the Hindi Arti.