Bhairav Baba Aarti (जय भैरव बाबा)
Bhairav Ashtami (Margashirsha Krishna Ashtami), Tuesday and Sunday nights, Kaal Bhairav temple visits
About this Aarti
Bhairav Baba Aarti is dedicated to Kaal Bhairav — the fierce guardian of Varanasi (Kashi Kotwal) — a powerful form of Lord Shiva who protects devotees from negative forces.
Bhairav Ashtami (Margashirsha Krishna Ashtami), Tuesday and Sunday nights, Kaal Bhairav temple visits
Significance & Importance
Kaal Bhairav, the fierce guardian form of Lord Shiva, is worshipped as the Kotwal (guardian-magistrate) of Varanasi (Kashi). The aarti 'Jai Bhairav Baba' honours this protector of the eternal city's temples and cremation grounds, granting devotees fearlessness.
In Shaiva understanding, Bhairav is Shiva's own energy in its most immediate protective aspect. He is dark-complexioned, mounted on a dog (shvan) -- associated with guardianship and the boundaries between worlds -- bearing a trident and wearing a garland of skulls. These attributes signal not malevolence but radical transcendence of fear and death. He is also venerated in the gentle form of Batuk Bhairav, beloved of householder devotees, and is counted among the Ashta Bhairava who guard the eight directions of sacred space.
Bhairav Ashtami, on the eighth lunar day of the dark fortnight of Margashirsha, is his principal festival, observed with night-time worship, the lighting of lamps, and the traditional feeding of dogs honoured as his vahana. Devotees visiting Kashi traditionally seek his blessings before approaching the Vishwanath temple. The aarti conveys his dual nature: the fearsome guardian who dissolves what must dissolve, and the compassionate Baba who answers every sincere heart.
English Transliteration
Jai Bhairav Baba, O Jai Bhairav Baba.
Tumheen Ho Shiv Ke Gan, Kashi Ke Raja.
Jai Bhairav Baba.
Kala Varna Tumhara, Gale Mein Mundmala.
Kutte Vahan Sawari, Trishul Haath Wala.
Jai Bhairav Baba.
Kashi Ke Kotwal Ho, Asht Bhairav Dham.
Batuk Bhairav Naam Se, Puujat Hain Sab Dham.
Jai Bhairav Baba.
Raat Ke Devata Tum Ho, Tantrik Path Ke Swami.
Kshetrapaal Ki Satta Hai, Sabke Antaryami.
Jai Bhairav Baba.
Bhairav Ashtami Ke Din, Tumhari Pooja Hoti.
Urad Ki Daal Naivedya Se, Manokamna Poori Hoti.
Jai Bhairav Baba.Meaning / Bhavarth (Complete)
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Frequently Asked Questions
When should the Bhairav Baba Aarti be recited?
Bhairav Ashtami (Margashirsha Krishna Ashtami), Tuesday and Sunday nights, Kaal Bhairav temple visits
What are the benefits of reciting the Bhairav Baba Aarti?
Reciting the Bhairav Baba Aarti with devotion is traditionally believed to invoke the grace of Bhairav/ Kaal Bhairav, steady the mind, dispel negativity, and create an auspicious, sattvic atmosphere at home. It is offered as an act of bhakti (loving devotion) rather than for any guaranteed material result.
Where can I read the complete Bhairav Baba Aarti lyrics?
VedKosh provides the complete Bhairav Baba Aarti lyrics dedicated to Bhairav (भैरव) / Kaal Bhairav in both Hindi and English (with transliteration for regional readers), along with its meaning and a printable/downloadable version.
