Original text
बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम । जो नहीं ध्यावे तुम्हें अम्बिके, कहां उसे विश्राम । अन्नपूर्णा देवी नाम तिहारो, लेत होत सब काम ॥ बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम । प्रलय युगान्तर और जन्मान्तर, कालान्तर तक नाम । सुर सुरों की रचना करती, कहाँ कृष्ण कहाँ राम ॥ बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम । चूमहि चरण चतुर चतुरानन, चारु चक्रधर श्याम । चंद्रचूड़ चन्द्रानन चाकर, शोभा लखहि ललाम ॥ बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम । देवि देव! दयनीय दशा में, दया-दया तब नाम । त्राहि-त्राहि शरणागत वत्सल, शरण रूप तब धाम ॥ बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम । श्रीं, ह्रीं श्रद्धा श्री ऐ विद्या, श्री क्लीं कमला काम । कांति, भ्रांतिमयी, कांति शांतिमयी, वर दे तू निष्काम ॥ बारम्बार प्रणाम, मैया बारम्बार प्रणाम । ॥ माता अन्नपूर्णा की जय ॥
Transliteration
Barambar Pranam, Maiya Barambar Pranam. Jo Nahin Dhyave Tumhen Ambike, Kahan Use Vishram. Annapurna Devi Naam Tiharo, Let Hot Sab Kaam. (Refrain: Barambar Pranam, Maiya Barambar Pranam) Pralay Yugantar Aur Janmantar, Kalantar Tak Naam. Sur Suron Ki Rachna Karti, Kahan Krishna Kahan Ram. (Refrain) Choomahi Charan Chatur Chaturanan, Charu Chakradhar Shyam. Chandrachood Chandranan Chakar, Shobha Lakhahi Lalam. (Refrain) Devi Dev! Dayaniya Dasha Mein, Daya-Daya Tab Naam. Trahi-Trahi Sharanagat Vatsal, Sharan Roop Tab Dhaam. (Refrain) Shreem, Hreem Shraddha Shri Aim Vidya, Shri Kleem Kamala Kaam. Kanti, Bhrantimayi, Kanti Shantimayi, Var De Tu Nishkaam. (Refrain) Mata Annapurna Ki Jai.
"I bow again and again"
The refrain of this aarti is the simplest one possible: barambar pranam, maiya barambar pranam, "I bow again and again, Mother." After it, the first stanza asks a question: jo nahin dhyave tumhen Ambike, kahan use vishram, "whoever does not meditate on you, Ambika, where will they find rest?" For a goddess of food the image fits. Just as the body has no rest without nourishment, the soul has none without her. And in one line, it says, simply taking the name Annapurna Devi gets every task done.
Bigger than the ages, and than the gods
The second and third stanzas make large claims for the household goddess of grain. Her name lasts through cosmic dissolutions, ages, births and eras. She creates the gods, so where, by comparison, are Krishna and Rama? The third stanza shows the great gods at her feet. Clever four-faced Brahma kisses them, and so does the handsome dark discus-bearer, Vishnu. Moon-crested Shiva, with his face like the moon, is her servant (chakar) and gazes at her beauty.
Read aloud, that stanza is a deliberate sound-game, almost every word beginning with ch: choomahi charan chatur Chaturanan, charu Chakradhar Shyam; Chandrachood Chandranan chakar. Alliteration (anupras) like this was prized in Hindi devotional poetry, and here it makes the stanza easy to remember and pleasing to sing.
Seed syllables in the last stanza
The fourth stanza is a cry for mercy: "Goddess, in our pitiable state your name is 'mercy, mercy'; save us, save us, you who love those who take refuge, whose very home is shelter." The fifth does something unusual for a Hindi aarti. It weaves Tantric bija (seed) syllables into the praise: shreem and hreem with faith and fortune, aim with learning, kleem with Kamala and desire. These syllables are associated with Lakshmi, Bhuvaneshwari, Saraswati and Kama respectively, so the stanza quietly says that all those goddesses are Annapurna. Then, after naming desire, it asks her for a boon given nishkam, free of desire.
When it is sung
It is sung on Annapurna Jayanti (Margashirsha Purnima) and during the Annapurna vrat in Margashirsha. It is sung at Annakut, the day after Diwali, when food offerings are heaped before the deity, and at the Annapurna temple in Kashi, where the goddess is especially honoured at Diwali time. At home it fits naturally before a family feast, at a housewarming, or on the first cooking in a new kitchen. Many families keep a small image of Annapurna in the kitchen itself and wave the lamp there. It pairs with the Annapurna Chalisa, which tells the story of Sati's rebirth that this aarti leaves out.
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