Original text
॥ श्याम स्तुति ॥ हाथ जोड़ विनती करूं सुणियों चित्त लगाय, दास आ गयो शरण में रखियो इसकी लाज, धन्य ढूंढारो देश हैं खाटू नगर सुजान, अनुपम छवि श्री श्याम की, दर्शन से कल्याण । श्याम श्याम तो मैं रटूं श्याम है जीवन प्राण, श्याम भक्त जग में बड़े उनको करूँ प्रणाम, खाटू नगर के बीच में बण्यों आपको धाम, फाल्गुन शुक्ला मेला भरे जय जय बाबा श्याम । फाल्गुन शुक्ला द्वादशी उत्सव भारी होए, बाबा के दरबार से खाली जाये न कोय, उमा पति लक्ष्मी पति सीता पति श्री राम, लज्जा सब की रखियो खाटू के बाबा श्याम । पान सुपारी इलायची इत्तर सुगंध भरपूर, सब भक्तों की विनती दर्शन देवो हुजूर, आलू सिंह तो प्रेम से धरे श्याम को ध्यान, श्याम भक्त पावे सदा श्याम कृपा से मान । हाथ जोड़ विनती करूँ सुणियों चित्त लगाय, दास आ गयो शरण में रखियो इसकी लाज, धन्य ढूंढारो देश हैं खाटू नगर सुजान, अनुपम छवि श्री श्याम की दर्शन से कल्याण । जय श्री श्याम बोलो जय श्री श्याम खाटू वाले बाबा जय श्री श्याम लीलो घोड़ो लाल लगाम जिस पर बैठ्यो बाबो श्याम ॥ ॐ श्री श्याम देवाय नमः ॥
Transliteration
Haath jod vinti karun suniyon chitt lagaay, Daas aa gayo sharan mein rakhiyo iski laaj, Dhanya Dhundharo desh hain Khatu nagar sujaan, Anupam chhavi Shri Shyam ki, darshan se kalyan. Shyam Shyam to main ratun Shyam hai jeevan praan, Shyam bhakt jag mein bade unko karun pranaam, Khatu nagar ke beech mein banyon aapko dhaam, Phalgun shukla mela bhare jai jai Baba Shyam. Phalgun shukla dwadashi utsav bhaari hoye, Baba ke darbaar se khaali jaaye na koy, Uma pati Lakshmi pati Sita pati Shri Ram, Lajja sab ki rakhiyo Khatu ke Baba Shyam. Paan supaari ilaayachi ittar sugandh bharpoor, Sab bhakton ki vinti darshan devo hujoor, Aalu Singh to prem se dhare Shyam ko dhyaan, Shyam bhakt paave sada Shyam kripa se maan. (Opening verse repeated) Jai Shri Shyam bolo Jai Shri Shyam Khatu waale Baba Jai Shri Shyam Leelo ghodo laal lagaam Jis par baithyo Babo Shyam Om Shri Shyam Devaya Namah
A prayer in the voice of Rajasthan
This is not a Sanskrit stotra but a vinti, a heartfelt plea in the Marwari-flavoured Hindi of Rajasthan, which is exactly why Shyam devotees love it. It is sung at the Khatu temple, at the start of night-long Shyam jagrans and in homes across north India. Words like suniyon (please listen), gayo (has come), banyon (is built) and baithyo (sits) give it the sound of a village prayer rather than a temple text.
What it says, verse by verse
- The plea (1): "With folded hands I make my plea; listen with your heart. Your servant has come to your refuge; keep his honour." Then it praises the land: blessed is the Dhundhar country, the old name of the Jaipur region, and wise the town of Khatu, where the sight of Shyam's matchless image brings well-being.
- The name and the mela (2–3): "Shyam, Shyam I repeat; Shyam is my life and breath." It bows to Shyam's devotees, describes his shrine in the middle of Khatu, and the great fair of the bright half of Phalgun, whose festival peaks on Dwadashi. "No one goes away empty-handed from Baba's court."
- One Lord in many names (3): "Husband of Uma, husband of Lakshmi, husband of Sita, Shri Ram": the poet calls on Shiva, Vishnu and Ram in one breath and asks Khatu's Baba Shyam to keep everyone's honour, because for his devotees all these are one.
- The offering (4): betel leaf, areca nut, cardamom and perfume, the traditional offerings at Khatu, and a request to grant darshan to all.
- The devotee's signature (4): "Alu Singh meditates on Shyam with love." Alu Singh was a revered Khatu Shyam devotee whose name the stuti carries, in the way older bhajans carry their poet's name.
- The jaikara: "Say Jai Shri Shyam! Baba of Khatu, Jai Shri Shyam! The blue horse with the red reins, on which Baba Shyam rides." The blue horse, Leelo, is Barbarik's own steed and appears in all of Khatu Shyam's imagery.
When to sing it
Sing it at the start of a Shyam puja or jagran, on every Shukla Ekadashi and especially during the Phalgun mela. A simple home order is: light a ghee lamp, sing this stuti, chant Om Shri Shyam Devaya Namah, read the Khatu Shyam Chalisa, and close with Om Jai Shri Shyam Hare.
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