Lord Shiva meditating under a crescent moon in a misty night sky
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Lord Shiva

Karpura Gauram

The verse sung at the close of aarti, picturing Shiva with Parvati in the heart.

Begin chantingMeaning & tradition

कर्पूरगौरं करुणावतारं

White as camphor, compassion embodied,

संसारसारं भुजगेन्द्रहारम् ।

the essence of the world, garlanded with the king of serpents;

सदा वसन्तं हृदयारविन्दे

ever dwelling in the lotus of the heart:

भवं भवानीसहितं नमामि ॥

I bow to Shiva together with Bhavani.

अर्थ

कपूर के समान गौर, करुणा के अवतार, संसार के सार और सर्पराज को हार रूप में धारण करने वाले, सदा हृदय-कमल में वास करने वाले भव (शिव) को भवानी सहित मैं नमन करता हूँ।

Karpūragauraṃ karuṇāvatāraṃ

White as camphor, compassion embodied,

Saṃsārasāraṃ bhujagendrahāram

the essence of the world, garlanded with the king of serpents;

Sadā vasantaṃ hṛdayāravinde

ever dwelling in the lotus of the heart:

Bhavaṃ bhavānīsahitaṃ namāmi

I bow to Shiva together with Bhavani.

Meaning

White as camphor, compassion embodied, the essence of the world, garlanded with the king of serpents; ever dwelling in the lotus of the heart: I bow to Shiva together with Bhavani.

Karpooragauram karunaavataaram

White as camphor, compassion embodied,

Samsaarasaaram bhujagendrahaaram

the essence of the world, garlanded with the king of serpents;

Sadaa vasantam hridayaaravinde

ever dwelling in the lotus of the heart:

Bhavam bhavaaneesahitam namaami

I bow to Shiva together with Bhavani.

Meaning (Hinglish)

Kapoor jaise gaur, karunaa ke avtaar, sansaar ke saar aur sarpraaj ko haar roop mein dhaaran karne vaale, sadaa hriday-kamal mein vaas karne vaale Bhav (Shiva) ko Bhavaani sahit main naman kartaa hoon.

A traditional verse sung at the close of aarti. Its precise textual origin is not settled. English meanings are paraphrases; punctuation and Devanagari spelling are normalized.

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About the Karpura Gauram

Karpura Gauram is sung in many homes and temples at the end of aarti. It pictures Shiva as white as camphor, compassion embodied, wearing a serpent garland, and dwelling with Bhavani in the lotus of the heart.

Best time to chant: Any quiet moment you can set aside for attentive prayer. Browse the festival collection for associated occasions.

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Benefits of the Karpura Gauram

  • The verse sung at the close of aarti, picturing Shiva with Parvati in the heart.
  • Repeated recitation can be used as a practice of attention and devotion.

How to chant the Karpura Gauram

  1. Read each line together with its meaning before beginning.
  2. Recite the complete prayer slowly, following the script you prefer.
  3. Use the counter after each complete recitation. Choose a comfortable number of repetitions.

Frequently asked questions

Where does Karpura Gauram come from?

A traditional verse sung at the close of aarti. Its precise textual origin is not settled.

What does one count represent?

One count represents one complete recitation of the prayer displayed on this page. You can choose a short practice or count 108 repetitions.