There are many ways to worship God and Goddess in Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma. Similarly, there are many forms of praising God; some chant mantras, some stotras, some recite Chalisa, some sing Aarti, some connect with God through Ashtakam etc. Out of these aarti and chalisa and ashtakam are the three main praise methods, which differ in tone, rhythm, emotion and purpose.
Because all three are praising methods especially aarti and chalisa therefore many devotees have this dilemma that what is the difference between aarti and chalisa and what is the importance of each, so let us try to remove this dilemma through this article.
Table of Contents
What is Chalisa and why is it recited?
The word ‘Chaalisa’ is derived from Sanskrit ‘Chaalis’ i.e. forty, which means ‘collection of forty verses or chaupaiyan’. Chalisa is a special type of praise text in which the glory, events, and achievements of a goddess or god are described in a line-wise form.
Key features:
- Chaalisa usually starts with couplets and ends with couplets and there are 40 chaupayis in between.
- The most famous Chalisa is Hanuman Chalisa, which was composed by Tulsidas ji. Apart from Hanuman Chalisa, many people also sing Shiv Chalisa and Durga Chalisa.
- Chaalisa can be recited regularly, no special worship or festival is required for its recitation.
- Its purpose is to generate a feeling of devotion, self-confidence, and security.
Benefits of Chalisa Paath:
- Reciting Chalisa gives mental peace and concentration.
- Reciting Chalisa infuses spiritual energy into the mind.
- Regular recitation of Chalisa also protects from negativity.
- And by regularly reciting Chalisa, one surely receives the blessings of God.
What is Aarti and why is it performed?
‘Aarti’ can be called the last and special link of devotion or worship. Aarti is basically a worship method to express dedication and gratitude to God through lamp, incense, flowers and song. Aarti is performed at the end of worship and in this the devotees praise God with emotion, devotion and gaiety.
Key features:
- In Aarti, the lamp or diya is rotated and aarti is sung in front of God.
- In aarti the effect of emotion and music is more than the words.
- Aartis are mostly brief and they are not as long as Chalisa. However there is no specific length of aartis. Some can be as brief as 8-10 lines and some as long as 14-16 lines.
- At the end of Aarti, all the devotees take blessings from the lamp.
Purpose of performing Aarti:
- To give completeness to the worship.
- To increase the feeling of collective devotion and unity.
- Example: “Jai Jagdish Hare”, “Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki”, “Shiv Aarti”, “Hanuman Aarti” etc.
What is Ashtakam and how is it different?
‘Ashtakam’ is a Sanskrit word, in which ‘ashta’ means eight. Ashtakam is a stotra consisting of eight verses and it is a deep and profound praise of a particular leela, quality, or form of God.
Key Features:
- While Aarti or Chalisa are in simple Hindi, Ashtakam are usually composed in Sanskrit and hence a little difficult to read.
- Ashtakam is recited carefully, regularly and with emotional attachment.
Examples of Ashtakam:
- Shivashtakam (for Lord Shiva)
- Govindashtakam (for Lord Vishnu)
- Lakshmi Ashtakam, Hanuman Ashtakam, etc.
Features of Ashtakam:
- It concentrates the devotee and creates philosophical depth within him.
- It is a deep and profound prayer in terms of pronunciation and meaning.