The Marathi Ganpati aarti written by Samarth Ramdas in the seventeenth century, and the sound of Ganesh Chaturthi across Maharashtra. Musically it is unusual and instructive: it begins below Sa, jumps up a fourth, and then stays put — a whole lesson in the pickup note.
The sargam, line by line
Sa is on C. Capital letters are shuddha (natural) swaras, lowercase is komal (flat), and a dot under a letter — written here as Ṇ — means the octave below. Each ▶ plays just that line on the keyboard above; turn on 🐢 Slow while you learn.
Ṇ ṆSukh-kar-S S S S S Sta dukhharta varta vighnachiThe same notes as Western keys
| Line | Keys | Sargam |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup | G G (below your Sa) | Ṇ Ṇ |
| Line | C C C C C C | S S S S S S |
हिंदी में — सरगम
| ऩि ऩि | सुख-कर- |
| सा सा सा सा सा सा | ता दुखहर्ता वार्ता विघ्नाची |
How to play it
- Learn the leap first. The two pickup notes sit a fourth below Sa. Play them and then Sa, over and over, until the jump lands without you aiming for it. Everything else in the line is one repeated key.
- Let the repeated Sa breathe. Six notes on the same key is where a harmonium either sounds alive or sounds like a doorbell. Re-pump between them so each syllable gets fresh air rather than a held drone.
- Then sing it. This aarti is almost always sung by a room full of people, not played solo. Play the line and sing over it — the melody is deliberately simple so a crowd can carry it.
Common questions
What are the harmonium notes for Sukhkarta Dukhharta?
With Sa on C, the opening is two pickup notes a fourth below Sa, then six notes on Sa: Ṇ Ṇ S S S S S S. Two independent published notations agree on this note-for-note.
Who wrote Sukhkarta Dukhharta?
Samarth Ramdas, the seventeenth-century Marathi saint-poet. The text has been in the public domain for centuries, which is why so many recorded versions exist.
Why does it start below Sa?
Those two notes are a pickup — an anacrusis. The line lands on Sa on the first beat, and the syllables before it lead into that landing. Starting a phrase below the tonic is common in Marathi aarti.
Where to go next
- Jai Ganesh Deva — harmonium notes with the same follow-along player.
- Om Jai Jagdish Hare — harmonium notes with the same follow-along player.
- Happy Birthday — harmonium notes with the same follow-along player.
- All song notes — every song we publish, each with a follow-along player.
- The harmonium notes chart — sargam, komal and tivra, and the 10-thaat system.