Om Jay Jagadish Hare is the most popular of the Hindu prayers.

Composed sometime around 1870s by Pandit Shardha Ram Phillauri in Punjab, India, now it is sung around the world by Hindus of all background. Even though it is in Hindi, it is universally used by Hindus speaking any of the numerous Indian languages, or belonging to any one of many sects.

Its words are simple and powerful.

ओम जय जगदीश हरे, स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे
भक्त जनों के संकट, दास जनों के संकट
क्षण में दूर करे, ओम जय..

Om! Jai to the master of the universe, Lord of the universe
Hardships of

मात पिता तुम मेरे, शरण गहूं किसकी
स्वामी शरण गहूं मैं किसकी
तुम बिन और न दूजा, आश करूँ किसकी, ओम जय..

You are my mother and father,
who else will shelter me?
No one but you. You are my hope.

The prayer is sung by the entire congregation at the time of arti, worship of the deity using a lamp.

The prayer inspired the movie "Om Jai Jagadish" in 2002. In movie "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", the heroine sang "Jai Jagdish Hare" to prove her Indianness.

• from Anand Math (with same refrain)

• Audio
• Video Clip

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