Madhurashtakam
मधुराष्टकम्
Madhurashtakam is an eight-verse Sanskrit hymn to Lord Krishna by Shri Vallabhacharya, founder of the Pushti Marg. Every line uses one word, 'madhuram' (sweet), to say that everything about Krishna is sweet: his lips, smile, flute, walk, friends and cows. Its refrain, 'Madhuradhipater akhilam madhuram', means 'all of the Lord of Sweetness is sweet'.
- 8 verses
- 4 min
- Shri Vallabhacharya
- Best on Wednesday
Adharam Madhuram Vadanam Madhuram Nayanam Madhuram Hasitam Madhuramअधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम्।
Hridayam Madhuram Gamanam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuramहृदयं मधुरं गमनं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
His lips are sweet, his face is sweet, his eyes are sweet, his smile is sweet. His heart is sweet, his walk is sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- Adharamlips
- Madhuramsweet
- Vadanamface
- Nayanameyes
- Hasitamsmile, laughter
- Hridayamheart
- Gamanamgait, the way he walks
- Madhuradhipatehof the Lord of sweetness
- Akhilameverything, the whole
Vachanam Madhuram Charitam Madhuram Vasanam Madhuram Valitam Madhuramवचनं मधुरं चरितं मधुरं वसनं मधुरं वलितं मधुरम्।
Chalitam Madhuram Bhramitam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuramचलितं मधुरं भ्रमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
His words are sweet, his deeds are sweet, his garments are sweet, his graceful pose is sweet. His movements are sweet, his wanderings are sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- Vachanamwords, speech
- Madhuramsweet
- Charitamconduct, life-story
- Vasanamgarments
- Valitamthe graceful bend of his body
- Chalitammovements
- Bhramitamwandering, roaming
- Madhuradhipatehof the Lord of sweetness
- Akhilameverything
Venur Madhuro Renur Madhurah Panir Madhurah Padau Madhurauवेणुर्मधुरो रेणुर्मधुरः पाणिर्मधुरः पादौ मधुरौ।
Nrityam Madhuram Sakhyam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuramनृत्यं मधुरं सख्यं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
His flute is sweet, the dust of his feet is sweet, his hands are sweet, his feet are sweet. His dance is sweet, his friendship is sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- Venurflute
- Madhurahsweet
- Renurdust (of his feet)
- Panirhand
- Padauhis two feet
- Madhurau(both) sweet
- Nrityamdance
- Sakhyamfriendship
- Madhuradhipatehof the Lord of sweetness
- Akhilameverything
Geetam Madhuram Peetam Madhuram Bhuktam Madhuram Suptam Madhuramगीतं मधुरं पीतं मधुरं भुक्तं मधुरं सुप्तं मधुरम्।
Rupam Madhuram Tilakam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuramरूपं मधुरं तिलकं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
His singing is sweet, his drinking is sweet, his eating is sweet, his sleeping is sweet. His form is sweet, his tilak is sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- Geetamsong, singing
- Madhuramsweet
- Peetamdrinking (also read as his yellow garment)
- Bhuktameating
- Suptamsleeping
- Rupamform, beauty
- Tilakamtilak mark on the brow
- Madhuradhipatehof the Lord of sweetness
- Akhilameverything
Karanam Madhuram Taranam Madhuram Haranam Madhuram Ramanam Madhuramकरणं मधुरं तरणं मधुरं हरणं मधुरं रमणं मधुरम्।
Vamitam Madhuram Shamitam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuramवमितं मधुरं शमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
His deeds are sweet, his saving grace is sweet, his stealing is sweet, his play is sweet. What he gives forth is sweet, his stillness is sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- Karanamdeeds, actions
- Madhuramsweet
- Taranamcarrying devotees across, deliverance
- Haranamstealing (butter, and hearts)
- Ramanamplay, delight
- Vamitamwhat he gives forth, his generosity
- Shamitamcalmness, his stillness
- Madhuradhipatehof the Lord of sweetness
- Akhilameverything
'Vamitam' and 'shamitam' are read in several ways by commentators; we give a common devotional reading.
Gunja Madhura Mala Madhura Yamuna Madhura Vichi Madhuraगुञ्जा मधुरा माला मधुरा यमुना मधुरा वीची मधुरा।
Salilam Madhuram Kamalam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuramसलिलं मधुरं कमलं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
His gunja-berry necklace is sweet, his garland is sweet, the Yamuna is sweet, her waves are sweet. Her water is sweet, her lotuses are sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- Gunjahis necklace of gunja berries
- Madhurasweet
- Malagarland
- Yamunathe river Yamuna
- Vichiwaves
- Salilamwater
- Kamalamlotus
- Madhuradhipatehof the Lord of sweetness
- Akhilameverything
Gopi Madhura Leela Madhura Yuktam Madhuram Muktam Madhuramगोपी मधुरा लीला मधुरा युक्तं मधुरं मुक्तं मधुरम्।
Drishtam Madhuram Shishtam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuramदृष्टं मधुरं शिष्टं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
The gopis are sweet, his play is sweet, union with him is sweet, release by him is sweet. His glance is sweet, his gracious ways are sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- Gopithe gopis, cowherd maidens
- Madhurasweet
- Leeladivine play
- Yuktamunion, being with him
- Muktamrelease, liberation
- Drishtamhis glance
- Shishtamcourtesy, gracious conduct
- Madhuradhipatehof the Lord of sweetness
- Akhilameverything
Gopa Madhura Gavo Madhura Yashtir Madhura Srishtir Madhuraगोपा मधुरा गावो मधुरा यष्टिर्मधुरा सृष्टिर्मधुरा।
Dalitam Madhuram Phalitam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuramदलितं मधुरं फलितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
The cowherd boys are sweet, the cows are sweet, his staff is sweet, his creation is sweet. His subduing of evil is sweet, the fruit he grants is sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- Gopathe cowherd boys, his friends
- Madhurasweet
- Gavothe cows
- Yashtirhis herding staff
- Srishtircreation
- Dalitamhis crushing (of the wicked)
- Phalitamfruition, the fruits he grants
- Madhuradhipatehof the Lord of sweetness
- Akhilameverything
Complete
You have reached the end of Madhurashtakam.
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Questions
Who wrote Madhurashtakam?
Shri Vallabhacharya (1479–1531), who founded the Pushti Marg tradition of Krishna devotion centred on Shrinathji. Tradition says he wrote it after a vision of the child Krishna, and the traditional closing line of the hymn names him as its author.
What does 'Madhuradhipater akhilam madhuram' mean?
"Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet." Madhura-adhipati, the Lord of sweetness, is Krishna, and akhilam madhuram means all of it is sweet. The line closes every verse, and the word 'madhuram' comes over fifty times in the eight short verses.
When should Madhurashtakam be recited?
Any time. Many devotees sing it at evening Krishna puja, on Wednesdays and Ekadashi, at Janmashtami, or softly while putting Laddu Gopal to rest at night. It takes about four minutes. Tradition says that singing it with love sweetens the heart and deepens one's love for Krishna.
How many verses does Madhurashtakam have?
Eight, which is why it is called an ashtakam ('ashta' means eight). Each verse has two lines and ends with the same refrain.
Source and review
Source: Madhurashtakam of Shri Vallabhacharya; text as given by sanskritdocuments.org (madhurst.itx), cross-checked against Sanskrit Wikisource (मधुराष्टकम्), shlokam.org and JKYog
Variants: verse 2 in Wikisource reads 'वसनं… चरितं… वचनं' in a different order; verse 5 in shlokam.org reads 'स्मरणं' for 'रमणं'; verse 7 in Wikisource reads 'राधा मधुरा मिलनं मधुरम्' for 'युक्तं मधुरं मुक्तं मधुरम्'. We follow sanskritdocuments.org, which agrees with JKYog and most recitations. The phrase 'मधुराधिपतेरखिलं' is sandhi of 'मधुराधिपतेः + अखिलं'.
We checked the text line by line against the sources named here. The meanings are an AI-assisted draft. A scholar has not reviewed them yet.
The meanings are our own first draft. A scholar has not reviewed them yet. If you spot a mistake, please tell us.