Stotra · Krishna

Madhurashtakam

Madhurashtakam — “eight verses on sweetness” — was composed by Vallabhacharya. Every line describes something of Krishna as madhuram, sweet, and each verse ends: “everything about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.”

When to recite: Sung in Krishna temples and homes, especially on Janmashtami and in the Pushti Marg tradition.

Verses

1. अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं
   नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम् ।
   हृदयं मधुरं गमनं मधुरं
   मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥१॥

   adharaṃ madhuraṃ vadanaṃ madhuraṃ
   nayanaṃ madhuraṃ hasitaṃ madhuram |
   hṛdayaṃ madhuraṃ gamanaṃ madhuraṃ
   madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 1 ||

   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.

2. वचनं मधुरं चरितं मधुरं
   वसनं मधुरं वलितं मधुरम् ।
   चलितं मधुरं भ्रमितं मधुरं
   मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥२॥

   vacanaṃ madhuraṃ caritaṃ madhuraṃ
   vasanaṃ madhuraṃ valitaṃ madhuram |
   calitaṃ madhuraṃ bhramitaṃ madhuraṃ
   madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 2 ||

   His words are sweet, his deeds are sweet, his clothes are sweet, his posture is sweet; his movements are sweet, his wanderings are sweet — everything about him is sweet.

3. वेणुर्मधुरो रेणुर्मधुरः
   पाणिर्मधुरः पादौ मधुरौ ।
   नृत्यं मधुरं सख्यं मधुरं
   मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥३॥

   veṇurmadhuro reṇurmadhuraḥ
   pāṇirmadhuraḥ pādau madhurau |
   nṛtyaṃ madhuraṃ sakhyaṃ madhuraṃ
   madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 3 ||

   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 him is sweet.

4. गीतं मधुरं पीतं मधुरं
   भुक्तं मधुरं सुप्तं मधुरम् ।
   रूपं मधुरं तिलकं मधुरं
   मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥४॥

   gītaṃ madhuraṃ pītaṃ madhuraṃ
   bhuktaṃ madhuraṃ suptaṃ madhuram |
   rūpaṃ madhuraṃ tilakaṃ madhuraṃ
   madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 4 ||

   His song is sweet, his drinking is sweet, his eating is sweet, his sleeping is sweet; his form is sweet, his tilak is sweet — everything about him is sweet.

5. करणं मधुरं तरणं मधुरं
   हरणं मधुरं रमणं मधुरम् ।
   वमितं मधुरं शमितं मधुरं
   मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥५॥

   karaṇaṃ madhuraṃ taraṇaṃ madhuraṃ
   haraṇaṃ madhuraṃ ramaṇaṃ madhuram |
   vamitaṃ madhuraṃ śamitaṃ madhuraṃ
   madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 5 ||

   His actions are sweet, his deliverance is sweet, his stealing is sweet, his play is sweet; his offerings are sweet, his peace is sweet — everything about him is sweet.

6. गुञ्जा मधुरा माला मधुरा
   यमुना मधुरा वीची मधुरा ।
   सलिलं मधुरं कमलं मधुरं
   मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥६॥

   guñjā madhurā mālā madhurā
   yamunā madhurā vīcī madhurā |
   salilaṃ madhuraṃ kamalaṃ madhuraṃ
   madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 6 ||

   His gunja-berry necklace is sweet, his garland is sweet, the Yamuna is sweet, its ripples are sweet; its water is sweet, its lotuses are sweet — everything about him is sweet.

7. गोपी मधुरा लीला मधुरा
   युक्तं मधुरं मुक्तं मधुरम् ।
   दृष्टं मधुरं शिष्टं मधुरं
   मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥७॥

   gopī madhurā līlā madhurā
   yuktaṃ madhuraṃ muktaṃ madhuram |
   dṛṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ śiṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ
   madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 7 ||

   The gopis are sweet, his play is sweet, union with him is sweet, liberation by him is sweet; his glance is sweet, his courtesy is sweet — everything about him is sweet.

8. गोपा मधुरा गावो मधुरा
   यष्टिर्मधुरा सृष्टिर्मधुरा ।
   दलितं मधुरं फलितं मधुरं
   मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥८॥

   gopā madhurā gāvo madhurā
   yaṣṭirmadhurā sṛṣṭirmadhurā |
   dalitaṃ madhuraṃ phalitaṃ madhuraṃ
   madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 8 ||

   The cowherds are sweet, the cows are sweet, his staff is sweet, his creation is sweet; his trampling is sweet, his bearing fruit is sweet — everything about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.