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मधुराष्टकम्
Krishna · ashtakam · 8 verses
Vallabhacharya (1479–1531 CE)
Pushti Marga tradition
The Madhurashtakam — the Hymn of Sweetness — was composed by Vallabhacharya, the 15th-century founder of the Pushti Marga (Path of Grace) school of Vaishnavism. Each of the eight verses ends with the refrain 'madhurādhipater akhilaṃ madhuram' (everything of the Lord of Sweetness is sweet), cataloguing each aspect of Krishna's being — lips, face, eyes, smile, gait, voice, deeds, instruments, lila — as infinitely sweet. It is a centrepiece of the Pushti Marga liturgy and among the most musically beautiful stotras in the Sanskrit canon.
अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम्।
हृदयं मधुरं गमनं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
adharaṃ madhuraṃ vadanaṃ madhuraṃ nayanaṃ madhuraṃ hasitaṃ madhuram।
hṛdayaṃ madhuraṃ gamanaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipater-akhilaṃ madhuram॥
His lips are sweet, his face sweet, his eyes sweet, his smile sweet; his heart sweet, his gait sweet — everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
वचनं मधुरं चरितं मधुरं वसनं मधुरं वलितं मधुरम्।
चलितं मधुरं भ्रमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
vacanaṃ madhuraṃ caritaṃ madhuraṃ vasanaṃ madhuraṃ valitaṃ madhuram।
calitaṃ madhuraṃ bhramitaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipater-akhilaṃ madhuram॥
His speech is sweet, his deeds sweet, his garments sweet, his postures sweet; his movements sweet, his strolling sweet — everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
वेणुर्मधुरो रेणुर्मधुरः पाणिर्मधुरः पादौ मधुरौ।
नृत्यं मधुरं सख्यं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
veṇur-madhuro reṇur-madhuraḥ pāṇir-madhuraḥ pādau madhurau।
nṛtyaṃ madhuraṃ sakhyaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipater-akhilaṃ madhuram॥
His flute is sweet, the dust under his feet sweet, his hands sweet, his feet sweet; his dance sweet, his friendship sweet — everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
गीतं मधुरं पीतं मधुरं भुक्तं मधुरं सुप्तं मधुरम्।
रूपं मधुरं तिलकं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
gītaṃ madhuraṃ pītaṃ madhuraṃ bhuktaṃ madhuraṃ suptaṃ madhuram।
rūpaṃ madhuraṃ tilakaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipater-akhilaṃ madhuram॥
His song is sweet, his drinking sweet, his eating sweet, his sleeping sweet; his form sweet, his tilak sweet — everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
करणं मधुरं तरणं मधुरं हरणं मधुरं रमणं मधुरम्।
वमितं मधुरं शमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
karaṇaṃ madhuraṃ taraṇaṃ madhuraṃ haraṇaṃ madhuraṃ ramaṇaṃ madhuram।
vamitaṃ madhuraṃ śamitaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipater-akhilaṃ madhuram॥
His doing is sweet, his crossing-over sweet, his seizing sweet, his sporting sweet; his expressing sweet, his subduing sweet — everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
गुञ्जा मधुरा माला मधुरा यमुना मधुरा वीची मधुरा।
सलिलं मधुरं कमलं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
guñjā madhurā mālā madhurā yamunā madhurā vīcī madhurā।
salilaṃ madhuraṃ kamalaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipater-akhilaṃ madhuram॥
His gunja-bead garland is sweet, his flower garland sweet, the Yamuna sweet, her ripples sweet; her water sweet, her lotuses sweet — everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
गोपी मधुरा लीला मधुरा युक्तं मधुरं भुक्तं मधुरम्।
हृष्टं मधुरं शिष्टं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
gopī madhurā līlā madhurā yuktaṃ madhuraṃ bhuktaṃ madhuram।
hṛṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ śiṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipater-akhilaṃ madhuram॥
The gopis are sweet, his lila is sweet, his union sweet, his enjoyment sweet; his being delighted sweet, his being noble sweet — everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
गोपा मधुरा गावो मधुरा यष्टिर्मधुरा सृष्टिर्मधुरा।
दलितं मधुरं फलितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥
gopā madhurā gāvo madhurā yaṣṭir-madhurā sṛṣṭir-madhurā।
dalitaṃ madhuraṃ phalitaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipater-akhilaṃ madhuram॥
The cowherds are sweet, the cows are sweet, his staff is sweet, his creation sweet; his crushing of evil sweet, his bearing fruit sweet — everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
Sources: Pushti Marga tradition. Awaiting scholar verification.