Madhurashtakam

Devanagari lyrics with meaning · composed by Śrī Vallabhācārya · stotra · 17 verses

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Also available in: Roman (IAST)Kannada Telugu Tamil

मधुराष्टकम्

मधुराष्टकम्

madhurashtakam

Verse 1 — मधुराष्टकम्

मधुराष्टकम्

madhurāṣṭakam

The Aṣṭakam of Sweetness — eight verses on all-sweet Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of Madhurā (by Vallabhācārya).

Verse 2 — अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं, नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम् ।

अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं, नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम् ।

adharaṃ madhuraṃ vadanaṃ madhuraṃ, nayanaṃ madhuraṃ hasitaṃ madhuram |

Sweet are his lips, sweet his face, sweet his eyes, sweet his smile;

Verse 3 — हृदयं मधुरं, गमनं मधुरं, मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

हृदयं मधुरं, गमनं मधुरं, मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

hṛdayaṃ madhuraṃ, gamanaṃ madhuraṃ, madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

sweet his heart, sweet his gait — all about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Verse 4 — वसनं मधुरं, चरितं मधुरं, वचनं मधुरं वलितं मधुरम्

वसनं मधुरं, चरितं मधुरं, वचनं मधुरं वलितं मधुरम्

vasanaṃ madhuraṃ, caritaṃ madhuraṃ, vacanaṃ madhuraṃ valitaṃ madhuram

Sweet his garment, sweet his deeds, sweet his speech, sweet his graceful bend;

Verse 5 — चलितं मधुरं, भ्रमितं मधुरं, मधुराधिपतेरखिलं…

चलितं मधुरं, भ्रमितं मधुरं, मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

calitaṃ madhuraṃ, bhramitaṃ madhuraṃ, madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

sweet his moving, sweet his wandering — all about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Verse 6 — वेणर्मधुरो रेणुर्मधुरः पाणिर्मधुरः पादौ मधुरौ

वेणर्मधुरो रेणुर्मधुरः पाणिर्मधुरः पादौ मधुरौ

veṇarmadhuro reṇurmadhuraḥ pāṇirmadhuraḥ pādau madhurau

Sweet his flute, sweet the dust of his feet, sweet his hand, sweet his feet;

Verse 7 — नृत्यं मधुरं सख्यं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

नृत्यं मधुरं सख्यं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

nṛtyaṃ madhuraṃ sakhyaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

sweet his dance, sweet his friendship — all about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Verse 8 — गीतं मधुरं पीतं मधुरं, भुक्तं मधुरं सुप्तं…

गीतं मधुरं पीतं मधुरं, भुक्तं मधुरं सुप्तं मधुरम्

gītaṃ madhuraṃ pītaṃ madhuraṃ, bhuktaṃ madhuraṃ suptaṃ madhuram

Sweet his song, sweet his drinking, sweet his eating, sweet his sleeping;

Verse 9 — रूपं मधुरं तिलकं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

रूपं मधुरं तिलकं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

rūpaṃ madhuraṃ tilakaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

sweet his form, sweet his tilaka — all about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Verse 10 — करणं मधुरं, तरणं मधुरं, हरणं मधुरं, रमणं मधुरम्

करणं मधुरं, तरणं मधुरं, हरणं मधुरं, रमणं मधुरम्

karaṇaṃ madhuraṃ, taraṇaṃ madhuraṃ, haraṇaṃ madhuraṃ, ramaṇaṃ madhuram

Sweet his doing, sweet his rescuing, sweet his stealing, sweet his loving;

Verse 11 — वमितं मधुरं, शमितं मधुरं, मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

वमितं मधुरं, शमितं मधुरं, मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

vamitaṃ madhuraṃ, śamitaṃ madhuraṃ, madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

sweet his casting-off, sweet his calming — all about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Verse 12 — गुञ्जा मधुरा माला मधुरा यमुना मधुरा वीची मधुरा

गुञ्जा मधुरा माला मधुरा यमुना मधुरा वीची मधुरा

guñjā madhurā mālā madhurā yamunā madhurā vīcī madhurā

Sweet the guñjā-berries, sweet the garland, sweet the Yamunā, sweet its waves;

Verse 13 — सलिलं मधुरं, कमलं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

सलिलं मधुरं, कमलं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

salilaṃ madhuraṃ, kamalaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

sweet its water, sweet the lotus — all about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Verse 14 — गोपी मधुरा लीला मधुरा, राधा मधुरा मिलनं मधुरम्

गोपी मधुरा लीला मधुरा, राधा मधुरा मिलनं मधुरम्

gopī madhurā līlā madhurā, rādhā madhurā milanaṃ madhuram

Sweet the gopī, sweet his play, sweet Rādhā, sweet their union;

Verse 15 — दृष्टं मधुरं शिष्टं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

दृष्टं मधुरं शिष्टं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

dṛṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ śiṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

sweet his glance, sweet his grace — all about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Verse 16 — गोपा मधुरा गावो मधुरा, यष्टिर्मधुरा…

गोपा मधुरा गावो मधुरा, यष्टिर्मधुरा सृष्टिर्मधुरा

gopā madhurā gāvo madhurā, yaṣṭirmadhurā sṛṣṭirmadhurā

Sweet the cowherds, sweet the cows, sweet his staff, sweet his creation;

Verse 17 — दलितं मधुरं, फलितं मधुरं, मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

दलितं मधुरं, फलितं मधुरं, मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्

dalitaṃ madhuraṃ, phalitaṃ madhuraṃ, madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

sweet his crushing of foes, sweet his fruit-giving — all about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

About Madhurashtakam

Madhurashtakam is a Sanskrit stotra, composed by Śrī Vallabhācārya, addressed to Krishna — a Ashtakam. It is presented here in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, each verse with its English meaning. Source text: Sanskrit Wikisource.

Founder of the Puṣṭimārga and the Śuddhādvaita school, a Vaiṣṇava ācārya devoted to Kṛṣṇa and composer of the Madhurāṣṭakam.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Madhurashtakam?

Madhurashtakam is an eight-verse hymn on the "sweetness" (mādhurya) of Kṛṣṇa by Śrī Vallabhācārya, opening with "Adharaṃ Madhuraṃ Vadanaṃ Madhuraṃ" — "His lips are sweet, his face is sweet" — each verse cataloguing a different aspect of Kṛṣṇa's divine charm.

Who composed the Madhurashtakam?

Madhurashtakam is attributed to Śrī Vallabhācārya, the founder of the Puṣṭimārga tradition. The hymn is a hallmark of the Mādhurya-rasa (sweet-devotion) school, where the devotee is captivated by Kṛṣṇa's beauty as a doorway to love.

What is the meaning of Adhara Madhuram Vadana Madhuram?

"Adharaṃ Madhuraṃ Vadanaṃ Madhuraṃ" is the opening of Madhurashtakam: "His lips are sweet, his face is sweet." Each subsequent line adds another sweet feature — eyes, smile, gait, form — until the entire being of Kṛṣṇa is a cascade of sweetness.

How do I read the Madhurashtakam on Avabodhak?

Every verse of Madhurashtakam is shown in Devanagari, Roman (IAST) and English meaning. Free to read, no login required; the practice view replays the hymn for chanting or memorising.