Madhurashtakam

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

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ಮಧುರಾಷ್ಟಕಂ

ಮಧುರಾಷ್ಟಕಂ

madhurashtakam

Verse 1 — ಮಧುರಾಷ್ಟಕಂ

ಮಧುರಾಷ್ಟಕಂ

madhurāṣṭakam

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

Verse 2 — ಅಧರಂ ಮಧುರಂ ವದನಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ನಯನಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಹಸಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ ।

ಅಧರಂ ಮಧುರಂ ವದನಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ನಯನಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಹಸಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ ।

adharaṃ madhuraṃ vadanaṃ madhuraṃ, nayanaṃ madhuraṃ hasitaṃ madhuram |

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

Verse 3 — ಹೃದಯಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಗಮನಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

ಹೃದಯಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಗಮನಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

hṛdayaṃ madhuraṃ, gamanaṃ madhuraṃ, madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

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

Verse 4 — ವಸನಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಚರಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ವಚನಂ ಮಧುರಂ ವಲಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ

ವಸನಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಚರಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ವಚನಂ ಮಧುರಂ ವಲಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ

vasanaṃ madhuraṃ, caritaṃ madhuraṃ, vacanaṃ madhuraṃ valitaṃ madhuram

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

Verse 5 — ಚಲಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಭ್ರಮಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ…

ಚಲಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಭ್ರಮಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

calitaṃ madhuraṃ, bhramitaṃ madhuraṃ, madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

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

Verse 6 — ವೇಣರ್ಮಧುರೋ ರೇಣುರ್ಮಧುರಃ ಪಾಣಿರ್ಮಧುರಃ ಪಾದೌ ಮಧುರೌ

ವೇಣರ್ಮಧುರೋ ರೇಣುರ್ಮಧುರಃ ಪಾಣಿರ್ಮಧುರಃ ಪಾದೌ ಮಧುರೌ

veṇarmadhuro reṇurmadhuraḥ pāṇirmadhuraḥ pādau madhurau

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

Verse 7 — ನೃತ್ಯಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಸಖ್ಯಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

ನೃತ್ಯಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಸಖ್ಯಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

nṛtyaṃ madhuraṃ sakhyaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

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

Verse 8 — ಗೀತಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಪೀತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಭುಕ್ತಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಸುಪ್ತಂ ಮಧುರಂ

ಗೀತಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಪೀತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಭುಕ್ತಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಸುಪ್ತಂ ಮಧುರಂ

gītaṃ madhuraṃ pītaṃ madhuraṃ, bhuktaṃ madhuraṃ suptaṃ madhuram

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

Verse 9 — ರೂಪಂ ಮಧುರಂ ತಿಲಕಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

ರೂಪಂ ಮಧುರಂ ತಿಲಕಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

rūpaṃ madhuraṃ tilakaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

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

Verse 10 — ಕರಣಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ತರಣಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಹರಣಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ರಮಣಂ ಮಧುರಂ

ಕರಣಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ತರಣಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಹರಣಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ರಮಣಂ ಮಧುರಂ

karaṇaṃ madhuraṃ, taraṇaṃ madhuraṃ, haraṇaṃ madhuraṃ, ramaṇaṃ madhuram

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

Verse 11 — ವಮಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಶಮಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

ವಮಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಶಮಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

vamitaṃ madhuraṃ, śamitaṃ madhuraṃ, madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

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

Verse 12 — ಗುಂಜಾ ಮಧುರಾ ಮಾಲಾ ಮಧುರಾ ಯಮುನಾ ಮಧುರಾ ವೀಚೀ ಮಧುರಾ

ಗುಂಜಾ ಮಧುರಾ ಮಾಲಾ ಮಧುರಾ ಯಮುನಾ ಮಧುರಾ ವೀಚೀ ಮಧುರಾ

guñjā madhurā mālā madhurā yamunā madhurā vīcī madhurā

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

Verse 13 — ಸಲಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಕಮಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

ಸಲಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಕಮಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

salilaṃ madhuraṃ, kamalaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

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

Verse 14 — ಗೋಪೀ ಮಧುರಾ ಲೀಲಾ ಮಧುರಾ, ರಾಧಾ ಮಧುರಾ ಮಿಲನಂ ಮಧುರಂ

ಗೋಪೀ ಮಧುರಾ ಲೀಲಾ ಮಧುರಾ, ರಾಧಾ ಮಧುರಾ ಮಿಲನಂ ಮಧುರಂ

gopī madhurā līlā madhurā, rādhā madhurā milanaṃ madhuram

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

Verse 15 — ದೃಷ್ಟಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಶಿಷ್ಟಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

ದೃಷ್ಟಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಶಿಷ್ಟಂ ಮಧುರಂ ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

dṛṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ śiṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram

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

Verse 16 — ಗೋಪಾ ಮಧುರಾ ಗಾವೋ ಮಧುರಾ, ಯಷ್ಟಿರ್ಮಧುರಾ…

ಗೋಪಾ ಮಧುರಾ ಗಾವೋ ಮಧುರಾ, ಯಷ್ಟಿರ್ಮಧುರಾ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿರ್ಮಧುರಾ

gopā madhurā gāvo madhurā, yaṣṭirmadhurā sṛṣṭirmadhurā

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

Verse 17 — ದಲಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಫಲಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

ದಲಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಫಲಿತಂ ಮಧುರಂ, ಮಧುರಾಧಿಪತೇರಖಿಲಂ ಮಧುರಂ

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.