Madhurashtakam | Sweetness of Lord Krishna

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Madhurashtakam | Sweetness of Lord Krishna

Madhurashtakam is a beautiful stotra composed by Shri Vallabhacharya describing the sweetness (madhurya) of Lord Krishna. Every aspect of Krishna—His form, speech, actions, ornaments, and associates—is declared supremely sweet.

Below is the full Madhurashtakam in Sanskrit (Devanagari), English Transliteration, and English Meaning.

Sanskrit Text, Transliteration & Meaning
Verse 1

अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम्।
मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥

Adharaṁ madhuraṁ vadanaṁ madhuraṁ nayanaṁ madhuraṁ hasitaṁ madhuram,
Madhurādhipater akhilaṁ madhuram.

Translation:
Krishna’s lips are sweet, His face is sweet, His eyes are sweet, His smile is sweet—everything about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Verse 2

हृदयं मधुरं गमनं मधुरं वचनं मधुरं चरितं मधुरम्।
वसनं मधुरं बलितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥

Hṛdayaṁ madhuraṁ gamanaṁ madhuraṁ vacanaṁ madhuraṁ caritaṁ madhuram,
Vasanaṁ madhuraṁ balitaṁ madhuraṁ madhurādhipater akhilaṁ madhuram.

Translation:
His heart is sweet, His walk is sweet, His words are sweet, His deeds are sweet, His dress and playfulness are sweet—everything is sweet about Him.

Verse 3

चलितं मधुरं भ्रमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्।
वेणुर्मधुरो रেণुमधुरः पाणिर्मधुरः पादौ मधुरौ ॥

Calitaṁ madhuraṁ bhramitaṁ madhuraṁ madhurādhipater akhilaṁ madhuram,
Veṇur madhuro reṇur madhuraḥ pāṇir madhuraḥ pādau madhurau.

Translation:
His movements are sweet, His wanderings are sweet, His flute is sweet, the dust of His land is sweet, His hands and feet are sweet—everything is sweet about Him.

Verse 4

नृत्यं मधुरं सख्यं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्।
गीतं मधुरं पीतं मधुरं भुक्तं मधुरं सुप्तं मधुरम् ॥

Nṛtyaṁ madhuraṁ sakhyaṁ madhuraṁ madhurādhipater akhilaṁ madhuram,
Gītaṁ madhuraṁ pītaṁ madhuraṁ bhuktaṁ madhuraṁ suptaṁ madhuram.

Translation:
His dance is sweet, His friendship is sweet, His song is sweet, His drinking is sweet, His eating is sweet, His sleeping is sweet.

Verse 5

रूपं मधुरं तिलकं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्।
करणं मधुरं तरणं मधुरं हरणं मधुरं रमणं मधुरम् ॥

Rūpaṁ madhuraṁ tilakaṁ madhuraṁ madhurādhipater akhilaṁ madhuram,
Karaṇaṁ madhuraṁ taraṇaṁ madhuraṁ haraṇaṁ madhuraṁ ramaṇaṁ madhuram.

Translation:
His form is sweet, His tilak (mark) is sweet, His deeds are sweet, His crossing is sweet, His thefts are sweet, His love is sweet.

Verse 6

दमितं मधुरं शमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्।
गुञ्जा मधुरा माला मधुरा यमुना मधुरा वीची मधुरा ॥

Damitaṁ madhuraṁ śamitaṁ madhuraṁ madhurādhipater akhilaṁ madhuram,
Guñjā madhurā mālā madhurā yamunā madhurā vīcī madhurā.

Translation:
His chastisements are sweet, His peace is sweet, His guñjā garland is sweet, the Yamuna river is sweet, her waves are sweet.

Verse 7

सलिलं मधुरं कमलं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्।
गोपी मधुरा लीला मधुरा युक्तं मधुरं भुक्तं मधुरम् ॥

Salilaṁ madhuraṁ kamalaṁ madhuraṁ madhurādhipater akhilaṁ madhuram,
Gopī madhurā līlā madhurā yuktaṁ madhuraṁ bhuktaṁ madhuram.

Translation:
The water is sweet, the lotus is sweet, the Gopis are sweet, His pastimes are sweet, His union is sweet, His enjoyment is sweet.

Verse 8

हृष्टं मधुरं शिष्टं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्।
गोपाः मधुराः गवो मधुराः यष्टिर्मधुरा सृष्टिर्मधुरा ॥

Hṛṣṭaṁ madhuraṁ śiṣṭaṁ madhuraṁ madhurādhipater akhilaṁ madhuram,
Gopāḥ madhurāḥ gavo madhurāḥ yaṣṭir madhurā sṛṣṭir madhurā.

Translation:
His joy is sweet, His etiquette is sweet, the cowherd boys are sweet, the cows are sweet, His staff is sweet, His creation is sweet.

Closing Verse

दलितं मधुरं फलितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्।
इति वल्लभाचार्यविरचितं मधुराष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥

Dalitaṁ madhuraṁ phalitaṁ madhuraṁ madhurādhipater akhilaṁ madhuram,
Iti Vallabhācārya-viracitaṁ Madhurāṣṭakaṁ sampūrṇam.

Translation:
His breaking is sweet, His fruits are sweet—everything about the Lord of sweetness is eternally sweet. Thus ends the Madhurashtakam composed by Shri Vallabhacharya.