Madhurashtakam
Madhurashtakam
Madhurashtakam
madhurāṣṭakam
adharaṃ madhuraṃ vadanaṃ madhuraṃ
nayanaṃ madhuraṃ hasitaṃ madhuram |
hṛdayaṃ madhuraṃ gamanaṃ madhuraṃ
madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 1 ||
vacanaṃ madhuraṃ caritaṃ madhuraṃ
vasanaṃ madhuraṃ valitaṃ madhuram |
calitaṃ madhuraṃ bhramitaṃ madhuraṃ
madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 2 ||
veṇu-rmadhuro reṇu-rmadhuraḥ
pāṇi-rmadhuraḥ pādau madhurau |
nṛtyaṃ madhuraṃ sakhyaṃ madhuraṃ
madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 3 ||
gītaṃ madhuraṃ pītaṃ madhuraṃ
bhuktaṃ madhuraṃ suptaṃ madhuram |
rūpaṃ madhuraṃ tilakaṃ madhuraṃ
madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 4 ||
karaṇaṃ madhuraṃ taraṇaṃ madhuraṃ
haraṇaṃ madhuraṃ smaraṇaṃ madhuram |
vamitaṃ madhuraṃ śamitaṃ madhuraṃ
madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 5 ||
guñjā madhurā mālā madhurā
yamunā madhurā vīcī madhurā |
salilaṃ madhuraṃ kamalaṃ madhuraṃ
madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 6 ||
gopī madhurā līlā madhurā
yuktaṃ madhuraṃ muktaṃ madhuram |
dṛṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ śiṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ
madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 7 ||
gopā madhurā gāvo madhurā
yaṣṭi rmadhurā sṛṣṭi rmadhurā |
dalitaṃ madhuraṃ phalitaṃ madhuraṃ
madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram || 8 ||
|| iti śrīmadvallabhācāryaviracitaṃ madhurāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam ||
About This Stotram
Overview
The Madhurashtakam is a Sanskrit devotional hymn of eight verses attributed to Vallabhacharya (1479–1531 CE), the founder of the Pushti Marg tradition of Vaishnavism. Each verse meditates on the inherent sweetness (madhurya) of Lord Krishna across every aspect of his being, with the repeated refrain "Madhuradhipaterakhilam madhuram" — "Everything of the Lord of sweetness is sweet." The text is a central composition of the Pushti Marg tradition and embodies its theology of divine grace and intimate devotion.
What are the benefits of chanting Madhurashtakam?
- Cultivation of the madhurya bhava — the devotional attitude of loving sweetness toward Krishna
- Development of spiritual joy and inner peace
- Deepening of the devotee's personal relationship with Lord Krishna
- Purification of the mind through meditative recitation
When is the best time to recite this?
The Madhurashtakam is recited in the morning and evening as part of devotional practice. Janmashtami, Radhashtami, and the Shravana month are the primary festival occasions associated with its recitation.
What is the historical and traditional background?
Vallabhacharya was a Gujarati Brahmin philosopher-saint who founded the Pushti Marg (Path of Grace), a Vaishnava tradition centered on the worship of Krishna as Shrinathji. His school emphasizes the concept of seva — loving service to Krishna — and the theological idea that Krishna's divine grace (pushti) is freely bestowed on devotees who cultivate intimacy with the Lord. The Madhurashtakam is considered an expression of Vallabhacharya's personal devotion and is believed to have been composed spontaneously. It holds a place of particular importance within the Pushti Marg sampradaya, where it is sung as part of daily devotional practice.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Krishna Ashtakam — another eight-verse Sanskrit hymn praising Lord Krishna, belonging to the same ashtakam genre of Krishna devotional literature
- Krishnam Kalaya Sakhi — a Sanskrit devotional composition that similarly meditates on Krishna's beauty and sweetness in the madhurya devotional mode