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The Madhurashtakam ('the eight verses on sweetness') is a devotional hymn to Lord Krishna by Sri Vallabhacharya, praising the sweetness (madhura) of everything about him, his lips, flute, dance, glance, the gopis, the cows, even the Yamuna. Each verse ends with the refrain 'madhuradhipater akhilam madhuram', 'everything about the Lord of Madhura (Sweetness and Mathura) is sweet'. The full lyrics are given below in Hindi and English, with meanings. To chant it in Krishna's own Braj, call or WhatsApp +91 7302265809.
The Madhurashtakam is one of the most beloved devotional hymns to Lord Krishna, composed by Sri Vallabhacharya, the great saint and founder of the Pushtimarg tradition. In just eight verses, it sings a single, sweet truth: that everything about Krishna, his lips, his flute, his glance, his play, his very world, is utterly sweet (madhura). Its refrain, 'madhuradhipater akhilam madhuram', means 'everything about the Lord of Madhura is sweet'. Here, from one born in Braj, are the full Madhurashtakam lyrics in Hindi (Devanagari) and English, with the meaning of each verse. Plan your visit with our Mathura Vrindavan tour packages.
Key takeaways
The Madhurashtakam is a hymn to Krishna's sweetness, composed by Sri Vallabhacharya.
'Ashtakam' means eight verses; each praises the sweetness (madhura) of an aspect of Krishna.
Its refrain means 'everything about the Lord of Madhura is sweet'.
'Madhura' means both sweetness and Mathura, Krishna's birthplace, a beautiful double meaning.
The full lyrics are given below in Hindi (Devanagari) and English, with meanings.
It is a cherished, simple hymn, often sung in Pushtimarg and across the Krishna tradition.
I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, the very Madhura of this hymn. Guiding pilgrims since 2018, more than 50,000 of them, I love the Madhurashtakam, for it sings the sweetness of the Lord of my own land. Here are its full lyrics, in Hindi and English, with the meaning of each verse, so you may chant it and taste its sweetness.
About the Madhurashtakam
The Madhurashtakam, 'the eight verses (ashtakam) on sweetness (madhura)', was composed by Sri Vallabhacharya (1479-1531), the great teacher of the Pushtimarg, the 'path of grace'. Its genius is its simplicity: it does not argue theology but simply gazes at Krishna and finds everything about him sweet, repeating the word 'madhuram' (sweet) again and again, like a lover unable to stop praising the beloved. The refrain, 'madhuradhipater akhilam madhuram', carries a lovely double meaning, for 'Madhura' means both 'sweetness' and 'Mathura', Krishna's birthplace; so the Lord of Madhura is at once the Lord of Sweetness and the Lord of Mathura. To chant the Madhurashtakam is to let the sweetness of Krishna fill the heart.
Madhurashtakam lyrics with meaning
Here are all eight verses of the Madhurashtakam, each in Hindi (Devanagari), then English transliteration, then its meaning.
अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम्। हृदयं मधुरं गमनं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥ १॥ Adharam madhuram vadanam madhuram nayanam madhuram hasitam madhuram, Hridayam madhuram gamanam madhuram madhuradhipater-akhilam madhuram. (1) Meaning: Sweet are his lips, sweet his face, sweet his eyes, sweet his smile; sweet his heart, sweet his gait, everything about the Lord of Sweetness (Madhura) is sweet. |
वचनं मधुरं चरितं मधुरं वसनं मधुरं वलितं मधुरम्। चलितं मधुरं भ्रमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥ २॥ Vachanam madhuram charitam madhuram vasanam madhuram valitam madhuram, Chalitam madhuram bhramitam madhuram madhuradhipater-akhilam madhuram. (2) Meaning: Sweet are his words, sweet his deeds, sweet his garments, sweet his bending; sweet his walking, sweet his wandering, everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet. |
वेणुर्मधुरो रेणुर्मधुरः पाणिर्मधुरः पादौ मधुरौ। नृत्यं मधुरं सख्यं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥ ३॥ Venur-madhuro renur-madhurah panir-madhurah padau madhurau, Nrityam madhuram sakhyam madhuram madhuradhipater-akhilam madhuram. (3) Meaning: Sweet is his flute, sweet the dust of his feet, sweet his hands, sweet his feet; sweet his dance, sweet his friendship, everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet. |
गीतं मधुरं पीतं मधुरं भुक्तं मधुरं सुप्तं मधुरम्। रूपं मधुरं तिलकं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥ ४॥ Gitam madhuram pitam madhuram bhuktam madhuram suptam madhuram, Rupam madhuram tilakam madhuram madhuradhipater-akhilam madhuram. (4) Meaning: Sweet is his song, sweet his drinking, sweet his eating, sweet his sleeping; sweet his form, sweet his tilak, everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet. |
करणं मधुरं तरणं मधुरं हरणं मधुरं रमणं मधुरम्। वमितं मधुरं शमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥ ५॥ Karanam madhuram taranam madhuram haranam madhuram ramanam madhuram, Vamitam madhuram shamitam madhuram madhuradhipater-akhilam madhuram. (5) Meaning: Sweet are his actions, sweet his crossing (of the river), sweet his stealing, sweet his loving; sweet his giving, sweet his calming, everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet. |
गोपी मधुरा लीला मधुरा युक्तं मधुरं भुक्तं मधुरम्। दृष्टं मधुरं शिष्टं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥ ६॥ Gopi madhura lila madhura yuktam madhuram bhuktam madhuram, Drishtam madhuram shishtam madhuram madhuradhipater-akhilam madhuram. (6) Meaning: Sweet are the gopis, sweet his play (leela), sweet his union, sweet his enjoyment; sweet his glance, sweet his gentle conduct, everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet. |
गोपा मधुरा गावो मधुरा यष्टिर्मधुरा सृष्टिर्मधुरा। दलितं मधुरं फलितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥ ७॥ Gopa madhura gavo madhura yashtir-madhura srishtir-madhura, Dalitam madhuram phalitam madhuram madhuradhipater-akhilam madhuram. (7) Meaning: Sweet are the cowherds, sweet the cows, sweet his staff, sweet his creation; sweet his crushing (of evil), sweet his fruits, everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet. |
गुञ्जा मधुरा माला मधुरा यमुना मधुरा वीची मधुरा। सलिलं मधुरं कमलं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥ ८॥ Gunja madhura mala madhura yamuna madhura vichi madhura, Salilam madhuram kamalam madhuram madhuradhipater-akhilam madhuram. (8) Meaning: Sweet is his gunja-berry necklace, sweet his garland, sweet the Yamuna, sweet her waves; sweet the water, sweet the lotus, everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet. |
The meaning and beauty of the Madhurashtakam
The whole hymn turns on one word: madhura, sweet. Verse by verse, Vallabhacharya looks at every part and pastime of Krishna, his lips and flute, his dance and glance, the gopis and the cows, his very food and sleep, even the Yamuna and her waves and finds each one sweet, until the listener too begins to taste that all-pervading sweetness. The repeated refrain, 'everything about the Lord of Madhura is sweet', is the hymn's heart: nothing about Krishna is harsh or fearsome; he is sweetness itself and to dwell on him is to be filled with that sweetness. It is a hymn not of awe but of love, the simplest and most intimate way of adoring the Lord.
The Madhurashtakam and Braj: the Lord of Madhura
The Madhurashtakam belongs, in a special way, to Braj. Its very refrain calls Krishna the 'Lord of Madhura' and Madhura is Mathura, his birthplace, here in this land; and the eighth verse praises the sweetness of the Yamuna herself, Braj's own river, which flows through Mathura and Vrindavan. Sri Vallabhacharya, who composed it, honoured many sites of Braj with his baithaks (sacred seats) and his Pushtimarg tradition flourishes here, at the Dwarkadhish temple of Mathura and across the land. So to chant the Madhurashtakam in Braj, by the sweet Yamuna at Kesi Ghat or before the sweet deity of Banke Bihari, is to sing of the Lord of Madhura in Madhura itself.
How and when to chant the Madhurashtakam
The Madhurashtakam may be chanted at any time, softly or aloud, alone or with others, as a daily devotion or a loving prayer. Its simple, repeating words makes it easy to learn and sweet to sing. Many recite it in the morning or evening before Krishna or sing it to a gentle tune, letting the word 'madhura' sink into the heart. There is no strict rule; the feeling is what matters. It is especially beautiful to chant at Krishna's own places in Braj; we can arrange your pooja and seva.
The honest bit
Honest words from one born in Braj. The Madhurashtakam is an ashtakam, a hymn of eight verses; some printed and online versions give only seven, omitting one, so if you have seen a shorter text, this complete eight-verse version is the traditional one. As with all old devotional texts, there are small variations between sources in a word or two, in the spelling and in the exact transliteration; do not worry if another version differs slightly, the sweetness is the same. The meanings here are given in plain words to open the heart of each verse, not as a rigid translation. And remember that this hymn is not meant to be merely read but tasted: chant it slowly, dwell on the sweetness of Krishna and let it fill you. Sung with love, especially in his own sweet land of Braj, the Madhurashtakam is a small doorway into a great sweetness.
Why Experience My India is the right choice
I was born in Gokul in the Mathura district, the Madhura of this very hymn. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims, 4.5 stars on Google, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. We take you through Braj to the sweet places the hymn sings of, the Yamuna, the temples of Krishna, the Pushtimarg shrines, tell you the meaning on the ground, help you chant at the holy spots and arrange your seva, with no touts. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.
Tip from Gurudutt: learn the Madhurashtakam by heart, it is easy, for it is almost all one sweet word and then come and chant it in Braj, the Madhura of the refrain. Sing it softly by the Yamuna at dusk, as the eighth verse bids, 'sweet the Yamuna, sweet her waves'; or before the sweet, smiling deity of Banke Bihari. Somewhere in the repeating of 'madhura, madhura', the word stops being a word and becomes a taste and you understand what Vallabhacharya knew: that the Lord of Madhura is sweetness itself and his own land is the sweetest place to sing of him.
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