Madhurāṣṭakam

The Madhurāṣṭakam (Sanskrit: मधुरा कम्) is a Sanskrit

composition in devotion of Krishna, composed by the
Hindu Bhakti philosopher-poet Sripad Vallabha Acharya.
Sripad Vallabhacharya flourished under the patronage of
the Vijayanagara King Sri Krishnadevarya in the late
fifteenth century Andhra State and created many other
literary pieces including the Vyasa Sutra Bhashya, Jaimini
Sutra Bhasya, Bhagavata Tika Subodhini, Pushti Pravala
Maryada and Siddhanta Rahasya in Sanskrit.

The devotional hymn "Madhurāṣṭakam" of Sri

Vallabhacarya was created to lead the devotee in
Pustimarga, the Path of Grace, which involves a constant
love-filled devotion to Krishna by various acts of homage,
such as singing (kirtana), remembering (smarana),
conceptualising and beholding (darshana) a beatific
image of the deity upon singing of the Madhurāṣṭakam,
and offering of services (seva). These acts enable the
devotee to enter into the divine presence of Sri Krishna
and to experience the Lord's real essence (svarupa) which
are in fact, succinctly laid down by the Madhurāṣṭakam.
Hence, Madhurāṣṭakam plays an instrumental role in the
realisation of the Lord.

Aṣṭakam as a Form and a Genre

The term aṣṭakam is derived from the Sanskrit word
aṣṭan, meaning "eight". An aṣṭakam is made up of eight
stanzas.

Aṣṭakam belong to the genre of lyric poetry, which tends

to be short, extremely melodic, and contemplative. It
reflects and portrays the poet's own feelings, states of
mind, and perceptions about the theme or character in the
aṣṭakam.

Context
The thought behind the composition in 'Bhakti mixed with
Love', being a typical frame of devotion and dedication in
the Bhakti movement. In the loved bhakti frame, the
devotee falls in love with the almighty and to the devotee,
all the attributes and actions of the Lord God appears
sweet, as those appear to a lover.
The Madhurāṣṭakam deals with the qualities and deeds of
Lord Krishna, all of which have been conceptualized as
been dipped in madhu, meaning honey or nectar. In the
eyes of the devotee, everything that pertains to Lord is
sweet and graceful, he being the adhipati (Lord and
Godhead) of all sweetness.

The body of the Madhurāṣṭakam includes many qualities,

attributes and motifs associated with Krishna, including
the venu flute, cows, the Yamuna river, gopis, and
Krishna's lila. These symbols and motifs related to the life
and deeds of Lord Sri Krishna have been labelled as
'sweet' in the astakam.

Text
See Sanskrit for details of pronunciation.
 English
Devanagari IAST
Translation
Eight Stanzas on
॥ मधुरा कम् ॥ .. madhurāṣṭakam ..
Sweetness
व लभ आचाय vallabha ācārya Vallabha Acharya
(His) lips are
अधरं मधुरं adharaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
वदनं मधुरं vadanaṁ madhuraṁ (His) face is sweet
(His) eyes are
नयनं मधुरं nayanaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
ह सतं मधुरम् । hasitaṁ madhuram . (His) smile is
 sweet
(His) heart is
दयं मधुरं hṛdayaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
(His) gait (walk) is
गमनं मधुरं gamanaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
Everything is
मधुरा धपतेर खलं madhurādhipaterakhilaṁ
sweet about the
मधुरम् ॥ १ ॥ madhuram .. 1 ..
Lord of Sweetness
(His) words are
वचनं मधुरं vacanaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
च रतं मधुरं caritaṁ madhuraṁ (His) character
 and deeds are
sweet
(His) dress
वसनं मधुरं vasanaṁ madhuraṁ (garment) is
sweet
(His) posture is
व लतं मधुरम् । valitaṁ madhuram .
sweet
(His) movements
च लतं मधुरं calitaṁ madhuraṁ
are sweet
(His) wandering is
मतं मधुरं bhramitaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
मधुरा धपतेर खलं madhurādhipaterakhilaṁ Everything is
मधुरम् ॥ २ ॥ madhuram .. 2 .. sweet about the
Lord of Sweetness
(His) flute-playing
वेणुमधुरो veṇurmadhuro
is sweet
(His) foot-dust is
रेणुमधुरः reṇurmadhuraḥ
sweet
(His) hands are
पा णमधुरः pāṇirmadhuraḥ
sweet
(His) feet are
पादौ मधुरौ । pādau madhurau .
sweet
नृ यं मधुरं nṛtyaṁ madhuraṁ (His) dancing is
sweet
(His) friendship
स यं मधुरं sakhyaṁ madhuraṁ (company) is
sweet
Everything is
मधुरा धपतेर खलं madhurādhipaterakhilaṁ
sweet about the
मधुरम् ॥ ३ ॥ madhuram .. 3 ..
Lord of Sweetness
(His) song is
गीतं मधुरं gītaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
पीतं मधुरं pītaṁ madhuraṁ (His) drinking is
 sweet
(His) eating is
भु ं मधुरं bhuktaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
(His) sleeping is
सु तं मधुरम् । suptaṁ madhuram .
sweet
(His) beautiful
पं मधुरं rūpaṁ madhuraṁ
form is sweet
(His) Tilaka
(Sandalwood
तलकं मधुरं tilakaṁ madhuraṁ
paste mark on the
forehead) is sweet
मधुरा धपतेर खलं madhurādhipaterakhilaṁ Everything is
मधुरम् ॥ ४ ॥ madhuram .. 4 .. sweet about the
Lord of Sweetness
(His) deeds are
करणं मधुरं karaṇaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
(His) conquest
तरणं मधुरं taraṇaṁ madhuraṁ (liberating) is
sweet
(His) stealing is
हरणं मधुरं haraṇaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
रमणं मधुरम् । ramaṇaṁ madhuram . (His) love-sports
 are sweet
(His) oblations
व मतं मधुरं vamitaṁ madhuraṁ (offerings) are
sweet
(His) countenance
श मतं मधुरं śamitaṁ madhuraṁ
is sweet
Everything is
मधुरा धपतेर खलं madhurādhipaterakhilaṁ
sweet about the
मधुरम् ॥ ५ ॥ madhuram .. 5 ..
Lord of Sweetness
(His) gunja-berry
गु ा मधुरा guñjā madhurā
necklace is sweet
माला मधुरा mālā madhurā (His) flower
garland is sweet
Yamuna river is
यमुना मधुरा yamunā madhurā
sweet
and sweet are
वीची मधुरा । vīcī madhurā . Yamuna's rippling
waves
स ललं मधुरं salilaṁ madhuraṁ Her water is sweet
and sweet are the
कमलं मधुरं kamalaṁ madhuraṁ
lotus flowers also
मधुरा धपतेर खलं madhurādhipaterakhilaṁEverything is
मधुरम् ॥ ६ ॥ madhuram .. 6 .. sweet about the
Lord of Sweetness
(His) gopis
गोपी मधुरा gopī madhurā (damsels of Vraja)
are sweet
(His) frolickings
लीला मधुरा līlā madhurā
are sweet
(His) union
यु ं मधुरं yuktaṁ madhuraṁ
(meeting) is sweet
(His) deliverance
मु ं मधुरम् । muktaṁ madhuram .
is sweet
 ं मधुरं dṛṣṭaṁ madhuraṁ (His) sidelong
glances are sweet
(His) etiquette is
श ं मधुरं śiṣṭaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
Everything is
मधुरा धपतेर खलं madhurādhipaterakhilaṁ
sweet about the
मधुरम् ॥ ७ ॥ madhuram .. 7 ..
Lord of Sweetness
(His) gopas
गोपा मधुरा gopā madhurā (cowherd friends)
are sweet
गावो मधुरा gāvo madhurā (His) cows are
 sweet
(His) cane
य मधुरा yaṣṭirmadhurā (herding-stick) is
sweet
(His) creation is
सृ मधुरा । sṛṣṭirmadhurā .
sweet
(His) victory is
द लतं मधुरं dalitaṁ madhuraṁ
sweet
(His)
फ लतं मधुरं phalitaṁ madhuraṁ accomplishment
(fruition) is sweet
मधुरा धपतेर खलं madhurādhipaterakhilaṁ Everything is
मधुरम् ॥ ८ ॥ madhuram .. 8 .. sweet about the
Lord of Sweetness

In popular culture
Madhurāṣṭakam has been a very popular devotional song.
Renowned singers, including the classical legend M. S.
Subbulakshmi and semi-classical singer K. J. Yesudas
have given classical and semi-classical renditions of the
song. In the Odissi dance tradition, the Madhurāṣṭakam
comprises an elegant and intoxicating theme for dance
drama.

See also
Vallabha Acharya
Adi Sankara
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

References
External links
Vaishnav Parivar : A informative portal about
Pushtimarg, Vaishnavism
Vallabha Acharya (boloji.com)
Acharya Vallabha and His Pushti Sampradaya
(neovedanta)

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