The Sweetness of Lord Shri Krishna

 

The Madhurasthakam, composed by Shri Vallabhacharya (1478 A.D), is a unique stotra, describing the sweetness of Lord Shri Krishna.

Madhurashtakam was originally written in Sanskrit and is easily understood. Only one word, madhuram, is repeated seven times each in this ashtakam (poem with eight verses)!

The Madhurasthakam uses just one adjective, "madhuram", meaning sweet or beautiful etc., to describe the lovely attributes of Lord Shri Krishna’s beautiful form, who is the master of Sweetness and Sweetness personified.

It is evident from the ashtakam that the devotee is fascinated to have a look at not only the beautiful divine sweet form [sarvanga sundara rupam] of Lord Krishna but also the very existence of the Lord -- by way of His moves, plays, pastimes, etc.

Thus says the devotee: "The Lord of Mathura, Krishna, is sweet, sweet and nothing but sweet! Even ambrosia and nectar may satiate after some time, but concerning the sweetness of the Divine Lord, one cannot have enough of it. Krishna’s lips are very sweet, his beautiful face is sweet, his beautiful black eyes with sidelong glances are sweet, his enchanting smile is even sweeter, his love-sports are sweet and his three-fold bend form is very sweet. O Lord of sweetness, everything about You is completely sweet, You are sweetness personified. "

 

Vallabha Acharya

 

Vallabha-acharya (1479-1531) A famous 16th century sage-philosopher of India and great devotee of Lord Krishna. He was born in Champaran near Raipur in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

Vallabha is regarded as an acharya and guru within the Vaishnava traditions of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Within Indian Philosophy he is known as the writer of sixteen 'stotras' (tracts) and produced several commentaries on the Bhagavata Purana, which describes the many lilas (pastimes) of the avatar, Krishna.

Many of his pieces involve praise of Lord Krishna, especially in the form of a boy. Some works include Vyasa Sutra Bhashya, Jaimini Sutra Bhasya, Bhagavata Tika Subodhini, Pushti Pravala Maryada and Siddhanta Rahasya, all in Sanskrit. He has written many books in Brij Bhasha as well.

Vallabha Acharya occupies a unique place in Indian culture as a scholar, a philosopher and devotional (bhakti) preacher. He is especially known as a lover and a propagator of Bhagavata Dharma, teaching the path of Pushti-Marga, or the "path of grace", establishing the worship of Shri Nathji.

Shri Nathji is the form of Lord Krishna when he lifted the Govardhana Hill. He is shown with his left hand raised and the right hand closed in a fist and resting on his hip. His followers worship him both as Shri Radhanath or the Lord of Radha and as the mischievous child Bala-Krishna.

Shri Nathji - Krishna

Vallabha emphasized, that Shree Krishna is the personification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who prevails everywhere and who resides in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul as well.

 

 

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Madhurashtakam

Introduction

 

Madhurashtakam is the sweetest description of the sweetness of child God, Shri Krishna by Mahaprabhu Shri Vallabhcharya. Every body part and all the actions of Shri Krishna are sweet and by his sweet contact anything living or non-living becomes sweet. Whatever sweetness we see in this material world should be understood as a small fraction of the sweetness of Lord Shri Krishna. So the devotees of Lord Shri Krishna should continuously remember the butter stealing form of his. Madhurashtakam has extraordinary place among the sacred books of Pushti Marg Vaishnavas. By reading this regularly, a devotee becomes dear to all and gets supreme devotion towards Lord Shri Krishna. It is not possible to describe the sweetness of Madhurashtakam; probably it contains the sweetest eight verses written in worship of Lord Shri Krishna on this earth. Hundered billion salutations to the dearest devotee of Lord, Mahaprabhu Shri Vallabhcharya. Shri Hari

Madhurashtakam

O Krishna! your lips are sweet, your face is sweet, your eyes are sweet, your laugh is sweet, your heart is sweet, your gait is sweet. O Lord of sweetness! Everything about you is sweet only. 1

O Krishna! your words are sweet, your acts are sweet, your clothes are sweet, your bent posture is sweet, your movements are sweet, your roaming is sweet. O Lord of sweetness! everything about you is sweet only. 2

O Krishna! your flute is sweet, your garland is sweet, your hands are sweet, your feet are sweet, your dance is sweet, your friendship is sweet.O Lord of sweetness! everything about you is sweet only. 3

O Krishna! your songs are sweet, your drinking is sweet, your eating is sweet, your sleeping is sweet, your beauty is sweet, your mark of forehead is sweet. O Lord of sweetness! everything about you is sweet only. 4

O Krishna! your deeds are sweet, your floating is sweet, your act of stealing is sweet, your love is sweet, your words are sweet, your silence is sweet. O Lord of sweetness! everything about you is sweet only. 5

O Krishna! your berries are sweet, your garland is sweet, your river Yamuna is sweet, her waves are sweet, her water is sweet, her lotus are sweet.O Lord of sweetness! everything about you is sweet only. 6

O Krishna! your Gopis are sweet, your playing is sweet, with them you are sweet, without them you are sweet, your glance is sweet, your manners are sweet. O Lord of sweetness! everything about you is sweet only. 7

O Krishna! your friends are sweet, your cows are sweet, your stick is sweet, your creation is sweet, your destruction is sweet, your boons are sweet. O Lord of sweetness! everything about you is sweet only. 8

 

 

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Madhurashtakam

By Vallabhacharya