Shree Krishna Madhurashtakam

 

॥1॥ His lips are sweet, His face is sweet, His eyes are sweet, His smile is sweet, His loving heart is sweet, His gait (walk) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

॥2॥ His words are sweet, His character is sweet, His dress (garment) is sweet, His posture is sweet, His movements are sweet, His wandering (roaming) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

॥3॥ His flute-playing is sweet, His foot-dust is sweet, His hands are sweet, His feet are sweet, His dancing is sweet, His friendship is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

॥4॥ His song is sweet, His drinking is sweet, His eating is sweet, His sleeping is sweet, His beautiful form is sweet, His Tilaka (mark on the forehead) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

॥5॥ His deeds (activities) are sweet, His conquest (liberating) is sweet, His thieving (stealing) is sweet, His love-sports are sweet, His oblations (offerings) are sweet, His countenance is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

॥6॥ His gunja-berry (Chirmi) necklace is sweet, His flower garland is sweet, sweet is the Yamuna river, and sweet are her rippling waves, her water is sweet, and sweet are the lotus flowers also, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

॥7॥ His gopis (cowherd girlfriends) are sweet, His pastimes (plays) are sweet, His union (meeting him) is sweet, His deliverance (rescue) is sweet, His sidelong glances are sweet, His courtesy (etiquette) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

॥8॥ His gopas (cowherd boyfriends) are sweet, His cows are sweet, His cane (herding-stick) is sweet, His creation is sweet, His victory (trampling) is sweet, His accomplishment (fruition) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness

 

(इति मधुराष्टकं समाप्त)

॥ iti madhurastakam sampurnam ॥

॥ Thus ends the the eight stanza hymn madhurastakam ॥

 

 

-------------

 

Eight Pada on Madhura

 

 

His lips are a delight, His body is a delight, His eye is a delight, His smile is a delight, His chest is a delight, His walking style is a delight; everything about the ruler of delight is delightful.॥1॥

His speech is a delight, His acts are a delight, His clothes are a delight, His curves are a delight, His moving is a delight, His roaming is a delight; Everything about the ruler of delight is delightful.॥2॥

His flute is a delight, His flowers (that He wears on ears or as garlands) are a delight, His palms are a delight, His feet are a delight, His dance is a delight, His friendship is a delight; Everything about the ruler of delight is delightful.॥3॥

His songs are a delight, His yellow robes are a delight, His eating is a delight, His sleeping is a delight, His beauty is a delight, His mark-of-forehead is a delight; Everything about the ruler of delight is delightful.॥4॥

His deeds are a delight, His floating (in water) is a delight, His taking away is a delight; His romantic charms are a delight, His words are a delight, His peaceful state is a delight; Everything about the ruler of delight is delightful.॥5॥

His humming is a delight, His garland is a delight, His accompaniment Yamuna is a delight, His waves (generated by Him when entering the river) is a delight, His water (clinging on His body) is a delight, His lotus is a delight; Everything about the ruler of delight is delightful.॥6॥

His cow-herd girls are a delight, His sport is a delight, His togetherness is a delight, His free nature is a delight, His glance is a delight, His obedience is a delight; Everything about the ruler of delight is delightful.॥7॥

His friends (Gopaa) are a delight, His cows are a delight, His cow-guiding-stick is a delight, His created universe is a delight, His exploits over demons are a delight, the fruit thence obtained are a delight; Everything about the ruler of delight is delightful.॥8॥

 

Poet: Vallabhacharya

Source: Madhurashtakam, Stotra Ratnavali — Gitapress

 

-----------------

 

Gujarati meaning:

 

अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम्।

हदयं मधुरं गमनं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥१॥

શ્રી કૃષ્ણના મધુર મુખ પર આવેલ મધુર હાસ્ય વડે તેમના હોઠ અને આંખો દ્વારા માધુર્ય છલકાય છે. તેના દર્શનથી ભક્તોના મધુર હૃદયની ગતિ પણ મધુર થઇ જાય છે. (દર્શનથી ભક્તો પુલકિત થઇ જાય છે) આમ આ સૃષ્ટિ પરના સકળ માધુર્યના અધિપતિ (રાજા) શ્રી કૃષ્ણનું સર્વસ્વ મધુર છે. 

वचनं मधुरं चरितं मधुरं वसनं मधुरं वलितं मधुरम्।

चलितं मधुरं भ्रमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥२॥

શ્રી કૃષ્ણના ભક્તો, શ્રી કૃષ્ણની મધુર વાતો, મધુર ચરિત્રો, તેમના મધુર (સુંદર) વસ્ત્રો, તેમના મરોડદાર મધુર અંગો વડે તેઓ જે મધુર ભ્રમણ કરે છે તેનું ગાન કરતા કહે છે કે આ સૃષ્ટિ પરના સકળ માધુર્યના અધિપતિ (રાજા) શ્રી કૃષ્ણનું સર્વસ્વ મધુર છે.  

वेणुर्मधुरो रेणुर्मधुर: पाणिर्मधुर: पादौ मधुरौ।

नृत्यं मधुरं सख्यं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥३॥

શ્રી કૃષ્ણ જયારે પોતાના મધુર હાથોમાં પોતાની મધુર વાંસળી પકડી પોતાના મધુર પગ પૃથ્વિ પર મૂકે છે ત્યારે પૃથ્વિ ની તમામ રજકણો મધુર થઇ જાય છે. વળી શ્રી કૃષ્ણ જ્યારે મધુર નૃત્ય કરે છે ત્યારે તેમનો સાથ ગોપીઓને મધુર લાગે છે. આમ આ સૃષ્ટિ પરના સકળ માધુર્યના અધિપતિ (રાજા) શ્રી કૃષ્ણનું સર્વસ્વ મધુર છે.     

गीतं मधुरं पीतं मधुरं भुक्तं मधुरं सुप्तं मधुरम्।

रुपं मधुरं तिलकं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥४॥

શ્રી કૃષ્ણના મધુર ગીતોનું મધુર પાન કરીને ભક્તોને મધુર ભોજન કર્યાનો આનંદ થાય છે તેથી તેઓ મધુર નિન્દ્રાનો અનુભવ કરે છે અને તેઓ શ્રી કૃષ્ણના મધુર રુપના ઓવારણા લઈને મધુર તિલક કરી કહે છે કે આ સૃષ્ટિ પરના સકળ માધુર્યના અધિપતિ (રાજા) શ્રી કૃષ્ણનું સર્વસ્વ મધુર છે.

करणं मधुरं तरणं मधुरं हरणं मधुरं रमणं मधुरम्।

वमितं मधुरं शमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥५॥

શ્રી કૃષ્ણના ભક્તોને શ્રી કૃષ્ણના મધુર (સેવા) કાર્યો કરવાથી આ સંસાર સાગરમાં તરવુ મધુર લાગે છે. શ્રી કૃષ્ણ તેમના તમામ દુન્યવી સુખોનું મધુરતાથી હરણ કરી લે છે તો પણ શ્રી કૃષ્ણના ભક્તોના તન-મનમાં મધુર આનંદ થાય છે. અને તેઓ શ્રી કૃષ્ણના ચરિત્રો નુ વર્ણન મધુર ઉદ્ ગારો થી કે પછી મધુર શાંતિથી કરે છે કારણકે આ સૃષ્ટિ પરના સકળ માધુર્યના અધિપતિ (રાજા) શ્રી કૃષ્ણનું સર્વસ્વ મધુર છે.      

गुन्जा मधुरा माला मधुरा यमुना मधुरा वीची मधुरा।

सलिलं मधुरं कमलं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥६॥

મધુર લહેરો વાળા મધુર યમુનાના મધુર પાણીમાં ઉગેલા મધુર કમળોની મધુર કળીઓની મધુર માળા શ્રી કૃષ્ણએ પહેરેલી છે. તેવા આ સૃષ્ટિ પરના સકળ માધુર્યના અધિપતિ (રાજા) શ્રી કૃષ્ણનું સર્વસ્વ મધુર છે. 

गोपी मधुरा लीला मधुरा युक्तं मधुरं मुक्तं मधुरम्।

दृष्टं मधुरं शिष्टं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥७॥

મધુર ગોપીઓ સાથે શ્રી કૃષ્ણએ કરેલી લીલા મધુર છે. ગોપીઓને શ્રી કૃષ્ણનો સંયોગ મધુર લાગે છે અને વિયોગ પણ મધુર લાગે છે. કારણકે વિયોગમાં ગોપીઓને તેમનું મધુર ચિંતન (નિરિક્ષણ) કરવામાં કોઇ મધુર શિષ્ટાચાર કરવો પડતો નથી કારણકે આ સૃષ્ટિ પરના સકળ માધુર્યના અધિપતિ (રાજા) શ્રી કૃષ્ણનું સર્વસ્વ મધુર છે. 

गोपा मधुरा गावो मधुरा यष्टिर्मधुरा सृष्टिर्मधुरा।

दलितं मधुरं फलितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम्॥८॥

શ્રી કૃષ્ણ જ્યારે મધુર ગોવાળો સાથે મધુર ગાયો ને ચરાવવા મધુર લાકડી લઈને ચાલે છે ત્યારે સૃષ્ટિ મધુર લાગે છે. શ્રી કૃષ્ણનો ભાર પૃથ્વિને મધુર લાગે છે તેથી તે દબાયેલી હોવા છતા ફળદ્રુપ બની મધુર ફલ આપે છે કારણકે આ સૃષ્ટિ પરના સકળ માધુર્યના અધિપતિ (રાજા) શ્રી કૃષ્ણનું સર્વસ્વ મધુર છે.

 

॥ ઇતિ શ્રીમદ્ વલ્લભાચાર્ય વિરચિતં મધુરાષ્ટ્કમ સંપૂર્ણમ ॥

 

॥ सार्थमधुराष्टकं ॥

.. madhurAShTakaM with meanings..

 

अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम् ।
हृदयं मधुरं गमनं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥१॥

 

अधरं (adharaM) = (n) lip;

मधुरं (madhuraM) = (n) sweet, pleasant;

वदनं (vadanaM) = (n) face;

नयनं (nayanaM) = (n) eye;

हसितं (hasitaM) = smile;

हृदयं (hRidayaM) = (n) heart;

गमनं (gamanaM) = act of going;

अधिपतिः (adhipatiH) = (m) king or ruler;

मधुराधिपतेः (madhurAdhipateH) = Lord of all sweetness!;

अखिलं (akhilaM) = (n) entire, all pervading;

 

Krishna's lip, face, eye, smile, heart and gait are all sweet and nice.

Everything about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Love his lips, his face, his eyes, his smile, his heart, his walk.

All that is His, of the Lord of Sweetness, I love it, it's so sweet, it's so sweet.. 1..

 

वचनं मधुरं चरितं मधुरं वसनं मधुरं वलितं मधुरम् ।
चलितं मधुरं भ्रमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥२॥

 

वचनं (vachanaM) = (n) word(s)/sentence;

चरितं (charitaM) = (n) character;

वसनं (vasanaM) = (n) dress;

वलितं (valitaM) = body shape/curve;

चलितं (chalitaM) = walk/gait;

भ्रमितं (bhramitaM) = roaming;

 

His words/utterances, character, dress, bodily form, gait and roaming about, are all sweet.

Everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet..

Love his talk, his acts, his stay, his gait, his move, his shake, his rove.

All that is His, of the Lord of Sweetness, I love it, it's so sweet, it's so sweet.. 2..

 

 

वेणुर्मधुरो रेणुर्मधुरः पाणिर्मधुरः पादौ मधुरौ ।
नृत्यं मधुरं सख्यं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥३॥

 

वेणुर्मधुरो (veNurmadhuro) = veNuH(m)+madhuraH(m), flute +sweet;

रेणुर्मधुरः (reNurmadhuraH) = reNuH(m)+madhraH(m),

sand (of Yamuna) or dust/dirt particle; under Krishna's feet+sweet

पाणिर्मधुरः (pANirmadhuraH) = pANiH(m)+madhuraH, hand+sweet;

पादौ (pAdau) = (m) two legs;

नृत्यं (nRityaM) = (n) dance;

सख्यं (sakhyaM) = (n) friendship;

 

His flute(its notes), dust under his feet, hand,

feet, dance and friendship/company are all sweet.

Everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet.

Love his lute, his sand, his hand, his feet, his dance, his friendship all.

All that is His, of the Lord of Sweetness, I love it, it's so sweet, it's so sweet.. 3..

 

गीतं मधुरं पीतं मधुरं भुक्तं मधुरं सुप्तं मधुरम् ।
रूपं मधुरं तिलकं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥४॥

 

गीतं (gItaM) = (n) song;

पीतं (pItaM) = drunk substance.

(another meaning as adjective is yellow);

भुक्तं (bhuktaM) = eaten thing;

सुप्तं (suptaM) = sleeping state;

रूपं (rUpaM) = (n) form (beauty);

तिलकं (tilakaM) = (n) mark on the forehead;

 

His song, drinking act, eating act, sleeping pose,

personality, and the mark on his forehead are all sweet.

Everything about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Love his singing, drinking and eating, his sleep, his freckled beauty.

All that is His, of the Lord of Sweetness, I love it, it's so sweet, it's so sweet.. 4..

 

करणं मधुरं तरणं मधुरं हरणं मधुरं रमणं मधुरम् ।
वमितं मधुरं शमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥५॥

 

करणं (karaNaM) = (n) action;

तरणं (taraNaM) = (n) swimming, crossing;

हरणं (haraNaM) = usurping, destroying, grabbing;

रमणं (ramaNaM) = (n) sport;

वमितं (vamitaM) = vomiting?/warblings/mutterings;

शमितं (shamitaM) = controlled(timid) action?;

 

His action, swimming, stealing/snatching, sport,

mutterings and timid actions are all sweet.

Everything about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Love his deed, his swim, his steal, his charm, his mutter, his peaceful calm.

All that is His, of the Lord of Sweetness, I love it, it's so sweet, it's so sweet.. 5..

 

गुञ्जा मधुरा माला मधुरा यमुना मधुरा वीची मधुरा ।
सलिलं मधुरं कमलं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥६॥

 

गुञ्जा (gu~njA) = (f) humming

माला (mAlA) = (f) garland

यमुना (yamunA) = (f) river Yamuna;

वीची (vIchI) = (f) waves;

सलिलं (salilaM) = (n) water;

कमलं (kamalaM) = (n) lotus;

 

His humming (melody or playing on the flute?), garland, the river

Yamuna, its waves, water and the lotus are all sweet.

Everything about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Love his melody, his coronet, his river with the waves and water with lotuses galore.

All that is His, of the Lord of Sweetness, I love it, it's so sweet, it's so sweet.. 6..

 

गोपी मधुरा लीला मधुरा युक्तं मधुरं मुक्तं मधुरम् ।
दृष्टं मधुरं शिष्टं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥७॥

 

गोपी (gopI) = (f) a cowherd girl;

लीला (lIlA) = (f) pleasing play;

युक्तं (yuktaM) = the joined/united one company;

मुक्तं (muktaM) = the released/freed one;

दृष्टं (dRiShTaM) = that which has been seen;

शिष्टं (shiShTaM) = good behaviour;

 

His cowherd girl friends, their sport, company,

separation, looking at them and their good behaviour are all sweet.

Everything about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Love his girls and frolic, his catch and release, his ogling and his virtuous stance.

All that is His, of the Lord of Sweetness, I love it, it's so sweet, it's so sweet.. 7..

 

गोपा मधुरा गावो मधुरा यष्टिर्मधुरा सृष्टिर्मधुरा ।
दलितं मधुरं फलितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥८॥

 

गोपा (gopA) = (m) the cowherd boys;

गावो (gAvo) = (f) the cows;

यष्टिः (yaShTiH) = (f) stick/sticklike thin body?;

सृष्टिः (sRiShTiH) = (f) creation;

दलितं (dalitaM) = broken;

फलितं (phalitaM) = ripened/bloomed;

 

The cowherd boy friends, the cows, the forms he creates,

his domination over all and the results therefrom are all sweet.

Everything about the Lord of sweetness is sweet.

Love his cowherds, his cows, his staff, his world, his tromp, his fruitful romp.

All that is His, of the Lord of Sweetness, I love it, it's so sweet, it's so sweet.. 8..

 

॥ इति श्रीमद्वल्लभाचार्यविरचितं मधुराष्टकं सम्पूर्णं ॥

 

इति (iti) = thus;

श्रीमत् (shrImat) = respectful prefix;

वल्लभाचार्य (vallabhAchArya) = the poet VallabhAchArya;

विरचित (virachita) = composed/created;

मधुराष्टक (madhurAShTaka) =

the eight stanza poem known as `madhurAShTaka';

सम्पूर्ण (sampUrNa) = has come to the end;

 

Thus ends the hymn `madhurAShTakaM', composed by VallabhAchArya. Everything about the Lord Krishna, whatever he does or does not, whatever we see or hear or think of him is sheer sweet bliss! No wonder since he is himself the overlord of sweetness/bliss, or put in another way, he is sweetness/bliss personified!

 

 

--------------------

 

Madhurashtakam

 

Thy lips are sweet, as is thy face, thy eyes, thy laugh / smile, thy heart and your coming & going / conduct are truly sweet.

Infact, thou art the Lord of all things sweet, and everything thou does is sweetness personified. 1

Thy speech is sweet, as is thy character / action, your clothes, your long hair, trailing on your clothes, your gait and the way you wander around vraj is sweet.

Infact, thou art the Lord of all things sweet, and everything thou does is sweetness personified. 2

Thy flute is sweet, as is the dust from your feet, as is thy hand, thy feet, thy dance and thy friendship is truly sweet.

Infact, thou art the Lord of all things sweet, and everything thou does is sweetness personified. 3

Thy songs are sweet, as is thy way of drinking, thy eating, thy sleeping, thy wonderful looks and even the sandal-wood mark (tilak) on your forehead is sweet.

Infact, thou art the Lord of all things sweet, and everything thou does is sweetness personified. 4

Thy ears / or deeds, thy way of rescuing souls / or thy swimming, the way thou steals my heart, the way thou plays (or - thy beguiling actions, thy pranks, they are all sweet!), the way thou spits thy paan and the way thou calms me down / or the way thou absorbs the pain of souls / or thy resting, they are all sweet.

Infact, thou art the Lord of all things sweet, and everything thou does is sweetness personified. 5

The wonderful seeds of Gunja that thou wears, the garland of flowers that thou wears, the Yamuna that thou loves so much, the waves / ripples of that most beloved of all rivers, its waters and even its lotuses are sweet.

Infact, thou art the Lord of all things sweet, and everything thou does is sweetness personified. 6

The gopies (milk-maids of Vraj) that love thee so much are sweet, as is thy lila (frolics) with them, thy thoughts, thy eating, the excellent things thou does for people, thy excellent conduct, they are all sweet.

Infact, thou art the Lord of all things sweet, and everything thou does is sweetness personified. 7

Thy gopa, who art thy friends, thy cows, thy walking stick, the universe thou hast created, thy giving/ wrath and even the fruits of thy actions/ thy graces are sweet.

Infact, thou art the Lord of all things sweet, and everything thou does is sweetness personified. 8

This is an edited version of the text taken from the published works of Shri Swami Sivananda, Founder of the Divine Life Society.

We thank the two contributors of this piece, Deepak Parikh [e-mail] and Gopal Pancholia - [e-mail] for sending this in.

 

 

-----------------

 

॥ मधुराष्टकं ॥

madhur ā ṣṭakaṁ