Full Shloka¶
The Shloka¶
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अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम् ।
हृदयं मधुरं गमनं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥
वचनं मधुरं चरितं मधुरं वसनं मधुरं वलितं मधुरम् ।
चलितं मधुरं भ्रमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥
वेणुर्मधुरो रेणुर्मधुरः पाणिर्मधुरः पादौ मधुरौ ।
नृत्यं मधुरं सख्यं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥
गीतं मधुरं पीतं मधुरं भुक्तं मधुरं सुप्तं मधुरम् ।
रूपं मधुरं तिलकं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥
करणं मधुरं तरणं मधुरं हरणं मधुरं रमणं मधुरम् ।
वमितं मधुरं शमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥
गुञ्जा मधुरा माला मधुरा यमुना मधुरा वीची मधुरा ।
सलिलं मधुरं कमलं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥
गोपी मधुरा लीला मधुरा युक्तं मधुरं मुक्तं मधुरम् ।
दृष्टं मधुरं शिष्टं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥
गोपा मधुरा गावो मधुरा यष्टिर्मधुरा सृष्टिर्मधुरा ।
दलितं मधुरं फलितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥
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Meaning / Summary¶
The significance of Madhurashtakam lies in its ability to evoke deep devotional feelings and a sense of profound love for Lord Krishna. It serves as a meditation on the Lord’s divine attributes, helping devotees to perceive beauty and sweetness in every aspect of His manifestation. It reinforces the idea that the divine is not just powerful or awe-inspiring, but also intimately sweet and lovable. For followers of the Pushtimarg tradition, it is a foundational text that expresses the core sentiment of unconditional love and surrender to Krishna, fostering a state of bliss and inner peace through chanting and contemplation of His sweetness. It highlights the concept of “Madhurya Bhava” – the loving devotion that perceives the divine as supremely delightful.
Madhurashtakam is an eight-verse devotional hymn composed by the great philosopher and devotee Shri Vallabhacharya. It is a profound eulogy to Lord Krishna, celebrating every aspect of His being as utterly sweet and divine. Each verse emphasizes a different attribute of Krishna – His form, His actions, His play, His words, His pastimes, His movements, His beauty, and His entire existence – proclaiming them all as “madhuram,” meaning sweet, charming, or delightful. The hymn beautifully encapsulates the essence of the “Pushtimarg” philosophy, which focuses on loving devotion (bhakti) to Lord Krishna.