The Madhurashtakam
The Sweetness of Lord Krishna
This is a devotional poem that joyfully declares every aspect of Lord Krishna and his surroundings to be sweet. It is meant to fill the reader with a sense of divine love and wonder.
Verses
Sweet is His lip, sweet is His face, sweet are His eyes, sweet is His smile; sweet is His heart, sweet is His gait—everything of the Lord of sweetness is sweet.
Verse 1
Sweet is His speech, sweet is His conduct, sweet are His garments, sweet is His graceful bending; sweet is His movement, sweet is His wandering—everything of the Lord of sweetness is sweet.
Verse 2
Sweet is His flute, sweet is the dust of His feet, sweet are His hands, sweet are His feet; sweet is His dance, sweet is His friendship—everything of the Lord of sweetness is sweet.
Verse 3
Sweet is His song, sweet is His drinking, sweet is His eating, sweet is His sleep; sweet is His form, sweet is His forehead mark—everything of the Lord of sweetness is sweet.
Verse 4
Sweet are His actions, sweet is His crossing, sweet is His stealing, sweet is His delighting; sweet is His outpouring, sweet is His pacifying—everything of the Lord of sweetness is sweet.
Verse 5
Sweet is the guñjā berry, sweet is the garland, sweet is the Yamunā, sweet are its waves; sweet is the water, sweet is the lotus—everything of the Lord of sweetness is sweet.
Verse 6
Sweet is the cowherd girl, sweet is His pastime, sweet is union, sweet is liberation; sweet is the sight, sweet is the teaching—everything of the Lord of sweetness is sweet.
Verse 7
Sweet is the cowherd boy, sweet are the cows, sweet is His staff, sweet is creation; sweet is what is crushed, sweet is what is fulfilled—everything of the Lord of sweetness is sweet.
Verse 8
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Wednesday (Budhwar), Thursday (Guruwar) & Ekadashi
Early Morning (Brahma Muhurta) or Sandhya (Twilight)
Tulsi leaves, Butter (Makhan), Mishri, Yellow flowers & Chandan
- Awakening of pure divine love (Prema Bhakti), mental joy, and freedom from anxiety
Background
The Madhurashtakam is a well-known Sanskrit hymn traditionally attributed to Vallabhacharya, a 16th-century philosopher and poet in the Vaishnava tradition. It is often recited or sung as part of devotional practices in the Pushti Marg sect, especially during festivals like Janmashtami or in daily worship to praise the sweetness of Krishna's form, actions, and environment. The poem's simple, repetitive structure makes it accessible for meditation and collective singing. The text is the eight-verse Madhurashtakam stotram (verse 1 begins adharam madhuram), which sanskritdocuments.org credits to Vallabhacharya (1479–1531). The same hymn is also presented in the stotra section as the Madhurashtakam.
About this Text
Composed by: Vallabhacharya
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Author
This hymn, the Madhurashtakam, was composed by the 15th–16th century saint and philosopher Vallabhacharya (1479–1531 CE), the founder of the Pushti Marg (Path of Grace) tradition in Vaishnavism. He wrote it in Sanskrit as a loving meditation on the all-pervading sweetness of Krishna, and it remains a daily recitation for his followers.
Structure
The word 'Madhurashtakam' means 'eight verses of sweetness.' Each of the eight verses lists different aspects of Krishna—like his smile, his flute, his walk, or even the river Yamuna—and ends with the same refrain: 'everything of the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.' The word 'madhura' (sweet) appears exactly 64 times in the entire composition, creating a hypnotic, chant-like rhythm.
Comprehensive Imagery
The hymn covers an astonishing range of sweet things—from Krishna's physical features (lips, eyes, hands, feet) to his actions (dancing, eating, speaking) and even his surroundings (cows, the Yamuna, garlands). This shows the devotee's belief that every single thing connected to Krishna, no matter how small, is filled with divine sweetness and grace.
Philosophical Twist
The title 'Madhurapati' (Lord of Madhura) is a clever double meaning. It directly refers to Krishna as the 'Lord of Sweetness,' but it also hints at Mathura, the holy city where Krishna was born. In the Pushti Marg tradition, this hymn isn't just poetry—it's a tool for experiencing the world as sweet through Krishna's grace, turning even mundane acts like eating or sleeping into acts of devotion.
Krishna
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