The Madhurāṣṭakam (Sanskrit: मधुराष्टकम्), also spelt as Madhurashtakam, is a Sanskrit ashtakam in devotion of Krishna, composed by the Hindu Bhakti saint Vallabha. Vallabha was a Telugu Brahmin who propagated Pushtimarg, which emphasizes on the unconditional bhakti and seva of Krishna. According to legend, when Krishna himself appeared in front of Vallabha, on the midnight of Shravana Shukla Ekadashi, the philosopher composed the Madhurashtakam in praise of the deity.
He created many other literary pieces including the Vyasa Sutra Bhashya, Jaimini Sutra Bhasya, Bhagavata Subodhini Tika, Pushti Pravala Maryada, and Siddhanta Rahasya, in Sanskrit.
The devotional hymn "Madhurāṣṭakam" of Vallabha 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 and offering of services (seva). According to this philosophy, these acts enable the devotee to enter into the divine presence of Krishna and to experience the deity's real essence (svarupa) which are in fact, succinctly laid down by the Madhurāṣṭakam. Madhurāṣṭakam is regarded play an instrumental role in the realisation of the deity.
Genre
The term aṣṭakam is derived from the Sanskrit word aṣṭa, 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 God appears sweet, as those appear to a lover.
The Madhurāṣṭakam deals with the qualities and deeds of Krishna, all of which have been conceptualized as being dipped in madhu, meaning honey or nectar. In the eyes of the devotee, everything that pertains to the deity is sweet and graceful, he being the adhipati (sovereign) 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 Krishna have been labelled as 'sweet' in the astakam.
Text
See Sanskrit for details of pronunciation.
| Devanagari | IAST | English Translation |
| ॥ मधुराष्टकम् ॥ | Eight Stanzas on Sweetness | |
| वल्लभ आचार्य | vallabha ācārya | Vallabha Acharya |
| अधरं मधुरं | adharaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) lips are sweet |
| वदनं मधुरं | vadanaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) face is sweet |
| नयनं मधुरं | nayanaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) eyes are sweet |
| हसितं मधुरम् । | hasitaṃ madhuram | (His) smile is sweet |
| हृदयं मधुरं | hṛdayaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) heart is sweet |
| गमनं मधुरं | gamanaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) gait (walk) is sweet |
| मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥ १ ॥ | madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram (1) | Everything is sweet about the Lord of Sweetness |
| वचनं मधुरं | vacanaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) words are sweet |
| चरितं मधुरं | caritaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) character and deeds are sweet |
| वसनं मधुरं | vasanaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) dress (garment) is sweet |
| वलितं मधुरम् । | valitaṃ madhuram | (His) posture is sweet |
| चलितं मधुरं | calitaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) movements are sweet |
| भ्रमितं मधुरं | bhramitaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) wandering is sweet |
| मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥ २ ॥ | madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram (2) | Everything is sweet about the Lord of Sweetness |
| वेणुर्मधुरो | veṇurmadhuro | (His) flute-playing is sweet |
| रेणुर्मधुरः | reṇurmadhuraḥ | (His) foot-dust is sweet |
| पाणिर्मधुरः | pāṇirmadhuraḥ | (His) hands are sweet |
| पादौ मधुरौ । | pādau madhurau | (His) feet are sweet |
| नृत्यं मधुरं | nṛtyaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) dancing is sweet |
| सख्यं मधुरं | sakhyaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) friendship (company) is sweet |
| मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥ ३ ॥ | madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram (3) | Everything is sweet about the Lord of Sweetness |
| गीतं मधुरं | gītaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) song is sweet |
| पीतं मधुरं | pītaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) drinking is sweet |
| भुक्तं मधुरं | bhuktaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) eating is sweet |
| सुप्तं मधुरम् । | suptaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) sleeping is sweet |
| रूपं मधुरं | rūpaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) beautiful form is sweet |
| तिलकं मधुरं | tilakaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) Tilaka (Sandalwood paste mark on the forehead) is sweet |
| मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥ ४ ॥ | madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram (4) | Everything is sweet about the Lord of Sweetness |
| करणं मधुरं | karaṇaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) deeds are sweet |
| तरणं मधुरं | taraṇaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) conquest (liberating) is sweet |
| हरणं मधुरं | haraṇaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) stealing is sweet |
| रमणं मधुरम् । | ramaṇaṃ madhuram | (His) love-sports are sweet |
| वमितं मधुरं | vamitaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) oblations (offerings) are sweet |
| शमितं मधुरं | śamitaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) countenance is sweet |
| मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥ ५ ॥ | madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram (5) | Everything is sweet about the Lord of Sweetness |
| गुञ्जा मधुरा | guñjā madhurā | (His) gunja-berry necklace is sweet |
| माला मधुरा | mālā madhurā | (His) flower garland is sweet |
| यमुना मधुरा | yamunā madhurā | Yamuna river is sweet |
| वीची मधुरा । | vīcī madhurā | and sweet are Yamuna's rippling waves |
| सलिलं मधुरं | salilaṃ madhuraṃ | Her water is sweet |
| कमलं मधुरं | kamalaṃ madhuraṃ | and sweet are the lotus flowers also |
| मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥ ६ ॥ | madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram (6) | Everything is sweet about the Lord of Sweetness |
| गोपी मधुरा | gopī madhurā | (His) gopis (damsels of Vraja) are sweet |
| लीला मधुरा | līlā madhurā | (His) frolickings are sweet |
| युक्तं मधुरं | yuktaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) union (meeting) is sweet |
| मुक्तं मधुरम् । | muktaṃ madhuram | (His) deliverance is sweet |
| दृष्टं मधुरं | dṛṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) sidelong glances are sweet |
| शिष्टं मधुरं | śiṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) etiquette is sweet |
| मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥ ७ ॥ | madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram (7) | Everything is sweet about the Lord of Sweetness |
| गोपा मधुरा | gopā madhurā | (His) gopas (cowherd friends) are sweet |
| गावो मधुरा | gāvo madhurā | (His) cows are sweet |
| यष्टिर्मधुरा | yaṣṭirmadhurā | (His) cane (herding-stick) is sweet |
| सृष्टिर्मधुरा । | sṛṣṭirmadhurā | (His) creation is sweet |
| दलितं मधुरं | dalitaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) destruction is sweet |
| फलितं मधुरं | phalitaṃ madhuraṃ | (His) accomplishment (fruition) is sweet |
| मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥ ८ ॥ | madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram (8) | Everything is 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.