Madhurashtakam · मधुराष्टकम्

Eight Sanskrit verses declaring that everything about Krishna, the lord of sweetness, is sweet.

  1. अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम् । हृदयं मधुरं गमनं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥

    adharaṃ madhuraṃ vadanaṃ madhuraṃ nayanaṃ madhuraṃ hasitaṃ madhuram । hṛdayaṃ madhuraṃ gamanaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram ॥

    उनके अधर मधुर हैं, मुख मधुर है, नेत्र मधुर हैं, मुस्कान मधुर है; हृदय मधुर है, चाल मधुर है: मधुरता के स्वामी का सब कुछ मधुर है।

    His lips are sweet, his face is sweet, his eyes are sweet, his smile is sweet; his heart is sweet, his walk is sweet: everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet.

  2. वचनं मधुरं चरितं मधुरं वसनं मधुरं वलितं मधुरम् । चलितं मधुरं भ्रमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥

    vacanaṃ madhuraṃ caritaṃ madhuraṃ vasanaṃ madhuraṃ valitaṃ madhuram । calitaṃ madhuraṃ bhramitaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram ॥

    उनके वचन मधुर हैं, चरित्र मधुर है, वस्त्र मधुर हैं, मुद्रा मधुर है; चलना मधुर है, घूमना मधुर है: मधुरता के स्वामी का सब कुछ मधुर है।

    His words are sweet, his deeds are sweet, his garments are sweet, his posture is sweet; his movements are sweet, his wanderings are sweet: everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet.

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

    veṇurmadhuro reṇurmadhuraḥ pāṇirmadhuraḥ pādau madhurau । nṛtyaṃ madhuraṃ sakhyaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram ॥

    उनकी बाँसुरी मधुर है, चरण-रज मधुर है, हाथ मधुर हैं, चरण मधुर हैं; नृत्य मधुर है, मित्रता मधुर है: मधुरता के स्वामी का सब कुछ मधुर है।

    His flute is sweet, the dust of his feet is sweet, his hands are sweet, his feet are sweet; his dance is sweet, his friendship is sweet: everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet.

  4. गीतं मधुरं पीतं मधुरं भुक्तं मधुरं सुप्तं मधुरम् । रूपं मधुरं तिलकं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥

    gītaṃ madhuraṃ pītaṃ madhuraṃ bhuktaṃ madhuraṃ suptaṃ madhuram । rūpaṃ madhuraṃ tilakaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram ॥

    उनका गीत मधुर है, पीना मधुर है, खाना मधुर है, सोना मधुर है; रूप मधुर है, तिलक मधुर है: मधुरता के स्वामी का सब कुछ मधुर है।

    His song is sweet, his drinking is sweet, his eating is sweet, his sleeping is sweet; his form is sweet, his tilak is sweet: everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet.

  5. करणं मधुरं तरणं मधुरं हरणं मधुरं रमणं मधुरं । वमितं मधुरं शमितं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥

    karaṇaṃ madhuraṃ taraṇaṃ madhuraṃ haraṇaṃ madhuraṃ ramaṇaṃ madhuraṃ । vamitaṃ madhuraṃ śamitaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram ॥

    उनके कर्म मधुर हैं, (भक्तों को) पार उतारना मधुर है, चुराना मधुर है, रमण मधुर है; उनका प्रसाद मधुर है, शांति मधुर है: मधुरता के स्वामी का सब कुछ मधुर है।

    His deeds are sweet, his crossing over (of rivers, of devotees) is sweet, his stealing is sweet, his play is sweet; his offerings are sweet, his calm is sweet: everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet.

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

    guñjā madhurā mālā madhurā yamunā madhurā vīcī madhurā । salilaṃ madhuraṃ kamalaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram ॥

    उनकी गुंजा-माला मधुर है, माला मधुर है, यमुना मधुर है, उसकी लहरें मधुर हैं; उसका जल मधुर है, कमल मधुर हैं: मधुरता के स्वामी का सब कुछ मधुर है।

    His gunja-berry necklace is sweet, his garland is sweet, the Yamuna is sweet, its waves are sweet; its water is sweet, its lotuses are sweet: everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet.

  7. गोपी मधुरा लीला मधुरा युक्तं मधुरं मुक्तं मधुरम् । दृष्टं मधुरं सृष्टं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥

    gopī madhurā līlā madhurā yuktaṃ madhuraṃ muktaṃ madhuram । dṛṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ sṛṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram ॥

    गोपियाँ मधुर हैं, लीला मधुर है, मिलन मधुर है, मुक्ति मधुर है; दृष्टि मधुर है, शिष्टाचार मधुर है: मधुरता के स्वामी का सब कुछ मधुर है।

    The gopis are sweet, his play is sweet, his union is sweet, his release is sweet; his glance is sweet, his courtesy is sweet: everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet.

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

    gopā madhurā gāvo madhurā yaṣṭirmadhurā sṛṣṭirmadhurā । dalitaṃ madhuraṃ phalitaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipaterakhilaṃ madhuram ॥

    ग्वाले मधुर हैं, गायें मधुर हैं, उनकी लाठी मधुर है, सृष्टि मधुर है; (दुष्टों का) दलन मधुर है, फल देना मधुर है: मधुरता के स्वामी का सब कुछ मधुर है।

    The cowherds are sweet, the cows are sweet, his staff is sweet, his creation is sweet; his trampling (of evil) is sweet, his fruitfulness is sweet: everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet.

About this text

Madhurashtakam is a short Sanskrit hymn to Krishna attributed to Vallabhacharya, founder of the Pushti Marg tradition. Each line names something of Krishna, his lips, face, eyes, smile, walk, words, flute, dance, the Yamuna, the gopis, the cows, and calls it madhuram, sweet; every verse ends "madhuradhipater akhilam madhuram", "everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet". Its simple, repetitive form makes it a favourite for singing.

How it is recited

It is sung in Krishna worship, on Janmashtami and in bhajan gatherings, often to a simple repeating tune. Practices vary.

When it is recited

More for Krishna

More Ashtakams

Sources & checks

Editions compared
  • Madhurashtakam, vignanam.org (2026), collated 2026-10-10, sha256 73f489362e30
  • Madhurashtakam, stotranidhi.com (2026), collated 2026-10-10, sha256 8bbd10af6e58
  • Madhurashtakam, hinduaarti.com (2026), collated 2026-10-10, sha256 357283ff3e9b
  • Madhurashtakam, astrosight.ai (2026), collated 2026-10-10, sha256 1131b136d9ac
  • Madhurashtakam, hindunidhi.com (2026), collated 2026-10-10, sha256 36a59ed60b60
  • Madhurashtakam, hindutone.com (2026), collated 2026-10-10, sha256 cec2e6f42faf
  • Madhurashtakam, revivingcultures.com (2026), collated 2026-10-10, sha256 cc33a638f70a
  • Madhurashtakam, dharmsaar.com (2026), collated 2026-10-10, sha256 b43188ca4a9b
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