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

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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

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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

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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 or wind blowing there is sweet
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)/Strategy is sweet
मुक्तं मधुरम् ‌। muktaṃ madhuram (His) deliverance is sweet
दृष्टं मधुरं dṛṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ (His) sidelong glances/Bad people/Enemies are sweet
शिष्टं मधुरं śiṣṭaṃ madhuraṃ (His) etiquette/punishment 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
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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.

See also

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References

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