Madhurashtakam in Bengali
মধুরাষ্টকম্
Madhurashtakam is an eight-verse Sanskrit hymn to Lord Krishna by Shri Vallabhacharya, founder of the Pushti Marg. Below is the complete Madhurashtakam in Bengali script, every line also in English letters, with the meaning of each verse in simple English.
- Bengali script
- 8 verses
- 4 min
- Shri Vallabhacharya
- Best on Wednesday
Recite line by line, listen, count with a mala. The reader opens in Bengali.
অধরং মধুরং বদনং মধুরং নয়নং মধুরং হসিতং মধুরম্। Adharam Madhuram Vadanam Madhuram Nayanam Madhuram Hasitam Madhuram
হৃদয়ং মধুরং গমনং মধুরং মধুরাধিপতেরখিলং মধুরম্॥ Hridayam Madhuram Gamanam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuram
Meaning
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.
- অধরং Adharam
- lips
- মধুরং Madhuram
- sweet
- বদনং Vadanam
- face
- নয়নং Nayanam
- eyes
- হসিতং Hasitam
- smile, laughter
- হৃদয়ং Hridayam
- heart
- গমনং Gamanam
- gait, the way he walks
- মধুরাধিপতেঃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- অখিলং Akhilam
- everything, the whole
বচনং মধুরং চরিতং মধুরং বসনং মধুরং বলিতং মধুরম্। Vachanam Madhuram Charitam Madhuram Vasanam Madhuram Valitam Madhuram
চলিতং মধুরং ভ্রমিতং মধুরং মধুরাধিপতেরখিলং মধুরম্॥ Chalitam Madhuram Bhramitam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuram
Meaning
His words are sweet, his deeds are sweet, his garments are sweet, his graceful pose is sweet. His movements are sweet, his wanderings are sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- বচনং Vachanam
- words, speech
- মধুরং Madhuram
- sweet
- চরিতং Charitam
- conduct, life-story
- বসনং Vasanam
- garments
- বলিতং Valitam
- the graceful bend of his body
- চলিতং Chalitam
- movements
- ভ্রমিতং Bhramitam
- wandering, roaming
- মধুরাধিপতেঃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- অখিলং Akhilam
- everything
বেণুর্মধুরো রেণুর্মধুরঃ পাণির্মধুরঃ পাদৌ মধুরৌ। Venur Madhuro Renur Madhurah Panir Madhurah Padau Madhurau
নৃত্যং মধুরং সখ্যং মধুরং মধুরাধিপতেরখিলং মধুরম্॥ Nrityam Madhuram Sakhyam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuram
Meaning
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.
- বেণুঃ Venur
- flute
- মধুরঃ Madhurah
- sweet
- রেণুঃ Renur
- dust (of his feet)
- পাণিঃ Panir
- hand
- পাদৌ Padau
- his two feet
- মধুরৌ Madhurau
- (both) sweet
- নৃত্যং Nrityam
- dance
- সখ্যং Sakhyam
- friendship
- মধুরাধিপতেঃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- অখিলং Akhilam
- everything
গীতং মধুরং পীতং মধুরং ভুক্তং মধুরং সুপ্তং মধুরম্। Geetam Madhuram Peetam Madhuram Bhuktam Madhuram Suptam Madhuram
রূপং মধুরং তিলকং মধুরং মধুরাধিপতেরখিলং মধুরম্॥ Rupam Madhuram Tilakam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuram
Meaning
His singing 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.
- গীতং Geetam
- song, singing
- মধুরং Madhuram
- sweet
- পীতং Peetam
- drinking (also read as his yellow garment)
- ভুক্তং Bhuktam
- eating
- সুপ্তং Suptam
- sleeping
- রূপং Rupam
- form, beauty
- তিলকং Tilakam
- tilak mark on the brow
- মধুরাধিপতেঃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- অখিলং Akhilam
- everything
করণং মধুরং তরণং মধুরং হরণং মধুরং রমণং মধুরম্। Karanam Madhuram Taranam Madhuram Haranam Madhuram Ramanam Madhuram
বমিতং মধুরং শমিতং মধুরং মধুরাধিপতেরখিলং মধুরম্॥ Vamitam Madhuram Shamitam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuram
Meaning
His deeds are sweet, his saving grace is sweet, his stealing is sweet, his play is sweet. What he gives forth is sweet, his stillness is sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- করণং Karanam
- deeds, actions
- মধুরং Madhuram
- sweet
- তরণং Taranam
- carrying devotees across, deliverance
- হরণং Haranam
- stealing (butter, and hearts)
- রমণং Ramanam
- play, delight
- বমিতং Vamitam
- what he gives forth, his generosity
- শমিতং Shamitam
- calmness, his stillness
- মধুরাধিপতেঃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- অখিলং Akhilam
- everything
'Vamitam' and 'shamitam' are read in several ways by commentators; we give a common devotional reading.
গুঞ্জা মধুরা মালা মধুরা যমুনা মধুরা বীচী মধুরা। Gunja Madhura Mala Madhura Yamuna Madhura Vichi Madhura
সলিলং মধুরং কমলং মধুরং মধুরাধিপতেরখিলং মধুরম্॥ Salilam Madhuram Kamalam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuram
Meaning
His gunja-berry necklace is sweet, his garland is sweet, the Yamuna is sweet, her waves are sweet. Her water is sweet, her lotuses are sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- গুঞ্জা Gunja
- his necklace of gunja berries
- মধুরা Madhura
- sweet
- মালা Mala
- garland
- যমুনা Yamuna
- the river Yamuna
- বীচী Vichi
- waves
- সলিলং Salilam
- water
- কমলং Kamalam
- lotus
- মধুরাধিপতেঃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- অখিলং Akhilam
- everything
গোপী মধুরা লীলা মধুরা যুক্তং মধুরং মুক্তং মধুরম্। Gopi Madhura Leela Madhura Yuktam Madhuram Muktam Madhuram
দৃষ্টং মধুরং শিষ্টং মধুরং মধুরাধিপতেরখিলং মধুরম্॥ Drishtam Madhuram Shishtam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuram
Meaning
The gopis are sweet, his play is sweet, union with him is sweet, release by him is sweet. His glance is sweet, his gracious ways are sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- গোপী Gopi
- the gopis, cowherd maidens
- মধুরা Madhura
- sweet
- লীলা Leela
- divine play
- যুক্তং Yuktam
- union, being with him
- মুক্তং Muktam
- release, liberation
- দৃষ্টং Drishtam
- his glance
- শিষ্টং Shishtam
- courtesy, gracious conduct
- মধুরাধিপতেঃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- অখিলং Akhilam
- everything
গোপা মধুরা গাবো মধুরা যষ্টির্মধুরা সৃষ্টির্মধুরা। Gopa Madhura Gavo Madhura Yashtir Madhura Srishtir Madhura
দলিতং মধুরং ফলিতং মধুরং মধুরাধিপতেরখিলং মধুরম্॥ Dalitam Madhuram Phalitam Madhuram Madhuradhipater Akhilam Madhuram
Meaning
The cowherd boys are sweet, the cows are sweet, his staff is sweet, his creation is sweet. His subduing of evil is sweet, the fruit he grants is sweet. Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is sweet.
- গোপা Gopa
- the cowherd boys, his friends
- মধুরা Madhura
- sweet
- গাবঃ Gavo
- the cows
- যষ্টিঃ Yashtir
- his herding staff
- সৃষ্টিঃ Srishtir
- creation
- দলিতং Dalitam
- his crushing (of the wicked)
- ফলিতং Phalitam
- fruition, the fruits he grants
- মধুরাধিপতেঃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- অখিলং Akhilam
- everything
About Madhurashtakam
Shri Vallabhacharya (1479–1531) was a philosopher and saint from a Telugu family. He taught the path of Pushti, loving surrender to Krishna by grace, and his tradition is centred on Shrinathji at Nathdwara. Tradition says he composed Madhurashtakam after a vision of the child Krishna. The hymn is short and repeats itself almost like a children's song, yet its lines cover Krishna's whole Vrindavan life: his face and form, his play, his flute, the Yamuna, the gopis and the cows.
Questions
Is this the same Madhurashtakam that is sung in Hindi?
Yes. These are the same Sanskrit words, written in Bengali letters so you can read them aloud. It is a transliteration, not a translation into Bengali. The meaning of each verse is given in English.
How was the Bengali text prepared?
We keep one checked Devanagari edition (Madhurashtakam of Shri Vallabhacharya; text as given by sanskritdocuments.org (madhurst.itx), cross-checked against Sanskrit Wikisource (मधुराष्टकम्), shlokam.org and JKYog) and write it in Bengali letters with fixed spelling rules, so every verse matches the original letter for letter. The English-letter line is the common singing spelling.