Madhurashtakam in Malayalam
മധുരാഷ്ടകം
Madhurashtakam is an eight-verse Sanskrit hymn to Lord Krishna by Shri Vallabhacharya, founder of the Pushti Marg. Below is the complete Madhurashtakam in Malayalam script, every line also in English letters, with the meaning of each verse in simple English.
- Malayalam script
- 8 verses
- 4 min
- Shri Vallabhacharya
- Best on Wednesday
Recite line by line, listen, count with a mala. The reader opens in Malayalam.
അധരം മധുരം വദനം മധുരം നയനം മധുരം ഹസിതം മധുരം। Adharam Madhuram Vadanam Madhuram Nayanam Madhuram Hasitam Madhuram
ഹൃദയം മധുരം ഗമനം മധുരം മധുരാധിപതേരഖിലം മധുരം॥ 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.
- അധരം Adharam
- lips
- മധുരം Madhuram
- sweet
- വദനം Vadanam
- face
- നയനം Nayanam
- eyes
- ഹസിതം Hasitam
- smile, laughter
- ഹൃദയം Hridayam
- heart
- ഗമനം Gamanam
- gait, the way he walks
- മധുരാധിപതേഃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- അഖിലം Akhilam
- everything, the whole
വചനം മധുരം ചരിതം മധുരം വസനം മധുരം വലിതം മധുരം। Vachanam Madhuram Charitam Madhuram Vasanam Madhuram Valitam Madhuram
ചലിതം മധുരം ഭ്രമിതം മധുരം മധുരാധിപതേരഖിലം മധുരം॥ 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.
- വചനം Vachanam
- words, speech
- മധുരം Madhuram
- sweet
- ചരിതം Charitam
- conduct, life-story
- വസനം Vasanam
- garments
- വലിതം Valitam
- the graceful bend of his body
- ചലിതം Chalitam
- movements
- ഭ്രമിതം Bhramitam
- wandering, roaming
- മധുരാധിപതേഃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- അഖിലം Akhilam
- everything
വേണുർമധുരോ രേണുർമധുരഃ പാണിർമധുരഃ പാദൌ മധുരൌ। Venur Madhuro Renur Madhurah Panir Madhurah Padau Madhurau
നൃത്യം മധുരം സഖ്യം മധുരം മധുരാധിപതേരഖിലം മധുരം॥ 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.
- വേണുഃ Venur
- flute
- മധുരഃ Madhurah
- sweet
- രേണുഃ Renur
- dust (of his feet)
- പാണിഃ Panir
- hand
- പാദൌ Padau
- his two feet
- മധുരൌ Madhurau
- (both) sweet
- നൃത്യം Nrityam
- dance
- സഖ്യം Sakhyam
- friendship
- മധുരാധിപതേഃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- അഖിലം Akhilam
- everything
ഗീതം മധുരം പീതം മധുരം ഭുക്തം മധുരം സുപ്തം മധുരം। Geetam Madhuram Peetam Madhuram Bhuktam Madhuram Suptam Madhuram
രൂപം മധുരം തിലകം മധുരം മധുരാധിപതേരഖിലം മധുരം॥ 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.
- ഗീതം Geetam
- song, singing
- മധുരം Madhuram
- sweet
- പീതം Peetam
- drinking (also read as his yellow garment)
- ഭുക്തം Bhuktam
- eating
- സുപ്തം Suptam
- sleeping
- രൂപം Rupam
- form, beauty
- തിലകം Tilakam
- tilak mark on the brow
- മധുരാധിപതേഃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- അഖിലം Akhilam
- everything
കരണം മധുരം തരണം മധുരം ഹരണം മധുരം രമണം മധുരം। Karanam Madhuram Taranam Madhuram Haranam Madhuram Ramanam Madhuram
വമിതം മധുരം ശമിതം മധുരം മധുരാധിപതേരഖിലം മധുരം॥ 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.
- കരണം Karanam
- deeds, actions
- മധുരം Madhuram
- sweet
- തരണം Taranam
- carrying devotees across, deliverance
- ഹരണം Haranam
- stealing (butter, and hearts)
- രമണം Ramanam
- play, delight
- വമിതം Vamitam
- what he gives forth, his generosity
- ശമിതം Shamitam
- calmness, his stillness
- മധുരാധിപതേഃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- അഖിലം Akhilam
- everything
'Vamitam' and 'shamitam' are read in several ways by commentators; we give a common devotional reading.
ഗുഞ്ജാ മധുരാ മാലാ മധുരാ യമുനാ മധുരാ വീചീ മധുരാ। Gunja Madhura Mala Madhura Yamuna Madhura Vichi Madhura
സലിലം മധുരം കമലം മധുരം മധുരാധിപതേരഖിലം മധുരം॥ 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.
- ഗുഞ്ജാ Gunja
- his necklace of gunja berries
- മധുരാ Madhura
- sweet
- മാലാ Mala
- garland
- യമുനാ Yamuna
- the river Yamuna
- വീചീ Vichi
- waves
- സലിലം Salilam
- water
- കമലം Kamalam
- lotus
- മധുരാധിപതേഃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- അഖിലം Akhilam
- everything
ഗോപീ മധുരാ ലീലാ മധുരാ യുക്തം മധുരം മുക്തം മധുരം। Gopi Madhura Leela Madhura Yuktam Madhuram Muktam Madhuram
ദൃഷ്ടം മധുരം ശിഷ്ടം മധുരം മധുരാധിപതേരഖിലം മധുരം॥ 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.
- ഗോപീ Gopi
- the gopis, cowherd maidens
- മധുരാ Madhura
- sweet
- ലീലാ Leela
- divine play
- യുക്തം Yuktam
- union, being with him
- മുക്തം Muktam
- release, liberation
- ദൃഷ്ടം Drishtam
- his glance
- ശിഷ്ടം Shishtam
- courtesy, gracious conduct
- മധുരാധിപതേഃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- അഖിലം Akhilam
- everything
ഗോപാ മധുരാ ഗാവോ മധുരാ യഷ്ടിർമധുരാ സൃഷ്ടിർമധുരാ। Gopa Madhura Gavo Madhura Yashtir Madhura Srishtir Madhura
ദലിതം മധുരം ഫലിതം മധുരം മധുരാധിപതേരഖിലം മധുരം॥ 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.
- ഗോപാ Gopa
- the cowherd boys, his friends
- മധുരാ Madhura
- sweet
- ഗാവഃ Gavo
- the cows
- യഷ്ടിഃ Yashtir
- his herding staff
- സൃഷ്ടിഃ Srishtir
- creation
- ദലിതം Dalitam
- his crushing (of the wicked)
- ഫലിതം Phalitam
- fruition, the fruits he grants
- മധുരാധിപതേഃ Madhuradhipateh
- of the Lord of sweetness
- അഖിലം 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 Malayalam letters so you can read them aloud. It is a transliteration, not a translation into Malayalam. The meaning of each verse is given in English.
How was the Malayalam 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 Malayalam letters with fixed spelling rules, so every verse matches the original letter for letter. The English-letter line is the common singing spelling.