Lord Sri Krishna’s Loveliness -Sweetness-
von Sripad Vallabha-acharya
adharam madhuram vadanam madhuram
nayanam madhuram hasitam madhuram
hridayam madhuram gamanam madhuram
madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram
Sweet are your lips, sweet is your face,
sweet are your eyes, sweet is your smile,
sweet is your generous heart, sweet is your gait,
O ruler of Mathura, everything about you is sweet.
Text 2
vachanam madhuram charitam madhuram
vasanam madhuram valitam madhuram
chalitam madhuram bhramitam madhuram
madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram
Sweet are your words, sweet is your character,
sweet are your garments, sweet is your posture,
sweet are Your movements, sweet is Your roaming,
O ruler of Mathura, everything about you is sweet.
Text 3
venur madhuro renur madhurah
panir madhurah padau madhurau
nrityam madhuram shakhyam madhuram
madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram
Sweet is your flute playing, sweet is the dust on your feet,
sweet are your hands, sweet are your feet,
sweet is your dance, sweet is your friendship,
O ruler of Mathura, everything about you is sweet.
Text 4
gitam madhuram pitam madhuram
bhuktam madhuram suptam madhuram
rupam madhuram tilakam madhuram
madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram
Sweet is your song, sweet is your drink,
sweet is thy food; and sweet is thy sleep.
Sweet is your form, sweet is the mark on your forehead,
O ruler of Mathura, everything about you is sweet.
Text 5
karanam madhuram taranam madhuram
haranam madhuram ramanam madhuram
vamitam madhuram shamitam madhuram
madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram
Sweet are your deeds, sweet is your conquest,
sweet is your mischief (theft), sweet are your love games,
sweet are your gifts, sweet is your countenance,
O ruler of Mathura, everything about you is sweet.
Text 6
gunja madhura mala madhura
yamuna madhura vici madhura
salilam madhuram kamalam madhuram
madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram
Sweet is your necklace of gunja berries, sweet is your garland of flowers,
sweet is the river Yamuna with its rippling waves,
sweet is the water; and sweet are the lotuses,
O ruler of Mathura, everything about you is sweet.
Text 7
gopi madhura lila madhura
yuktam madhuram muktam madhuram
dhristam madhuram shistam madhuram
madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram
Sweet are the Gopis, sweet is Thy holy play,
sweet is the union with You, sweet is Your salvation;
sweet are Your looks, sweet is Your manners,
O ruler of Mathura, everything about you is sweet.
Text 8
gopa madhura gavo madhura
yastir madhura shristhir madhura
dalitam madhuram phalitam madhuram
madhur-adipater akhilam madhuram
Sweet are the gopas, sweet are the cows,
sweet is your walking stick, sweet is your creation,
sweet are your victories, sweet are your deeds,
O ruler of Mathura, everything about you is sweet.
|| This concludes the eight-verse hymn ‘madhurastakam’
composed by Sripad Vallabha-acharya||
The Madhurasthakam, composed by Sri Vallabhacharya (1478 A.D), is a unique stotra, describing the Sweetness of Lord Sri Krishna.
Madhurashtakam was originally written in Sanskrit and is easily understood. Only one word, madhuram, is repeated seven times each in this ashtakam (poem with eight verses)!
The Madhurasthakam uses just one adjective, “madhuram“, meaning sweet or beautiful etc., to describe the lovely attributes of Lord Sri Krishna’s beautiful form, who is the master of Sweetness and Sweetness personified.
It is evident from the ashtakam that the devotee is fascinated to have a look at not only the beautiful divine sweet form [sarvanga sundara rupam] of Lord Krishna, but also the very existence of the Lord — by way of His moves, plays, pastimes, etc.
Thus says the devotee: “The Lord of Mathura, Krishna, is sweet, sweet and nothing but sweet! Even ambrosia and nectar may satiate after some time, but concerning the sweetness of the Divine Lord, one cannot have enough of it. Krishna’s lips are very sweet, his beautiful face is sweet, his beautiful black eyes with sidelong glances are sweet, his enchanting smile is even sweeter, his love-sports are very sweet and his three-fold bend form is very sweet. O Lord of sweetness, everything about You is completely sweet, You are sweetness personified.”
Vallabha-acharya (1479-1531) A famous 16th century sage-philosopher of India and great devotee of Lord Krishna. He was born in Champaran near Raipur in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.
Vallabha is regarded as an acharya and guru within the Vaishnava traditions of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Within Indian Philosophy he is known as the writer of sixteen ‘stotras’ (tracts) and produced several commentaries on the Bhagavata Purana, which describes the many lilas (pastimes) of the Avatar, Lord Sri Krishna.
Many of his pieces involve praise of Lord Krishna, especially in the form of a boy. Some works include Vyasa Sutra Bhashya, Jaimini Sutra Bhasya, Bhagavata Tika Subodhini, Pushti Pravala Maryada and Siddhanta Rahasya, all in Sanskrit. He has written many books in Brij Bhasha as well.
Vallabha Acharya occupies a unique place in Indian culture as a scholar, a philosopher and devotional (bhakti) preacher. He is especially known as a lover and a propagator of Bhagavata Dharma, teaching the path of Pushti-Marga, or the “path of grace”, establishing the worship of Sri Nathji.
Shri Nathji is the form of Lord Krishna when he lifted the Govardhana Hill. He is shown with his left hand raised and the right hand closed in a fist and resting on his hip. His followers worship him both as Shri Radhanath or the Lord of Radha and as the mischievous, naughty child Bala-Krishna.
Vallabha emphasized, that Sri Krishna is the personification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who prevails everywhere and who resides in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul.
Shree Nathji is the same as Lord Sri Krishna, it is the form of Lord Krishna when he lifted the Govardhana Hill. Srinathji is shown with his left hand raised and the right hand closed in a fist and resting on his hip. His followers worship him both as Shri Radhanath or the Lord of Radha and as the naughty child Bala-Krishna.
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