What is Adharam Madhuram?

Adharam Madhuram, also called Madhurashtakam, is an eight-verse Sanskrit stotra by Sri Vallabhacharya glorifying the all-attractive sweetness (madhurya) of Lord Krishna — His lips, face, eyes, smile, pastimes and every aspect of His transcendental form.

Who wrote Madhurashtakam?

It was composed by Sri Vallabhacharya (1479–1531), founder of the Pushtimarg tradition. Gaudiya Vaishnavas and ISKCON devotees regularly sing it because it perfectly captures Krishna's madhurya-rasa.

When should I chant Adharam Madhuram?

It is ideal during morning sadhana, after Mangal Arti, on Janmashtami, during Damodar (Kartik) month and any time the devotee wants to meditate on Krishna's sweetness.

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Adharam Madhuram Vadanam

Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness

Sanskrit Verses

Verse 1

adharam madhuram vadanam madhuram nayanam madhuram hasitam madhuram hrdayam madhuram gamanam madhuram madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

Verse 2

vacanam madhuram caritam madhuram vasanam madhuram valitam madhuram calitam madhuram bhramitam madhuram madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

Verse 3

venur madhuro renur madhurah panir-madhurah padau madhurau nrtyam madhuram sakhyam madhuram madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

Verse 4

gitam madhuram pitam madhuram bhuktam madhuram suptam madhuram rupam madhuram tilakam madhuram madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

Verse 5

karanam madhuram taranam madhuram haranam madhuram ramanam madhuram vamitam madhuram samitam madhuram madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

Verse 6

gunja madhura mala madhura yamuna madhura vici madhura salilam madhuram kamalam madhuram madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

Verse 7

gopi madhura lila madhura yuktam madhuram bhuktam madhuram hrstam madhuram sistam madhuram madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

Verse 8

gopa madhura gavo madhura sastir madhura srstir madhura dalitam madhuram phalitam madhuram madhuradi-pater akhilam madhuram

Translation

1) 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 is sweet about the Lord of sweetness.

2) His words are sweet, His character is sweet. His garments are sweet, His navel is sweet. His movement is sweet, His wanderings are sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness.

3) His flute is sweet, His dust is sweet. His hands are sweet, His feet are sweet. His dancing is sweet, His friendship is sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness.

4) His singing is sweet, His yellow dress is sweet. His eating is sweet, His sleeping is sweet. His form is sweet, His tilaka is sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness.

5) His activities are sweet, His liberation is sweet. His thieving is sweet, His loving sports are sweet. His offerings are sweet, His peacefulness is sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness.

6) His gunja-mala is sweet, His flower-garland is sweet. His Yamuna is sweet, His ripples are sweet. His water is sweet, His lotuses are sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness.

7) His Gopis are sweet, His pastimes are sweet. His meeting is sweet, His food is sweet. His happiness is sweet, His etiquette is sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness.

8) His cowherd boys are sweet, His cows are sweet. His herding-stick is sweet, His creation is sweet. His trampling is sweet, His fruitfulness is sweet. Everything is sweet about the Lord of sweetness.

About This Bhajan

This beautiful bhajan glorifies the all-attractive sweetness of Lord Krishna. Each verse describes different aspects of Krishna's form, activities, and pastimes, emphasizing that everything about Him is madhuram (sweet). This song helps devotees meditate on the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord.

Spiritual Significance

Adharam Madhuram is a meditation on madhurya — the conjugal sweetness of Sri Krishna. Each of its eight verses ends with 'madhuradhipater akhilam madhuram', declaring that for the lover of Krishna, every single feature of the Lord is supremely sweet.

Scriptural Source & Tradition

Composed by Sri Vallabhacharya, a prominent Vaishnava acharya. The mood expressed aligns perfectly with the madhurya-rasa established in Srimad Bhagavatam (especially the Tenth Canto) and elaborated by Srila Rupa Goswami in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu.

Commentary from the Acharyas

Srila Prabhupada repeatedly emphasized that the more one hears about Krishna, the more one is attracted. Madhurashtakam is a perfect tool: it does not philosophize, it simply describes — and through description, attracts the heart. Acharyas like Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura point out that this kind of meditation gradually awakens dormant prema for Krishna.

When to Sing / Chant

Daily as part of Krishna meditation, on Janmashtami, Radhashtami, during Kartik (Damodar) month, before reading Krishna's pastimes, and at any kirtan focused on Vrindavan-lila.

Benefits for the Devotee

Awakens attraction (ruci) for Krishna's form and pastimes, sweetens the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra, calms the restless mind, deepens madhurya-bhakti, and pleases Sri Sri Radha-Krishna who delight in hearing Their own glories.

Gratitude to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

We offer our humble obeisances at the lotus feet of our founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, without whose causeless mercy the priceless prayers, bhajans and sacred literature of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition would have remained inaccessible to most of the world. By his herculean preaching efforts, his unparalleled translations and his founding of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), the holy names, pastimes and instructions of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are today chanted in every town and village.

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine

All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to the Vaishnava acharyas in the disciplic succession.