Friday, April 15, 2011

Sweetness of Lord Sri Krishna

|| madhurāṣṭakaṁ || The Sweetness of Lord Sri Krishna

(by Sripad Vallabhacarya)

Text 1

adharaṁ--lips; madhuraṁ--sweet; vadanaṁ--face; madhuraṁ--sweet; nayanaṁ--eyes; madhuraṁ--sweet; hasitaṁ--smile, madhuraṁ--sweet; hṛdayaṁ--heart; madhuraṁ--sweet; gamanaṁ--gait; madhuraṁ--sweet; madhur-ādhi-pateù--sweet Lord; akhilaṁ--everything; madhuraṁ--sweet;

His (Krishna's) lips are sweet, His face is sweet His eyes are sweet, His smile is sweet His loving heart is sweet, His gait (walk) is sweet Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness!

Text2

vacanaṁ madhuraṁ caritaṁ madhuraṁ
vasanaṁ madhuraṁ valitaṁ madhuraṁ |
calitaṁ madhuraṁ bhramitaṁ madhuraṁ
madhur-ādhi-pater akhilaṁ madhuraṁ || 2 ||

vacanaṁ--words; madhuraṁ--sweet; caritaṁ--character; madhuraṁ--sweet; vasanaṁ--garments; madhuraṁ--sweet; valitaṁ--posture; madhuraṁ--sweet;
calitaṁ--movements; madhuraṁ--sweet; bhramitaṁ--roaming; madhuraṁ--sweet;
madhur-ādhi-pateù--sweet Lord; akhilaṁ--everything; madhuraṁ--sweet;

His words are sweet, His character is sweet, His dress (garment) is sweet, His posture is sweet, His movements are sweet, His wandering (roaming) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

Text 3

veṇur madhuro reṇur madhuraḥ
pāṇir madhuraḥ pādau madhurau |
nṛtyaṁ madhuraṁ sakhyaṁ madhuraṁ madhur-ādhi-pater akhilaṁ madhuraṁ || 3 ||

veṇur--flute; madhuro--sweet; reṇur--dust of lotus feet; madhuraḥ--sweet;
pāṇir--lotus hands; madhuraḥ--sweet; pādau--lotus feet; madhurau--sweet;
nṛtyaṁ--dancing; madhuraṁ--sweet; sakhyaṁ--friendship; madhuraṁ--sweet; madhur-ādhi-pateù--sweet Lord; akhilaṁ--everything; madhuraṁ--sweet;

His flute-playing is sweet, His foot-dust is sweet, His lotus hands are sweet, His lotus feet are sweet, His dancing is sweet, His friendship is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

Text 4

gītaṁ madhuraṁ pītaṁ madhuraṁ
bhuktaṁ madhuraṁ suptaṁ madhuraṁ |
rūpaṁ madhuraṁ tilakaṁ madhuraṁ
madhur-ādhi-pater akhilaṁ madhuraṁ || 4 ||

gītaṁ--song; madhuraṁ--sweet; pītaṁ--drinking; (pītaṁ--yellow dress);
bhuktaṁ--enjoyment; madhuraṁ--sweet; suptaṁ--sleeping; madhuraṁ--sweet;
rūpaṁ--form; madhuraṁ--sweet; tilakaṁ--tilaka; madhuraṁ--sweet;
madhur-ādhi-pateù--sweet Lord; akhilaṁ--everything; madhuraṁ--sweet;

His song is sweet, His drinking is sweet, His eating is sweet, His sleeping is sweet,
His beautiful form is sweet, His Tilaka (mark on the forehead) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

Text 5

karaṇaṁ madhuraṁ taraṇaṁ madhuraṁ
haraṇaṁ madhuraṁ ramaṇaṁ madhuraṁ|
vamitaṁ madhuraṁ śamitaṁ madhuraṁ
madhur-ādhi-pater akhilaṁ madhuraṁ || 5 ||

karaṇaṁ--deeds; madhuraṁ--sweet; taraṇaṁ--conquest; madhuraṁ--sweet;
haraṇaṁ--stealing; madhuraṁ--sweet; ramaṇaṁ--love sports; madhuraṁ--sweet;
vamitaṁ--oblations; madhuraṁ--sweet; śamitaṁ--countanance; madhuraṁ--sweet;
madhur-ādhi-pateù--sweet Lord; akhilaṁ--everything; madhuraṁ--sweet;

His deeds (activities) are sweet, His conquest (liberating) is sweet, His thieving (stealing) is sweet, His love-sports are sweet, His oblations (offerings) are sweet, His countenance is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

Text 6

guñjā madhurā mālā madhurā
yamunā madhurā vīcī madhurā |
salilaṁ madhuraṁ kamalaṁ madhuraṁ
madhur-ādhi-pater akhilaṁ madhuraṁ || 6 ||

guñjā--gunja-necklace; madhurā--sweet; mālā--garland; madhurā--sweet;
yamunā--yamuna; madhurā--sweet; vīcī--rippling waves; madhurā--sweet;
salilaṁ--water; madhuraṁ--sweet; kamalaṁ--lotus; madhuraṁ--sweet;
madhur-ādhi-pateù--sweet Lord; akhilaṁ--everything; madhuraṁ--sweet;

His gunja-berry necklace is sweet, His flower garland is sweet, sweet is the Yamuna river, and sweet are her rippling waves, her water is sweet, and sweet are the lotus flowers also, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

Text 7

gopī madhurā līlā madhurā
yuktaṁ madhuraṁ muktaṁ madhuraṁ
dṛṣṭaṁ madhuraṁ śiṣṭaṁ madhuraṁ
madhur-ādhi-pater akhilaṁ madhuraṁ || 7 ||

gopī--gopi (cowherdgirls); madhurā--sweet; līlā--pastimes; madhurā--sweet;
yuktaṁ--meeting, union; madhuraṁ--sweet; muktaṁ--deliverance; madhuraṁ--sweet; dṛṣṭaṁ--sidelong glances; madhuraṁ--sweet; śiṣṭaṁ--courtesy; madhuraṁ--sweet; madhur-ādhi-pateù--sweet Lord; akhilaṁ--everything; madhuraṁ--sweet;

His gopis (cowherd girlfriends) are sweet, His pastimes (plays) are sweet, His union (meeting him) is sweet, His deliverance (rescue) is sweet, His sidelong glances are sweet, His courtesy (etiquette) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

Text 8 गोपा मधरा गावो मधराुु

gopā madhurā gāvo madhurā
yaṣṭir madhurā sṛṣṭir madhurā |
dalitaṁ madhuraṁ phalitaṁ madhuraṁ
madhur-ādhi-pater akhilaṁ madhuraṁ || 8 ||

gopā--gopa, cowherd boys; madhurā--sweet; gāvo--cows; madhurā--sweet;
yaṣṭir--cane, staff; madhurā--sweet; sṛṣṭir--creation; madhurā--sweet;
dalitaṁ--victory; madhuraṁ--sweet; phalitaṁ--fruition; madhuraṁ--sweet;
madhur-ādhi-pateù--sweet Lord; akhilaṁ--everything; madhuraṁ--sweet;

His gopas (cowherd boyfriends) are sweet, His cows are sweet, His cane (herding-stick) is sweet, His creation is sweet, His victory (trampling) is sweet, His accomplishment (fruition) is sweet, Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.

iti śrīmad vallabhācārya viracitaṁ madhurāṣṭakaṁ saṁpūrṇam ||
Thus ends the the eight stanza hymn madhurāṣṭakaṁ composed by śrīpad vallabha-ācārya


Vallabha Acharya
Madhurāṣṭakam - By Vallabha Acharya he Sweetness of Lord Sri Krishna

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 sweet and his three-fold bend form is very sweet. O Lord of sweetness, everything about You is completely sweet, You are sweetness personified. "


Madhurāstakam By Vallabha Acharya

Sri Nathji - Krishna he Sweetness of Lord Sri Krishna

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, 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 child Bala-Krishna.

Vallabha emphasized, that Shree Krishna is the personification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who prevails everywhere and who resides in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul as well.