The Madhurashtakam is a song of the sweetness of child Krishna тАФ his lips, face, flute, the Yamuna, the gopis, the cows тАФ everything is ┬лsweet┬╗, because he is the ┬лMadhuradhipati┬╗ (lord of sweetness). Its simple words make it easy even for children to learn.
ЁЯУЦ Full text тАФ with meaning
Tap ┬лRoman (English) script┬╗ to see the original Devanagari text.
His lips are sweet, his face is sweet, his eyes are sweet, his smile is sweet, his heart is sweet, his gait is sweet тАФ everything about the lord of sweetness (Krishna) is sweet.
His words are sweet, his deeds sweet, his garments sweet, his gestures sweet, his walking sweet, his wandering sweet тАФ everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet.
His actions are sweet, his saving (of devotees) sweet, his stealing (butter and hearts) sweet, his play sweet, his utterance sweet, his calming sweet тАФ everything is sweet.
The cowherds are sweet, the cows are sweet, the staff is sweet, creation is sweet, his crushing (of the wicked) sweet, the fruit (of devotion) sweet тАФ everything about the lord of sweetness is sweet.
ЁЯУ┐ Japa counter (mala of 108)
Tap the button for each repetition; every 108 counts as one mala (your phone vibrates). The count is saved on this device/browser.
ЁЯУЕ Next auspicious days (from our panchang)
29 Oct (Thursday)
5 Nov (Thursday) тАФ Ekadashi
12 Nov (Thursday)
19 Nov (Thursday)
20 Nov (Friday) тАФ Ekadashi
26 Nov (Thursday)
Dates are for Delhi sunrise; see today's panchang for your city.
ЁЯкФ How to chant / recite
Time: In the morning seva of Laddu Gopal or at evening aarti.
Method: Sing it тАФ repeat the refrain at the end of each line together.
ЁЯЫХ Puja vidhi (step by step)
ЁЯз║ Items needed
Picture of Bhagwan Vishnu / Shri Krishna / Satyanarayan
Yellow flowers and yellow cloth
Tulsi leaves (essential)
Sandalwood, akshata
Panchamrit, conch
Ghee lamp, incense
Banana, panjiri or yellow sweets as bhog
ЁЯк╖ Procedure
Bathe and wear clean clothes; clean the puja place and spread a fresh cloth on the altar (chowki).
Do achamana (sip water three times) and purify hands and mouth; sit on an asana and calm the mind.
Light a lamp of ghee or sesame oil тАФ by tradition the lamp is kept to the deity's right.
Take water, akshata (unbroken rice) and a flower in the right hand and make the sankalpa тАФ your name, gotra, place, date and the purpose of the puja, spoken or in the mind; then let the water fall to the ground.
First remember Shri Ganesha (Om Gam Ganapataye Namah).
Bathe the Lord with water from a conch (or sprinkle), offer yellow cloth, sandalwood and yellow flowers.
Always place a tulsi leaf on the bhog тАФ by tradition Vishnu does not accept bhog without tulsi.
Chant ┬лOm Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya┬╗ or recite Vishnu Sahasranama / Satyanarayan Katha.
Sing ┬лOm Jai Jagdish Hare┬╗.
Finally perform aarti, offer pushpanjali (flowers) and do parikrama (or turn around in your place).
Ask forgiveness for any mistakes in the puja, distribute the prasad and take it yourself.
тЪая╕П Rules & precautions
On Ekadashi grains (especially rice) are given up; tulsi is not plucked on Ekadashi тАФ pluck a day earlier.
Thursday, Ekadashi and Purnima are special for Vishnu.
Sesame is offered instead of rice (akshata) in some traditions тАФ a regional difference.
ЁЯМЯ Benefits (as per tradition)
Devotion to Krishna, sweetness and joy in the mind.
These are traditional beliefs described in scriptures; results are understood to depend on faith, discipline and one's own actions.
тЭУ Frequently asked questions
Who wrote the Madhurashtakam?
Shri Vallabhacharya, founder of the Pushti Marg (15thтАУ16th century).
