madhuram—more sweet;madhurebhyaḥ—than other sweet things;api—even;maṅgalebhyaḥ—more auspicious;api—even;maṅgalam—than other auspicious things;pāvanam—the greatest purifier;pāvanebhyaḥ—than all purifying things;api—even;hareḥ nāma—the holy name of Hari;eva—indeed;kevalam—is the only thing
Translation
More sweet than all other sweet things, more auspicious than all other auspicious things, the greatest purifier of all purifying things—The holy name of Śrī Hari alone is everything.
ā-brahmā—from Lord Brahmā;stamba-paryantam—down to the clump of grass;sarvam—all;māyā-mayam—full of illusion;jagat—the entire universe;satyam satyam—it is true, it is true;punaḥ satyam—again I say it is true
Translation
The entire universe, from exalted Brahmā down to the lowly clump of grass, is a product of the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord. The only thing that is reality, reality, again I say reality—The holy name of Śrī Hari alone is everything.
sa guruḥ sa pitā cāpisā mātā bandhavo 'pi saḥśikṣayec cet sadā smartuṁharer nāmaiva kevalam
Word for word
sa—he;guruḥ—is the spiritual master;sa—he;pitā—is the father;ca api—and also;sā—he;mātā—is the mother;bandhavaḥ—is the friend;api—even;saḥ—he;śikṣayet—may give instructions;cet—if;sadā—always;smartum—to be remembered
Translation
That person is a true preceptor, or a true father, a true mother, and a true friend also only if they teach one to always remember—The holy name of Śrī Hari alone is everything.
niḥśvāse—when the breath stops;nāhi—there is not;viśvāsaḥ—certainty;kadā—when;ruddhaḥ—stopped;bhaviṣyati—will be;kīrtanīya—to be chanted;mataḥ—the mentality;bālyāt—from childhood
Translation
There is no certainty when the last breath will come and put an abrupt halt to all one's material plans, therefore it is wise to always practice chanting from very childhood—The holy name of Śrī Hari alone is everything.
Lord Hari eternally dwells in that place where truly exalted, spiritually advanced souls sing in the mood of pure devotion—The holy name of Śrī Hari alone is everything.
aho—oh!;duḥkham—what a sorrow;mahā-duḥkham—what a great sorrow;duḥkhāt—than any other misery;duḥkhataram—much more painful;yataḥ—where;kāca-artham—the value of mere glass fragments;vismṛtam—forgotten;ratna-hari-nāma—the jewel of the Lord's name
Translation
Aho! What a sorrow, what a great sorrow! More painful than any other misery in the world! Mistaking it as a mere piece of glass, the people have forgotten this jewel—The holy name of Śrī Hari alone is everything.
dīyatām dīyatām—should be given (heard) again and again;karṇaḥ—to the ears;nīyatām nīyatām—should be uttered over and over;vacaḥ—with the words;gīyatām gīyatām—should be sung and sung;nityam—perpetually
Translation
It should be heard again and again with one's ears, It should be uttered over and over with one's voice, It should be perpetually sung and sung anew—The holy name of Śrī Hari alone is everything.
tṛṇī-kṛtya—as a blade of grass;jagat sarvam—the entire universe;rājate sakala-upari—reigns supreme over all;cit-ānanda-mayam—full of eternally conscious divine ecstasy;śuddham—supremely pure
Translation
It makes the entire universe seem insignificant as a blade of grass, it splendrously reigns supreme over all, it is full of eternally conscious divine ecstasy, it is supremely pure—The holy name of Śrī Hari alone is everything.
About Madhuram Madhurebhyo Pi
Titled Sri Kevalashtakam, this eight-verse Sanskrit hymn opens 'sweeter than the sweetest' — echoing the same 'madhuram' theme found in Vallabhacharya's better-known Madhurashtakam elsewhere in this anthology, though as a distinct composition.
Frequently asked
Who wrote Madhuram Madhurebhyo Pi?
Madhuram Madhurebhyo Pi was composed by Nilakanta Goswami. It appears in More Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas.
What is the meaning of Madhuram Madhurebhyo Pi?
More sweet than all other sweet things, more auspicious than all other auspicious things, the greatest purifier of all purifying things—The holy name of Śrī Hari alone is everything.
Where can I listen to Madhuram Madhurebhyo Pi?
You can listen to 7 recordings of Madhuram Madhurebhyo Pi on this page, including versions sung by HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu, HG Swarupa Damodar Prabhu, HG Badahari Prabhu, HG Shiksastakam Prabhu.
How many verses does Madhuram Madhurebhyo Pi have?
