||    Madhura Kavi AzhwAr    ||

ChaithrE ChitrA SamudhbhUtham PaaNdya dEsE GaNAmsakam
Sri ParAnkusa Sathbhaktham Madhuram KavimAsrayE

Madhura Kavi Azhwar is Kumudaamsar and was born in DhvApara Yugam, Isvara Samvathsaram, Chitthirai month, Sukla EkAdasi Friday, when the chithrA nakshathram was in ascendance. He was born in the dhivya dEsam of ThirukkOLUr to a Purva SikhA Brahmin couple. Lord Krishna was still in Dhwaarakai at that time. Madhura Kavi mastered his Saakai of Saama Vedam and went thereafter on a dhivya desa Yaathrai to northern part of India. He was at AyOdhyA during this trip and one night he saw a bright light in the southern sky. He travelled south by night to find out more about this extraordinary jyOthi. Madhura Kavi traced this divine jyOthi as arising from a sixteen year old NammAzhwAr lost in deep yogic trance under a tamarind tree inside the temple of ThirukuruhUr AadhikEsavap PerumAl.

Madhura Kavi was intrigued at the stillness of NammAzhwAr, who had no interaction whatsoever with the outside world. NammAzhwAr was taking no food or water. Madhura Kavi stood with folded hands before this still NammAzhwAr and asked him the question: " If the soul born of Matter (settathin Vayadil siRiyathu piRanthAl), what will it eat and where will it rest (yetthai thinRu yengu kidakkum?). NammAzhwAr woke up from his trance on hearing this question and answered : " It eats That and there it rests (Atthai thinRu angE kidakkum)". Madhura Kavi immediately realized that NammAzhwAr was "eating "-- the Divine-spoken of by Upanishads as the food of mystics-- (atthai thinRu) and was living in that Divinity (angE kidakkum), even if he had taken birth in the mortal body (Setthathin VayiRRir) as "a siRiyathu" (jeevan). NammAzhwAr was describing that emancipated souls are rooted in God and that God is its food, water, breath, mind and bliss. This profound statement made Madhura Kavi realize the greatness of Swamy NammAzhwAr and begged for acceptance as a disciple. Swamy NammAzhwAr initiated Madhura Kavi in Bhakthi and Prapatthi margams and taught Madhura Kavi all his dhivya sookthis. The elated and fulfilled Madhura Kavi took refuge at the sacred feet of Swamy NammAzhwAr alone and treated him as his Sarvam (Father, Mother, Master and God). Madhura Kavi spent the rest of his life serving Swamy NammAzhwAr and singing his dhivya Prabhandhams and spreading the message of Swamy NammazhwAr to the world. Madhura Kavi has immortalized his AchArya bhakthi in a prabhandham known as "KaNNinuNN SiRutthAmpu", which is known for its celebration of AchArya Bhakthi. There are only eleven paasurams in this dhivya prabhandham.

Madhura Kavi AzhwAr's prabhandham
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This AzhwAr sought no identity other than being the disciple of Swamy NammAzhwAr;he is revered hence by us as one of the 12 AzhwArs. The other eleven AzhwArs had mystic visions of the Lord and celebrated the anantha kalyANa GuNams of the dhivya dampathis and performed their prapatthis to them. Madhura Kavi on the other hand placed AchArya Kaimkaryam /AchAryabhimatham (devotion to and surrender at AchAryan's feet) above every thing else including Bhagavath dhyAnam and Kaimkaryam .

In this context, it is appropriate to examine the importance of an AchArya .Sri U.Ve. ChEtlUr SrivathsAngAcchAr Swamy , a direct disciple of Sri U.Ve.UtthamUr Swamy quotes a Taitthriya AraNyaka manthram in the context of the ills that come the way of one, who abandons his/her AchAryan :

yasthithyAjya sachividham sakhAyam na tasya vAchyapi BhAgO asthi
yadhIm sruNOthyalakam sruNothi na hi pravEda sukruthasya panTAm

Meaning: Those who abandon their AchAryans, who performed SadhupadEsam for them about Veda-VedAntham, will not be blessed with Jn~Anam / scholarly skills in future births. Whatever he/she heard here will also become fruitless and incorrect.

Importance of AchArya Bhakthi
*****************************

The Lord does not accept one without AchArya sambhandham. This is one of the cardinal doctrines of our SiddhAntham. The Upanishads through their upadEsams (AchArya dEvo Bahava/ TaitthirIyam) emphasize the importance of an AchAryan. Great AchAryAs of Our tradition have practised the greatness of AchArya Kaimkaryam and have celebrated the extraordinary importance of AchArya Kaimkaryam in their Sri Sookthis:

(1) dEvamiva AchAryam upAseetha--Aaapasthampa Rishi
(Worship the AchAryan as the Lord Himself)

(2) AchAryAdhiha dEvathAm samAdhikam anyAm na ManyAmahE--Swamy Desikan
(Here on this earth, we do not consider any Gods equal or superior to my AchAryan).

(3) GururEva Param Brahma, GururEva parAgathi:
GururEva ParA vidhyA, GururEva parAyanam
GururEva Para: Kaama:, GururEva param dhanam

(One's AchAryan is verily God; He is the ultimate refuge. He is the supreme knowledge; He alone is to be extolled. He is the one to be coveted supremely; He is the supreme wealth).

Inview of the paramount importance of AchArya Bhakthi, many poorvAchAryAs like Nanjeeyar, NampiLlai, Periya-VaacchAn PiLLai, Azhagiya MaNavALa PerumAL NaayanAr, Swamy Desikan (now extinct Madhura Kavi hrudhayam), Thirukkudanthai Desikan and others have blessed us with superb vyAkyAnams for Madhura Kavi AzhwAr's dhivya prabhandham.

 

AdiyEn will cover the two Taniyans--one in Sanskrit and the other in Tamil--created by Swamy Naathamuni out of his gratefulness to Madhura Kavi and his powerful Prabhandham; Swamy Naathamuni had the rarest of blessings of being initiated into the divine collect by Swamy NammAzhwAr himself as a result of reciting Madhura Kavi's prabhandham. Next, adiyEn will cover the insightful tribute of Swamy Desikan to "Thunpu aRRa Madhura Kavi "(blemishless Madhura Kavi).

Sanskrit Taniyan
****************

avidhitha vishayAnthara: SatArE:
upanishadAm upaghAna-mAthra-bhOga:
api cha guNavasAth tadhEkasEshee
Madhura Kavi: hrudayE mamAvirasthu

Meaning: May Madhura Kavi Azhwar be forever resident in my heart! Madhura Kavi is that celebrated AzhwAr, who had no interest in Isvaryam, Kaivalyam or Bhagavath- Anubhavam since his mind was totally occupied by the thoughts about his AchAryan, Swamy NammAzhwAr. His AchAryan's sambhandham was the only one that mattered to him .His sole enjoyment was the singing of the four prabhandhams of Swamy NammAzhwAr every where as the four Tamil Vedams instead of studying the Upanishads or the dhivya Prabhandhams of other AzhwArs. Madhura Kavi considered Swamy NammAzhwAr as his Lord (sEshi) and with that sEshathva jn~Anam, he was forever engaged in the dhyAnam of the kalyANa guNams of "his Lord". May that illustrious Madhura Kavi, who celebrated his AchAryan's prabhAvam through his "KaNNInuNN SiRutthAmpu" prabhandham be the revered occupant of my heart lotus!

Tamil Taniyan
*************

vERu onRum NaanaRiyEn Vedam Tamizh seytha-
Maaran SathakOpan vaNN KuruhUr --yERengaL
VaazhvAm yenRu yEtthum Madhura kaviyAr yemmai
aaLvAr avarE araN

Meaning: Madhura Kavi AzhwAr is our Lord. He is our refuge. He is the one, who declared that his mind will not focus on any thing except Swamy NammAzhwAr. He is the one, who declared emphatically that Swamy NammAzhwAr, born at ThirukkuruhUr in the vamsam of MaaRan and who blessed us with the essence of Sanskritic Veda-VedAnthams in Tamil language, is the sustenance for his kulam. That Madhura Kavi is our Swamy and the cause for our sustenance.

Swamy Desikan's moving tribute to Madhura Kavi
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There are 11 paasurams in KaNNinuNN SiRutthAmpu Prabhandham of Madhura Kavi. The last paasuram is a Phala Sruthi describing the fruits of reciting this prabhandham. In the rest of the ten paasurams, Madhura Kavi conceded that all the relationships that he should have with BhagavAn are instead with Swamy NammAzhwAr. Swamy Desikan captured this unique disposition of Madhura Kavi in one insightful paasuram of his AdhikAra Sangraham:

Inbatthil iRainjuthalil isayum pERRil
ihazhAtha pall uRavilirAgam maaRRil
tann paRRil vinai Vilakkil tahavOkkatthil
tatthuvatthai uNartthutalil tanmai aakkil
anbarkkE avatharikkum Aayan niRka
arumaRaikaL Tamizh seythAn thALE koNDu
thunpaRRa Madhura Kavi thOnRak kaattum
tholl vazhiyE nall vazhikaL thuNivAhatkkE

Pada URai( Word by word Meanings)
**********************************
Inbatthil = in gaining(experiencing ) bliss

iRainjuthalil= in performing SaraNAgathi

isayum pERRil= in granting desired purushArthams

ihazhAtha pall uRavil = in sustaining many types
of durable relationships

irAgam mARRil = in destroying attachment to other matters

tann paRRil = in giving His hand (Jn~Anak Kai)

vinai vilakkil = in banishing the paapa -puNyams

tahava Okkatthil = in exhibiitng deep compassion(dayA)

tatthuvatthi uNartthutathil = in generating clear
Jn~Anam

tanmai aakkil = in blessing the jeevan with many qualities
similar to His( above ten being
the anugrahams of the Lord for the Jeevan)

anbarkkE = That Lord , who incarnates in this world
avatharikkum solely for those , who have bhakthi for Him

Aayan niRkka = while that Sulabha-Gopaalan is waiting
to bless him (Madhura Kavi) with His
anugraham , Madhura Kavi let go of Him

aru MaraikaL Tamizh }
SeythAn tALE koNDu } = and took refuge instead at
the sacred feet of Swamy
NammAzhwAr --who transformed
the Sanskrit VedAs into pure
TamiL-- for gaining the above
ten anugrahams granted normally
by the Lord Himself

Thunpu aRRa Madhura Kavi
thOnRak-kaattum tholl = That ancient path (AchArya
VazhiyE thuNivArkatkku abhimatham) travelled by
nall VazhukaL Madhura Kavi and described in
his prabhandha paasurams for
the benefit of the people of
this world , is the noblest
path to be travelled by those
with unalloyed AchArya VisvAsam .

Madhura Kavi was born before Swamy NammAzhwAr, when Lord had incarnated as KrishNa BhagavAn and He was ruling from DhvArakai. This was at the end of dhvApara Yugam. Swamy NammazhwAr was born on the 43rd day of Kali Yugam that follows dhvApara yugam. While the Lord was in this world, Madhura Kavi did not elect to seek Him out, but waited and sought refuge later at Swamy NammAzhwAr's Thiruvadi deliberately. He sought all the ten anugrahams normally granted by the Lord from his AchAryan Swamy NammAzhwAr, since AchAryan was every thing for Madhura Kavi and he restricted all his sambhandhams to his AchAryan. The aasrayaNam of his AchAryan was the only thing that mattered to Madhura Kavi. He performed upadesam for us that without AchArya Sambhandham and AaasrayaNam, Bhakthi and Prapathti would not become fruitful. As a tathtva Jn~Ani, Madhura Kavi practised the truism, "AchAryavatthayA mukthou" (because of having a SadAchArya sambhandham alone, one gains mOksha Siddhi).

Swamy Desikan thus summarized in his inimitable way the essence of Madhura Kavi's ten paasurams and the noblest of paths advocated by him for our ujjevanam.

This "Inbhatthil IRainjuthalil--" paasuram and the next one in AdhikAra Sangraham praising the importance of AchArya Paramparai's anusanthAnam (Yennuyir tantthaLitthavarai SaraNam pukki--) are two of the most important paasurams dealing with Swamy Desikan's Upadesam on the AchArya vaibhavamfor us. Some describe this "Inbhatthil IRainjuthalil--"paasuram is originally from the now extinct work of Sawmy Desikan known as "Madhura Kavi Hrudhayam".

The Prabhandha Saaram Taniyan on Madhura Kavi, is as follows:

ThERiya maajn~Anamudan ThirukkOLUril
ChitthirayiR Chitthirai naaL Vanthu thOnRi
AaRiya NalanbhudanE KuruhUr Nampikku
anavaratham antharanga-adimai seythu
MaaRanai allAl yenRum maRanthum thEvu
maRRaRiyEn yenum Madhura kaviyE nee munn
kooRiya KaNNinuNN SiRutthAmpu athaniR paattuk-
kulavu pathinonRum yenakku uthavu neeyE

Meaning: Oh Maadhura Kavi born on Chitthirai maasa Chitthirai at ThirukkOLUr with clear Jn~Anam and who performed antharanga kaimkaryam for Swamy NammAzhwAr with intense devotion and without let! You declared that You do not know of any gods other than Swamy NammAzhwAr. Please bless me now with the Jn~Anam about the eleven paasurams of Your aruLiccheyal (blessed work) KaNNinuNN SirutthAmpu that you blessed the world earlier.

Comments: Even when KrishNa ParamAthmA was living at DhvArakai during his (Madhura kavi's) lifetime, he did not seek Bhagavan's feet for Prapatthi based on his conviction that he has to approach the Lord through a sadAchAryan and hence he waited for Swamy NammAzhwAr's avathAram to perform Prapatthi at His sacred feet. He considered thereafter that his AchAryan's sacred feet alone are his Taaraka-Poshaka Bhagyam and performed uninterrupted kaimkrayam to his AchAryan. Through this act, Madhura Kavi showed the world the ancient, auspicious and safe route (Tholl Vazhi) of AchArya Bhakthi even over Bhagavath Bhakthi. Madhura Kavi thus pointed out that even with the greatest bhakthi to Bhagavaan, those who do not approach Him through a sadAchAryan will not be redeemed. Madhura Kavi instructed us on this very important doctrine for the first time (nee munn kooRiya) through his Prabhandham.

Madhura Kavi AzhwAr ThiruvadigaLE saraNam

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