Madhura Kavi"s Acharya Nishtai &Anubhavam: Part 1

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Dear Members of the Prapatti Group:

 

Sri Madhura Kavi Azhwaar"s birthday falls on May1/2.

Srimati Nagu Satyan is planning to write on

the Azhwaar"s Vaibhavam soon . Hence, I will describe in

this complimentary posting the extraordinary

Acharya Bhakthi of Madhura Kavi

and his Saranagathi thru the route of

Acharya Nishtai. I will refer to few key paasages in

Nammazhwaar"s AruLiccheyals and Swami Desikan"s

granthams that relate to the method chosen by

Madhura Kavi.

 

*** The Four Methods of Saranagathi

 

Swamy Desikan has explained to us the four routes available to

one desirous of performing Saranaagathi (Prapatti ) . They are:

(1) Svanishtai (2) Ukthi Nishtai (3) Acharya Nishtai and

(4) Bhagavatha Nishtai . In his Saranagathi Deepikai stotram

dedicated to Deepa Prakasan of Thuppul Agrahaaram, Swami

explained to us the above four routes that a Prapanna can take

based on his/her competence this way:

 

BHAKTHI: PRAPATTI: ATHAVAA BHAGAVAMSTADHUKTHI :

TANNISHTA SAMSRAYA ITEEVA VIKALPYAMAANAM I

YAM KIMCHIT EKAM UPAPAADHAYATAA TVAIYEVA

TRAATAA: TARANTHAVASAREH BHAVINO BHAVAABDHIM II

 

(Meaning) : O Deepa Prakaasa ! There are two routes to

attain the fruit of Moksham. One is thru Bhakthi Yogam and

the other is thru Prapatti Yogam; the latter divides in to four

equally effective subcategories recognized as : Svanishtai,

Ukthi Nishtai, Acharya Nishtai and Bhagavatha Nishtai. You

wish to save the chetanas from the ocean of samsara and

to help them perform one of the above four Nishtais. Then ,

You confer on them the boon of Moksham, when the Prapanna

desires to leave this world and join you at Sri Vaikuntam.

 

Swami Desikan explains that Svanishtai is adopted by those ,

who have Visesha Jnanam . They directly surrender to Sriman

Narayana , Just as Arjuna, Dhruva and Prahlaada did.

 

In Ukthi Nishtai, the Prapatti is accomplished by

repeating the Prapatti vakhyam uttered by one's Acharya.

 

In Acharya Nishtai, the disciple is included in the Parapatti

done for all the disciples by the Acharya . One gets the fruit of

Prapatti thru the effort of his/her Acharya without any individual

effort.

 

In Bhagavatha Nishtai, One is covered by the Prapatti performed

by a Bhagavatha , who is not one"s Acharya .

 

MADHURA KAVI'S PRAPATTI IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF

ACHARYA NISHTAI. HIS ACHARYA ABHIMAANAM HAS ALSO

NO PARALLEL AMONG AAZHWAARS. HE DID NOT ELECT TO

OFFER HIS SARANAAGATHI TO THE LORD THRU SVANISHTAI OR

UKTHI NISHTAI, BUT PREFERRED THE ACHARYA NISHTAI AS HIS

ROUTE .HIS DEVOTION TO HIS ACHARYA (NAMMAZHWAAR ) IS

EXTRAORDINARY AS REVEALED IN HIS ELEVEN VERSES

OF NAALIYRA DIVYA PRABHANDHAM REVERED AS

KANNINUN--SIRUTTHAAMBHU .

 

Swami Desikan had a high reverence for Madhura Kavi and

composed a grantham known as Madhurakavi Hrudhyam .This

Grantham is lost to us now.It is in celebration of Madhura Kavi"s

incomparable devotion to Nammazhwaar. It is a Rahasya Grantham.

 

In the next section, I will include a translation of the eleven

verses of Madhura Kavi replete with the sense of utter

devotion of the Azhwaar to his Acharya, Nammazhwaar .

 

V.Sadagopan