Inputs for CD ROMs : Part X.1-- Madhura Kavi AzhwAr

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar has been giving a brilliant

series of tele-upanyAsams on the dhivya Prabhandham of

Madhura Kavi Azhwar over the past few months. It will

come to a conclusion soon. I will summarize the Charithram

and Dhivya Prabhandham of Madhura Kavi in this posting .

I will be following the essence of Srimadh Azhagiyasingar's

upanysams and Sri U.Ve. UtthamUr VeerarAghavAcchAr Swamy's

commentary on " KaNNinuNN siRutthAmpu " in my efforts

to compose a set of postings on Madhura Kavi AzhwAr's

important prabhandham . Sriman T.C.A. Venaktesan , who

posted informative articles earlier on " AmalanAdhipiran "

has kindly agreed to expand on adiyEn's postings through

additional details from PoorvAchAryA's commentaries.

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE Saranam

RaamAnuja Daasan, V.SatakOpan

 

The Charithram of 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 duirng 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

*********************************

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 in detail the taniyans and

the individual paasurams of KaNNinuNN SirutthAmpu

in the subsequent postings.

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

RaamAnuja Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VardachAri SatakOpan