Endrulageer chitiraiyil chitirai-Madurakavi Azhvar

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Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe rAmAnujaya Namaha

Sri Vara Vara MunayE Namaha

Sri Vanachala mahA munayE Namaha

 

Today is chitiraiyil chitirai, the thiruavadhAra thirunakshatram dhinam of the

great Madurakavi Azhvar. This azhvar is regarded very special in our

sampradayam since he showed a different and very easy way to attain emperuman,

which is through acharya nishtai. Like arunOdhayam before sunrise, this azhvar

took birth earlier to the rise of the vagulabhooshana bhaskaran, nammAzhvar.

The only prabhandam in the whole 4000 that doesn’t praise the lord but talks

about another person (nammazhvar) “kanninun ciruthAmbhu” was given by this

azhvar. Our acharyas regarded Madurakavigal to be their role model. Manavala

mAmunigal in his Arthi prabhandam says, “madurakavi sol padiyE nilaiyAga

pettrOm”. All srivaishnavas should follow madurakavigal and remain with utmost

acharya nishtai. Mamunigal in his upadesa ratnamalai,

 

“A-rAr madurakavi evvulagil vandhudhiththa

seerArum chitiraiyil chitirainAl-pArulagil

mattrulla AzhvArgal vandhudhiththa nAlgalilum

uttrathemakku endru nenjE O-r” (25)

 

“vAitha thirumandiraththin maththimamAm padhampOl

seerththa madurakavi seikalaiyai-Arthapugazh

Ariyargal thAngal arulicheyal naduvE

SErviththAr thAtpariyam thErindhu” (26)

 

In the first paasuram mAmunigal says that we should all regard this great day,

chitiraiyil chitirai (the day on which the star chitrai appears in the tamil

month of chitirai) more special than the thirunakshatram dhinams of all the

other Azhvars. Mamunigal says “A-rar madurakavi” what is madurakavi’s Armai?

The greatness of madurakavigal lies in his acharya nishtai. The other azhvar’s

were filled with devotion towards the lord but madurakavi had a special devotion

only towards his acharya, nammAzhvar. Since such a great azhvar was born on

this day, this chitiraiyil chitirai has got its seermai (seerArum chitiraiyil

chitirainAl). Why is this day greater than the other Azhvars thirunakshatrams?

The other ten Azhvars talked in one manner when they were with perumal

(samslEsha dasai) and in another manner when they were away (vislEsham) but

madurakavigal’s mode of talk never varied since he was always under the divine

service of his acharya and never went away from him.

 

In the second paasuram, mAmunigal talks about the greatness of madurakavigal’s

prabhandam. Though there is no reference to the lord in the prabhandam still

due to the depth in the meaning, the acharyas who have given vyakhyanams to the

4000 have included kanninun ciruthAmbhu also to the list. Ok. It has been

included but where have they done it? Is it included as the last prabhandam?

No. Like the “Nama:” padham in thirumandiram this prabhandam has also been

included in the middle of the 4000-divya prabhandam. Why is this prabhandam

given such importance? That is because it has both sweetness in words and

meaning. It supports the jeevatma svaroopam. Manthram is one, which saves

those who recite it. In thirumanthram the middle word “nama:” indicates the

dhadheeya pArathandriyam of the jeevatma. That is the jeevatma is a slave of

emperuman. Even bhagavat kainkaryam has to be done for the happiness of

emperuman and not for our pleasure. Bhagavan get happy when we do kainkaryam to

bhagavatas. So nama: padham inturn talks about bhagavata pArathantriyam also.

Madurakavigal has all along talked only about bhagavata parathantriyam and hence

our acharyas have included this prabhandam in the middle.

 

If we consider the 4000 paasurams to be thirumanthram (which will release us

from the bondage of this samsAram) then the first padham Omkaram is

periyAzhvar’s thirupallandu and the middle term is madurakavi azhvar’s kanninun

ciruthAmbhu.

 

On this great day one another acharya who took birth was ananthAzhvan, the

direct shisya of EmperumAnAr. The acharya nishtai and kainkaryams of

ananthAzhvan is well known. AnanthAzhvan is otherwise called as madurakavi

dAsan and that is why till today all srivaishnavas in the lineage of this great

acharya call themselves as madurakavi dAsan. Let us remember these great azhvar

and acharya on this very great day and meditate on their acharya nishtai and try

to develop the same towards our acharyas.

 

Madurakavi Azhvar thiruvadigale sharanam

AnanthAzhvan thiruvadigale sharanam

 

Azhvar EmperumAnAr Jeeyer thiruvadigale sharanam

 

Adiyen rAmAnuja dAsee

Sumithra Varadarajan

 

 

 

 

 

 

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