This happened about two hundred years before the arrival of Sri Ramanuja. Sri Ranganatha Muni was well-versed in yoga sastra. He was worshipping Sri Kattumannar at Veeranarayanapuram. Some Vaishnavites from Melkote came in and started reciting “Aaravamude adiyen udalam nin paal anbaaye.” This was a famous poem of Nammazhwar about Thirukkudanthai. Nadamunigal was astounded at the beauty of the psalm. It ends with the refrain “Kurugur Sadagopan kuzhalin maliya sonna ore aayirathul ippathum.” Nammazhwar himself describes the song as sweeter than the melody of the flute. Nadamunigal enquires about the author who had declared himself to be a native of Thirukkurugur.
That was a time when the 4,000 pasurams of Azhwars had all disappeared leaving only “Aaravamudhe” in vogue. At Thirukkurungudi, Nadamunigal enquires about the thousand pasurams. After all, Nammazhwar had declared “ore aayirathul ippathum” meaning this ten out of thousand. Nobody knew the rest. Then came Parankusa Dasa of Thirukkurugur. He tells Nadhamunigal that he belonged to the sect of Madurakavi Azhwar. He knew Madurakavi’s composition ‘Kanninun siru thaambu’ and suggested that if these 11 pasurams of Madurakavi were chanted before the sacred Thiruppuli in Thirukkurugur, Nammazhwar will appear. Instantly Nadamunigal memorises the 11 pasurams, sits before the tamarind tree and starts chanting “Kanninun Siruthambinaal” with single minded devotion (ekagraha chitta). As he completes 12,000 times, Nammazhwar appears before him. Nadamunigal prays for the 1,000 pasurams. Mightily pleased, Nammazhar graces him not merely with the 1,000 pasurams of Thiruvaimozhi but the entire Naalayira Divyaprabandham — Naadhanukku naalayiram uraithan vaazhiyae.
The Azhwars were immersed in divine mysticism. They sang the praise of the Lord. But Madurakavi Azhwar, hailing from Thirukkolur near Thirukkurungudi, found solace in Nammazhwar alone. The eleven songs that he composed in praise of Sri Sadagopa are held in extreme reverence. At the beginning and at the end of the chanting of Nammazhwar Thiruvaimozhi, Madurakavi’s ‘Kanninun siruthambinaal’ is chanted. The invocation goes like this :
“verondrum naanariyen
vedam tamizh seidha maaran Sadagopan
van kurugur yeru engal vazhvaam endru ethum,
Madurakaviyaar emmai alwar avare aran.”
(I know nothing else but the Prince of beautiful Kurugur — Maaran who rendered the Vedas into Tamil. He alone is my life and breath, ruler and refuge.)
Kamban was inspired by Madurakavi when he composed Sadagopar Andhadhi. It was Nadhamuni who compiled the sacred 4,000 verses and included the 11 verses of Madurakavi even though they spoke of Nammazhwar and justified Bhagavatha Seshatva. The central term in Thirumantiram is Namaha. Madurakavi’s pasurams are central to the entire 4,000.
Nammazhwar was immersed in Krishna Consciousness. For him, Krishna represented Unnum sorum, parugum neer and Thinnum Vetrilai — “My food, water and the betel I chew are all my Krishna.” He is lost at the thought that the Lord, was caught and bound to the mortar pleading for stealing butter from the milkmaid’s churning pail (Ethiram uralinodu inaindhu irundhu yengiya yelive). The wonder of His birth and His childhood exploits in the war haunted Nammazhwar (Pirandha varum, valarndha varum periya bharatham kai seidhu). Krishna shrunk himself to accommodate the rope to oblige Yasodha.
Incidental reference
Madurakavi does Bhagavath Vishayam and chooses Nammazhwar as his Acharya. The reference to Krishna in the first verse is incidental. Krishna is great and Sri Sadagopa’s Thiruvaimozhi reveals the secret message of the Vedas. Sadagopa is greater. The Acharya will be happy if the disciple worships the Lord, who will be happy if we serve fellow men.
Acharyas are of two kinds — the first is anuvriddhi prasannacharya, where the disciple has to wait for a long time to obtain the Acharya’s grace and the second is Kripa Matra Prasannacharya, where the acharya showers his grace voluntarily out of love. The first is exemplified by Thirukoshtiyur Nambi. How many times Ramanuja had to go to Tirukoshtiyur! The second is represented by the likes of Emberumanar, Bhattar and Nampillai. Madurakavi found fulfilment by worshipping Nammazhwar.
“annaiyai, athanai ennai aandidum
thanmaiyan sadagopan en nambiyae”
Sadagopan (Nammazhwar) is my mother, father and master and is therefore my refuge, he declares. Such was Madhurakavi’s acharya bhakti.
Ananthalwan was also steeped in acharya bhakti. For him, Ramanuja’s word was the command. Even today, the descendants and disciples of Ananthalwan introduce themselves as adiyen Madurakavi dasan.
Bakthiyodu padinondrum paadinaan vazhiyae
parankusane paran endru potrinaan vazhiyae
madhyamam pada porulai vazha vaithaan vaazhiyae
madura kavi thiruvadikal vazhi vazhi vazhiyae
Both Ananthalwan and Madurakavi Azhwar were born on Chitirai-yil Chitirai naal, which fell on May 6 this time.
Yentha Ethirasar Inai Adiyon Vazhiyae.