Did I demonstrate Acharya Bhakti like Madhurakavi Azhwar?
Below is the translation to Veda Paati's story, narrated in tamil, available in below platforms:
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THIRUKOLUR PEN PILLAI RAGASIYAM - 21
Thirukolur Pen Pillai, with all her innocence and melancholy went on, “Dear Swami, why should I remain in this beautiful Divya Desam? Do I have AchArya Bhakti like Madhurakavi Azhwar?”, she sighed. With that she went on to tell the tale of the esteemed Madhurakavi Azhwar and his unmatched devotion to his guru, Nammazhwar.
On a holy day of Chitra Month of the Tamil calendar and Chitra star, and at Thirukolur itself, the divine Madhurakavi was born. He was the incarnation of Kumudha, a deputy of Vishvaksena at Sri Vaikuntam.
Once, Madhurakavi had travelled north on a Kshetra and happened to rest at Ayodhya one night. That night he saw a large halo in the sky and felt like it was a calling upon him to find out the source of this halo.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Madhurakavi kept following this aura which finally led him to Thirukurugoor, specifically a tamarind tree. In the shade of the tamarind tree sat a beautiful child in yogic stance. The halo that Madhurakavi saw in the sky now descended upon the child’s face as radiance. Madhurakavi was amazed and he started asking around about this child. The Thirukurugoor people explained to Madhurakavi that when this child was born, he was named Maaran. He had not made a sound, moved or opened his eyes. His disappointed parents left him in a cradle nearby. The child crawled out and made his way under this tree and has since been there. He had not eaten, spoken or moved for 16 years. However, he had grown healthily, and the people of the town sensed that this was no ordinary child and had named him “Nammazhwar”.
The stunned Madhurakavi was eager to comprehend Nammazhwar. He tried throwing a stone at him. Lo and behold, the child finally opened his eyes. To make him talk, Madhurakavi asked him a question for which the child answered beautifully. Madhurakavi instantly knew this child was not a regular human, and someone extraordinary. He fell at his feet and pleaded Nammazhwar to accept him as a disciple. Like opened flood gates, that was the beginning of all of Nammazhwar’s outpourings. He composed and recited several pAsurams, that Madhurakavi dutifully noted down on palm leave manuscripts as they used to in the yore. Perumal and Thayar, the Divya Dampati, appeared before Nammazhwar, moved by his outpourings, which made him compose even more poetry on the Lord and His consort.
Moved by his AchAryan’s preaching, Madhurakavi wrote ten pAsurams in praise of him. In his own words and in beautiful yet simple Tamil he said:
nAvinAl naviRRu inbam eydhinEn
mEvinEn avan ponnadi meymmaiyE
dhEvu maRRaRiyEn kurugUr nambi
pAvin innisai pAdith thirivanE
He says, when he even utters his AchAryA’s name, it brings him so much joy. His AchAryan chose him, showed him the light, made him come to the right place and chose him as his disciple. Nammazhwar had won over his heart with his teachings, preaching and pAsurams. Nammazhwar shows everyone the right path to life, and made him forget the materialistic problems he had.
While Nammazhwar mentions in his pAsurams that the ultimate supreme is Sriman Narayana, Madhurakavi Azhwar says, that to him his ultimate supreme is his Acharya. His Acharya is one to treat all equally and like parents to him. So he praises his AchArya with so much love!
“So tell me Swami, would I ever be able to demonstrate so much love and Acharya Bhakti to my guru the way Madhurakavi Azhwar did? Why should I remain in the birth place of such a great soul?” sighed Thirukolu Pen Pillai. Swami Ramanuja admired the little child’s deep knowledge and bhakti and eagerly awaited the next tale!