Religion and Siritualism-The Twelve Azwars

Madurakavi Azwar
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சித்திரையில் சித்திரை நாள் சிறக்க வந்தோன் வாழியே<o></o>​

திருக்கோளூர் அவதரித்த செல்வனார் வாழியே<o></o>​

உத்தர கங்காதீரத்து உயர்தவத்தோன் வாழியே<o></o>​

ஒளி கதிரோன் தெற்குதிக்க உகந்து வந்தோன் வாழியே<o></o>​

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பத்தியொடு பதினொன்றும் பாடினான் வாழியே<o></o>​

பராங்குசனே பரன் என்று பற்றினான் வாழியே<o></o>​

மத்திமமாம் பதப்பொருளை வாழ்வித்தோன் வாழியே<o></o>​

மதுரகவி திருவடிகள் வாழி வாழி வாழியே!​

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Madurakavi Azwar was born at ThirukoLur that is very near to Azwarthirunagar the birth place of Nammazwar. He was born in the year Eswara, in the star Chithra and also in the month of Chithrai. He took birth in soziya Brahmin family. At a very young age he had completed studying Vedas and Sasthras and was very good composing sweet poems in Tamil. Hence he was called Madurakavi Azwar. He was very much devoted to Kariya Thirumal. At young age he embarked on a travel to all divya Desams in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace>North India</st1lace> after visiting divya desams in south.. He visited Vadamathura, Dwaraka, Badrikashram, Naimisaranyam, SaLagramam and Ayodhya. He had stayed in Ayodhya for some time. <o></o>
One night he saw at Southern sky a bright Jyothi. But the Jyothi was visible to him only and attracted him towards it. He started walking towards the Jyothi and after three days reached Vindya Parvath. But he found the Jothi still far away and so kept on walking. He visited Tirumalai and then Srirangam pursuing the Jyothi. At last he reached Azwarthirunagar and reached the temple from which the Jyothi had emanated.. He asked the people whether there was any thing special about the temple. They told him that a saint lived in the hole of a tamarind tree in the temple in yoha. Madurakavi Azwar reached the place and saw Nammazwar with divya thejas. He saw him with closed eyes in deep meditation. He came to know from the people around that neither he opened his eyes nor spoke to any one. <o></o>
Madurakavi Azwar wanted to test whether he could hear. So he called out to him, “Swamin, Swamin,” but he didn’t open his eyes. Then he clapped his hands and that also evoked no response. Then he picked up a big stone that was lying nearby and threw it out. That made a big noise and Nammazwar at once opened his eyes and looked at the people benignly. Now Madurakavi zwar wanted to hear him speak. So he asked him, ‘ Seththathin VayiRRil siRiyathu piRanthaal eththai thinRu enge kidakkum?” Nammazwar answered, “ Aththai thinRu ange kidakkum.” Madurakavi was very much pleased to hear this and he greatly admired his knowledge. He prostrated before him and requested him to accept him as his disciple. Nammazwar accepted him as his disciple and told him to write the pasurams which he went on dictating. Nammazwr had composed 1296 pasurams and Madurakavi Azwar wrote all of them in palm leaves. Nammazwar had attained mukthi after some years.<o></o>
Madurakavi Azwar felt his bereavement very much. He made an archavathara murthi of Nammazwar and started worshipping him. He had also started spreading his pasurams all over Tamilnadu. The poets of Tamil Sangam at <st1:City><st1lace>Madurai</st1lace></st1:City> challenged him and told that the pasurams should be put on the sanga palakai to be accepted by them. Madurakavi Azwar told them that he would just write one sentence from the pasuam and they could judge from that. He just wrote “ KaNNan kazalinai “ and kept it on the plank. On the other side the poets kept some of their poems, but the plank pushed them out and the plank accepted the palm leave that contained Nammazwar’s pasuram. Then all the poets requested Madurakavi Azwar to forgive them for their ignorance about Nammazwar’s pasurams and his greatness.<o></o>
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Madurakavi Azwar wrote 11 pasurams which were known as <o></o>
“ KaNNInuN Suruththambu.” He was only devoted to his Acharya and felt that through him only he could get the krupakataksham of the Lord. <o></o>
Nathamunikal had chanted KaNNinuN SiRuththambu 12000 times in front of the Tamarind tree and Nammazwar gave darshan to him and recited Nalayira Divya Prabandam for him which was gone to oblivion for a very long time. Thus a great treasure was revived for the benefit of mankind.<o></o>

Madurakavi Azwar ThiruvadikaLe SaraNam!<o></o>​

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To be continued<o></o>
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