He is the 6th among the 12 Azhvars. As the name suggests, he is considered a poet of sweet songs.
A Brahmin by birth, he was born in the Tamil month Chithirai (April – May) under the star Chitra in Tirukollur, Tamilnadu.
At a very young age, he learnt the Veda Sastras and showed keen interest in visiting Divya Desams. While at Ayodhya, while taking a stroll he saw a shining bright light. He did not pay much heed to this. But when the next night the same shining light appeared he decided to go to the southern part of India. Following the light, he reached Tirukurugoor (Tirunelveli District, Tamilnadu). There he saw Nammazhvar (Sadagopan) and was instantly attracted to him. Madhurakavi questioned him thus
Chettathir Vayitril….
Meaning: if a soul is born of matter, what does it eat and where does it rest?
Nammazhvar replied thus: it eats THAT (the Divine) and would lie there (Matter).
Madhurakavi highly pleased with the reply chose Nammazhvar to be his Guru from that moment onwards and spent the rest of his life with him.
Such was his unerring devotion to his Guru that he composed 11 verses titled “Kanninun Siruthambu” meaning a rope consisting of tiny knots. The hymns start with reference to the leela of Lord Krishna playing the role of Damodharan being tied to the grinding stone by his mother Yasodha.
In the entire compendium of 4000 verses of Nalayira Divya Prabhandam his composition consists of only the above 11 verses. These verses were not directed to Lord Narayana, but to his ardent Guru Nammazhvar.
It is believed that Madhurakavi was a reincarnation of Shatruganan. In Ramayana, Bhagavan showed Bhakti Yoga through Bharathan and Gnana yoga through Shatruganan. Shatruganan knew not of anybody except Bharathan. He followed Bharathan like a shadow and followed the dictates of Bharathan and not Rama. This is called Paratantriya Kashta.
Likewise Madhurakavi was an ardent devotee of Nammazhvar who was a devotee of Lord Narayana. He knew not of God but Nammazhvar (Kurugoornambi).