Nammazhvar (meaning our Azhvar in tamil) a super mystic ranks 5th among the twelve Azhvars.
With utmost reverence and humility I have ventured to sketch the life of this “Vaishnava Kulapathi” known by many names as Maran, Kavimaran, Parankusan, Satagopan and Vakulabaranar.
He is said to have been born on the 43rd day after the Kaliyuga started in the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May – June) under the star Visakam on a Poornima Friday under Kataka Lagnam. His period is stated to be 798 A.D to 830 A.D.
His father was a Rich Landlord by name Kariyar of Kurugur, a village situated on the southern banks of river Tamiraparani (Tirunelveli Dt., Pandya Desam). Kurugur is also called Kurukapuri as it is believed that in this place Lord Vishnu acted as Guru for Brahma. Later on out of repute this place came to be known as Thirunagari and after Nammazhvar it came to be called Azhvar Thirunagari.
Kariyar’s family was a family of Vishnu devotees for seven generations. The name of his ancestors in order is thus – Tiruvalutinatar, Arantankiyar, Chakrapani, Achyutar, Senthamaraikannan, Chenkannan, Pokariyar and Kariyar (father of Nammazhvar).
His mother Udaiyanangai of Thiruvanparisaram near Nagercoil (in Kerala state). The couple stayed in Thiruvanparisaram for some time now known as Thirupatisaram.
They had no issues and they returned to Kurukur to settle there. On the way, they stopped at Thirukunkuti to worship the Lord there. They requested Thirukurunkuti Nambi to bless them with a son. Through the Archakar, they were told that Nambi HIMSELF would be born as their son. They stayed in Kurukur and shortly Udaiyanangai delivered a male child.
Surprisingly the child did not cry, open his eyes and drink his mother’s milk as any normal child would do. But there was no sign of emancipabai. The parents were not disturbed and instead they resigned the fate of the child to the Lord Adinathan.
On the twelth dayafter the child’s birth, he was named as “Maran”. As stated earlier he was known as “Karimaran” (after his father’s name Kari), “Parankusan” (Iron Good), “Satagopan” since “Sata” vayu that surrounds a child was blown away, “Vakulabaranan” as he wore the garland of vakula flowers which had adorned the Lord at Kurukai.
The couple then took the child to the Lord Adinathan’s temple in Thirunagari and as they were worshipping, the child crawled to the nearby tamarind tree and seated himself beneath the tree.
It is said that Adisesha who came to know that Nambi is going to take avatara as Nammazhvar, he came to Thirukurukoor and installed himself as a tamarind tree to provide shelter to HIM from rain, water and sun. The hole that was formed by Adisesha became the permanent abode for Nammazhvar in which he stayed till the last of his breath. This tree came to be known Thirupuliazhvar later on.
Once the parents decided that the child was a divine child and would not come home with them and live a normal life, they made a cradle and hung it near the hole in the tamarind tree in which the child had already seated himself. Maran stayed motionless in a yogic state for sixteen long years. While in this yogic state Viswaksenar (Senai Mudaliar) initiated in the esoterics of Vaishnavism. Thus Viswaksena became the Guru / Acharya for Maran. Kambar has stated in his “Satakopa Andadi” that Nammazhvar was an avatara of Lord Nambi.
Around this time Madhurakavi, a Brahmin was born at Thirukkoloor situated on the southern banks of river Thamiraparani and two miles east of Azhvar Thirunagari. He is believed to have lived in 797 A.D – 852 A.D. He was well versed in Samaveda.
Madhurakavi was on a spiritual tour and while on a pilgrimage in the north stayed in Ayodhya for sometime.
One night as he as trolling outside the Ashram, he saw a huge column of flame at a distance. The same sight got repeated the second night also. He enquired about this and got no answer. On the third night, this light started moving slowly towards south. Madhurakavi followed this light and reached Azhvar Thirunagari. When he reached the city and enquired whether there was anything about this place, he was told of the child sitting motionless in a tamarind tree. The light took him to the tamarind tree and stopped there.
What Madhurakavi saw was simply astonishing? A child was seated in the hole with eyes closed and motionless. How to wakeup this yogi was Madhurakavi’s question. So he picked up a small stone and threw it gently before the child. Maran, the child opened its eyes and immediately Madhurakavi took advantage of this and put a philosophical question before the child and that was.
“When what is little is born in the deed, what will it eat and where will it lie?”
The child at once responded and replied,
“It will eat it and lie there”.
Madhurakavi was stunned at the reply. He interpreted the answer thus – The soul which is atomic in size is born in a body made of non-sentient matter. It will experience the result of its past deeds and be there in the body. The reply had such an extraordinary import and spoke of the intelligence / knowledge par excellence of Maran, the child that Madhurakavi intuitively came to the conclusion that Maran was his Guru. He prostrated before Maran and requested him to accept him as his disciple.
At the same time it appeared as though Nammazhvar was waiting for a true disciple for sixteen long years and only on finding him, he opened his eyes.
He composed 4 divya prabhandams which contain the essence of the four Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Atharva and Sama. They deal with Bhakti Yoga (not available in Upanishads) and on the archavata forms of the Lord.
They are as follows:
Thiruvaimozhi 1102
Thiruvrittam 100
Thiruvasiriyam 7
Periya Thiruvandadhi 87
Thiruvaimozhi deals with Samaveda and is considered the longest Andadhi in Tamil literature. It is Tamil Vedam and the magnum opus of Kavimaran. It upholds Vishnu’s supremacy and advises worship of God with implicit faith in HIM. He praised God in Archa forms and completed hymns in praise of Vishnu in 33 temples. Thiruvaimozhi consists of 1102 verses divided thus 10 x 11 = 1100 + 2 = 1102.
It is believed that Nityasuris and Vishnu devotees used to assemble around the tamarind tree to listen to the Thiruvaimozhi as it was being recited. An incident can be cited here when the devotees came singing Thiruvaimozhi reached Madurai, they were stopped by some others. Madhurakavi explained to them that since, Maran his acharya had reached the Lord’s abode; he cannot appear in person to vanquish them in a debate. He therefore suggested that Thiruvaimozhi be placed on a wooden plank balancing it against the works of other sanga poets. Surprising when the plank was set afloat in the river, the other poet’s works were pushed and Nammazhvar’s works came up and thus he was honoured.
His other work Thiruvrittam is set in a metrical tone and contains 100 verses. His other works Thiruvasiriyam containing 71 lines are unequal in format. The lyrics in Periya Thiruvendadi convey his undying love for God.
The surprising factor in all this is that he did mangalasasanam to deities in 33 shrines even one of which he did not visit physically. It is believed that he had many mystic experiences. The lord in archa forms in various shrines used to appear before Nammazhvar and give him full darshan. Sometimes it used to be continuous or repeatedly by the same forms used to appear and disappear. He composed hymns in praise of them then and there. It was his disciple Madhurakavi who recorded them.
Madhurakavi served his Guru till he attained HIS LOTUS FEET (and also thereafter) at the age of 32 (same state Nammazhvar’s age to be 35). After Nammazhvar left for his heavenly abode, Madhurakavi continued to spread the teachings of his Guru to the world. Madhurakavi composed 11 hymns in praise of his Guru starting thus “Kanninun Chiru Thambu…………”