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Madhura Kavi"s Acharya Nishtai &Anubhavam: Part 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • April 14, 1996 


Dear Members of the Prapatti Group:

Sri Madhura Kavi Azhwaar"s birthday falls on May1/2.
Srimati Nagu Satyan is planning to write on 
the Azhwaar"s Vaibhavam soon . Hence, I will describe in
this complimentary  posting the extraordinary  
Acharya Bhakthi of Madhura Kavi 
and his Saranagathi thru the route of
Acharya Nishtai. I will refer to few key paasages in 
Nammazhwaar"s AruLiccheyals and Swami Desikan"s 
granthams  that  relate to the method chosen by
Madhura Kavi.

*** The  Four Methods of Saranagathi

Swamy Desikan has explained to us the four routes available to
one desirous of performing  Saranaagathi (Prapatti ) . They are:
(1) Svanishtai (2) Ukthi Nishtai (3) Acharya Nishtai and 
(4) Bhagavatha Nishtai . In his  Saranagathi Deepikai stotram 
dedicated to Deepa Prakasan of Thuppul Agrahaaram, Swami 
explained to us the above four routes that a Prapanna can take
based on his/her  competence this way:

BHAKTHI: PRAPATTI: ATHAVAA BHAGAVAMSTADHUKTHI :
TANNISHTA SAMSRAYA ITEEVA VIKALPYAMAANAM  I
YAM KIMCHIT EKAM UPAPAADHAYATAA  TVAIYEVA 
TRAATAA: TARANTHAVASAREH BHAVINO BHAVAABDHIM  II

(Meaning) : O Deepa Prakaasa ! There are two routes to
attain the fruit of Moksham. One is thru Bhakthi Yogam and 
the other is thru Prapatti Yogam; the  latter divides in to four 
equally effective subcategories recognized as : Svanishtai,
Ukthi Nishtai, Acharya Nishtai and Bhagavatha Nishtai. You 
wish to save the chetanas from the ocean of samsara and 
to help them perform one of the above four Nishtais. Then ,
You confer on  them the boon  of Moksham, when the Prapanna
desires to leave this world and join you at Sri Vaikuntam. 

Swami Desikan explains that Svanishtai is adopted by those ,
who have Visesha Jnanam . They directly surrender to Sriman
Narayana , Just as Arjuna, Dhruva and Prahlaada did.

In Ukthi Nishtai, the Prapatti is accomplished by 
repeating the Prapatti vakhyam uttered by one's  Acharya.

In Acharya Nishtai, the disciple is included in the Parapatti 
done for all the disciples by the Acharya . One  gets the fruit of 
Prapatti thru the effort of his/her Acharya without any individual
effort. 

In Bhagavatha Nishtai, One is covered by the Prapatti performed 
by a Bhagavatha , who is not one"s Acharya . 

MADHURA KAVI'S PRAPATTI IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF 
ACHARYA NISHTAI. HIS ACHARYA ABHIMAANAM HAS ALSO
NO PARALLEL AMONG AAZHWAARS. HE DID NOT ELECT TO 
OFFER HIS SARANAAGATHI TO THE LORD THRU SVANISHTAI OR
UKTHI NISHTAI, BUT PREFERRED THE ACHARYA NISHTAI AS HIS
ROUTE .HIS DEVOTION TO HIS ACHARYA (NAMMAZHWAAR ) IS 
EXTRAORDINARY AS REVEALED IN HIS ELEVEN VERSES 
OF NAALIYRA DIVYA PRABHANDHAM REVERED AS 
KANNINUN--SIRUTTHAAMBHU .  

Swami Desikan had a high reverence for Madhura Kavi and 
composed a grantham known as Madhurakavi Hrudhyam .This
Grantham is lost to us now.It is in celebration of Madhura Kavi"s 
incomparable devotion to Nammazhwaar. It is a Rahasya Grantham.

In the next section, I will include a translation of the eleven 
verses of Madhura Kavi replete with the sense of utter 
devotion of the Azhwaar to his Acharya, Nammazhwaar .
 
V.Sadagopan