Madhurakavi Alvar

Madhurakavi Alvar was one of the twelve Alvar saints of Tamil Nadu, recognized for their affiliation with the Sri Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The hymns of the Alvars are compiled as the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, and the 108 temples revered in these hymns are classified as Divya Desams. Madhurakavi Alvar is traditionally counted as the sixth among the twelve Alvars. He was a disciple of Nammalvar; Madhurakavi Alvar composed 11 of the 4,000 hymns in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. Madhurakavi Alvar is credited with recording and compiling the works of Nammalvar, including the Tiruvaymoli (1,102 hymns). The 11 hymns of Kanninun Cirutampu composed by Madhurakavi Alvar was the catalyst for recovering the 4,000 hymns of Naalayira Divya Prabandham. The scholar Nathamuni recited these 11 hymns 12,000 times to invoke Nammalvar and recover the lost Naalayira Divya Prabandham.

According to tradition, Nammalvar remained silent from birth, sitting beneath a tamarind tree. Madhurakavi Alvar followed a bright light shining in the south until he reached the tree, where Nammalvar spoke his first words. The compositions of Madhurakavi Alvar, along with those of the other Alvars, shaped the philosophical and theological foundations of Sri Vaishnavism. The hymns of Madhurakavi and the other Alvars are recited during daily worship and annual festivals in Vishnu temples across Tamil Nadu.