Faith Column | March 18, 2026

Madhurakavi Azhvar was born in Thirukkolur in Tamil Nadu. He had studied the Vedas, but could not fully comprehend them, said V.S. Karunakarachariar in a discourse. So, he began to seek a preceptor to guide him. He journeyed northwards, looking for a spiritual guru. His aim was to travel all the way to the Himalayas, and find the perfect teacher. He halted at many places during his long journey to the north. One such halt was at the holy city of Ayodhya. There Madhurakavi Azhvar performed his evening rituals. This involved offering worship to the four directions. He faced east first, and offered his salutations to the east. He then faced south, west and finally north to pay his obeisance to the directions. But when he faced the southern direction, he noticed a bright light, which he did not find in any of the other directions.

He took this as an indication that the guru he sought lived in the south. He gave up his plan to go to the Himalayan region, but turned back towards the south. He kept following the light, and eventually reached a place called Thirukkurugoor. The people of the village told Madhurakavi Azhvar about a boy whose behaviour was quite extraordinary. This boy had never eaten anything for sustenance. He had never cried even as a baby, and was always in meditation. Madhurakavi Azhvar felt this boy might be the guru he was looking for, and he visited the tamarind tree in which the boy lived. Madhurakavi asked him a Vedantic question. Until then the boy had never responded to anyone. But now he gave a reply to Madhurakavi Azhvar’s question, and it was a reply that stunned the latter. Madhurakavi Azhvar realised that the boy was his chosen guru. That boy was none other than the great Vaishnavite saint Nammazhvar, revered by Sri Vaishnavas.