Kulasekara Āzhvār — The King Who Chose Devotion Over a Crown
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Kulasekara Āzhvār stands as one of the most beautiful figures in the lineage of the Āzhvārs — a king who sat on a throne but longed only for the dust of the Lord’s feet. Born a mighty ruler of the Chera kingdom, he lived amidst wealth, power, and admiration, yet none of these held his heart. His devotion was simple, childlike, unpretentious, and overflowing with longing. It is rare to see a king who desired not victory in battle, but a life of service to Sriman Nārāyaṇa.
One of the most moving aspects of Kulasekara Āzhvār is his readiness to sacrifice everything, even his own kingdom, for the sake of devotion. In his Perumal Tirumozhi, he expresses desires not of a king, but of a humble servant. In one verse he prays: “Let me become a small doorpost in the Lord’s temple, so I never lose sight of Him.” In another, he pleads: “Make me a bird that sings His name, or a stone that lies at His threshold; anything, as long as I am near Him.” These are not metaphors — they are the honest cries of a heart tired of worldly noise, longing only for proximity to the Divine.
Kulasekara’s devotion to Lord Rama is especially deep. He often saw himself as a soldier in Rama’s army, ready to protect the Lord’s honor. In one of his most tender lines, he says: “If hearing someone criticize Rama pains me, how must Mother Sita feel?” His empathy, love, and emotional sensitivity elevate his hymns from poetry to pure devotion.
Though he ruled a kingdom, his mind was always with God. Eventually, he stepped away from royal life and travelled to the sacred temples of the South, spending his final years in worship. His life teaches that real freedom is not the absence of responsibility, but the presence of devotion.
Kulasekara Āzhvār leaves us with a message that resonates even today: no matter what role the world gives you — king, worker, wanderer — the soul finds peace only when it bows at the Divine feet.
