The Royal Āzhvār
Kulashekhara Āzhvār was a Cera king (Kerala) who ruled from Vaṭṭaperumāḷkoyil (modern Thiruvanchikkulam) and was a devotee of Viṣṇu from birth. His royal duties could not contain his devotion — he would listen to Rāmāyaṇa recitations and weep, or suddenly arm his soldiers to go "rescue Rāma" from his enemies, forgetting momentarily that the story was not happening in the present.
Perumāḷ Tirumozhi
His Perumāḷ Tirumozhi (105 verses) in the Divya Prabandham is celebrated for its rich Rāma-bhakti and the imaginative identification with characters from the Rāmāyaṇa:
- He imagines himself as a swan asking Kauśalyā to let Rāma stay home
- He imagines himself as the boat that carried Rāma across the Gaṅgā
- He wishes to be a fish in the Śarayū river just to be near Rāma
This tanmaya-bhāva (complete identification with the devotee's story) is a distinctive feature of Āzhvār poetry.
Divya Desam Connection
Kulashekhara is associated with the Divya Desams of Kerala — especially Thiruvananthapuram (Śrī Padmanābhasvāmi), Tiruvanchikulam, and other Malabar temples. His compositions include mangalāśāsanam (benedictions) for many of these Perumāḷs.