Steps leading to God

The steps to attain the Lord may seem hard and arduous; but sastras affirm that the devout strives to climb the steps with faith and hope. The first step in this attempt is to know that the Lord is most compassionate and accessible to the devotee, though His status is most exalted and of unsurpassed supremacy, pointed out Velukkudi Sri Krishnan in a discourse. Nammazhwar shows both these aspects of

the Lord, His Saulabhya and His Paratva, in his hymns.

In the very first hymn of the Tiruvaimozhi, the Azhwar expresses his experience of the Lord’s Paratva. How is it possible not to bow in obeisance to the Lord’s uniqueness which is infinitely higher than the highest and the best, he asks. Moreover, He alone is capable of removing the ignorance in the devout and instilling bhakti and jnana. He is the Supreme Lord of the Nityasuris and the entire creation. Seeking His auspicious feet in surrender, one can cross the sorrow of samsara.

Azhwar is equally ecstatic about the Lord’s Saulabhya and extols the way Krishna hides His supremacy to live the life of a cowherd, mingling with the unlearned and simple folk. His incarnations prove that He is approachable and that His Paratva need not put a distance between Him and the devout. He also makes it clear that He alone can grant salvation. So, the Azhwar is thus unequivocal in his opinion that God is easy to be approached, if one does so with faith, devotion and humility, and hard if one lacks these.

The Lord’s grace works in unseen ways and is revealed only to those who have realised Him. Azhwars exemplify this truth and proclaim in one voice that their awareness of God has been made possible only through His grace.