Nature of direct perception

God-realisation is an inner experience based on direct

perception that goes beyond the definitions and debates of philosophical and speculative concepts. It is not of the senses, intellect or emotions. It is a transcendental experience and the lives of preceptors and devotees illustrate that the Lord who is believed to be Infinite also makes Himself accessible to true faith and devotion, pointed out Sri Keeranur Ramamurthy in a discourse.

Sananda, a staunch Narasimha devotee, once desired to have darshan of the Lord. He began to meditate on the Narasimha Mantra and chose a thickly forested area in the mountains. A hunter living there asked Sananda why he had come here where there was danger from wild animals. Sananda said that he had come to see Narasimha who lived in that place. The hunter knew the area as well as his palm and said he had not heard of any animal with such a name.

Sananda explained that Narasimha has the face of a lion and a human form. The hunter promised him that since he was very familiar with this place he would catch this being and bring it before him if such a being really lived in this area. The Lord acceded to the pleas of the hunter and appeared before him. He allowed Himself to be tied by the hunter and to be taken to Sananda. Sananda realised that the faith of the hunter was so strong to have invoked the Lord’s appearance.

Narasimha promised Sananda that He would appear to him at a later date. Eventually, Sananda became Adi Sankara’s disciple and earned the name Padmapada because of his

unflinching faith in his Guru. It is held that he walked
unafraid on the waters of the Ganga in spate in response to the Guru’s call from the other side of the river bank. His steps were guided by lotus flowers that came up on the waters. Preceptors guide spiritual aspirants towards God-realisation by helping to refine their individual feelings arising from the reactions of thought and emotion such as love, infatuation, jealousy, greed, grief or sorrow