That the Lord’s glory is beyond thought, word or imagination is the ultimate finding of scriptures after attempts to comprehend His greatness. This is authenticated by all those who have tried to communicate their experiences and interactions with the Lord, pointed out Akkarakani T.A. Srinidhi Swami in a discourse on Krishna Kathamrutham .
Even Brahma who extols the Lord often accepts that none can praise the Lord adequately. Just before Krishna avatar, Brahma, along with other celestial beings, seeks refuge in the Lord with a hymn that is dedicated to the Lord’s transcending supremacy. Addressing the Lord’s divine presence in Devaki’s womb, Brahma identifies the Lord as the absolute and eternal Truth. “The Lord is the protector of Truth, having vowed to uphold it eternally. He is the highest form of Truth. He is the very embodiment of Truth, its essence and soul as it were. His Truth exists always, transcending the limitations of Time differentiated as past, present or future. His Truth is manifest as the world and creation. Truth and righteousness are His two eyes.”
It is said that Parasara Bhattar, who enjoyed a rapport with the Lord, once requests for a thousand tongues to praise His greatness. Granted this wish, he still finds himself unable to carry out his yearning. When the Lord asks him why he is hesitating, he says that with a thousand tongues one can just bring out the truth that His glory is such that even a thousand tongues cannot extol adequately.
Azhvars and acharyas marvel at the infinite facets of His greatness manifested in many incarnations. His boundless compassion is most attractive to the devotees . This compassion redeems mankind and understanding this truth inculcates in a devotee a longing to serve Him at all times. But for His grace it would not be possible to fulfil this aspiration. He remains distant to those devoid of devotion.
Any claim that one has understood God merely exposes one’s ignorance of His immensity. The Upanishads reiterate that awareness of the Lord begins with the knowledge that He is infinite. Seeking Him is the next step in reaching out to the fringes of His unfathomable glory.
