Devotional literature hails the human faculties and sense organs as essential tools for God realisation and discourages their tendency to get attracted to worldly objects. Once they get hooked to the world's glitter, it is difficult to divert them back to their original purpose. Listening, especially, is hailed as an invaluable asset in this pursuit. Hearing the glories of the Lord can bring about a slow transformation in us. It gets inside our system and influences our entire being, initiating a change in our thought, word and deed. From the lives of great preceptors it is seen that listening has played a significant role in transmitting the spiritual tradition through the ages, pointed out Srimati Jaya Srinivasan in a lecture.
Alavandar, a foremost preceptor in the Vaishnava tradition, sensed the need of a capable disciple who could continue and establish Vaishnavism on firm footing, and divined that none could fit the bill better than Ramanuja. This preceptor sent his disciple Periyanambi to Kanchipuram, where Ramanuja was engaged in service to Lord Varadaraja, to bring him to Srirangam. It is said that Ramanuja listened enraptured to Periyanambi's chanting of Alavandar's StotraRatna in the temple, and was eager to fulfil the wishes of the Acharya. But by the time Ramanuja reached Srirangam, Alavandar had shed his mortal coils and attained the feet of Lord Ranganatha. Ramanuja vowed to fulfil Alavandar's wishes.
Another instance is of Vedanta Desika, who as a young boy, used to listen to Nadathur Ammal's spiritual and philosophical discourses in the Kanchipuram temple. Impressed by his attentiveness, Nadathur Ammal blessed him and prophesied that he would clarify the truths of Vedanta for posterity.
Realisation is an inner experience that revels in the awareness of the Supreme Brahman at all times. Realised souls have direct perception of the Divine Truth and their overwhelming response to this experience flows as devotion through soul-stirring hymns. Azhwars's hymns teach us to imbibe the right spirit towards God and instil immense love and devotion towards His boundless mercy.