Saints and devout men do not see any way of serving God or His devotees as inferior, said Akkarakkani Srinidhi.
One day a man came to Vaishnavite preceptor Nanjeeyar, asking that he teach him Nammazhvar's Tiruvaimozhi . Nanjeeyar directed him to his disciple Nampillai.
The man who had come seeking spiritual instruction told Nanjeeyar that since he had great regard for Nanjeeyar, he was ready to fall at the preceptor's feet and learn from him. But he was not willing to fall at Nampillai's feet.
Nanjeeyar told the man that at no point of time had he insisted that the man fall at Nampillai's feet. Nanjeeyar then sent for Nampillai and told him that here was a man who wanted to be taught Tiruvaimozhi .
Nanjeeyar also told Nampillai that while the one who was going to be taught would sit on a chair, Nampillai himself would have to be seated on the floor. Nampillai unquestioningly agreed to do so.
The lessons began, and as instructed by Nanjeeyar, Nampillai sat on the floor, while the student sat on a chair. As the classes progressed, the student felt very bad about being seated on a chair, while his teacher sat on the floor. So he prostrated before Nampillai and asked him to sit on the chair.
Thereupon, Nampillai said he would no longer teach him. The reason given by Nampillai was that he had been asked by Nanjeeyar to sit on the floor and instruct the student. Now if he were asked to sit on a chair, he could not teach, because that was not what his acharya had told him to do. Thus Nampillai not only was humble enough to sit on the floor and teach he was also always obedient to his preceptor.
Kooratazhvar's humility, too, was legendary. Once a man came to Kooratazhvar and asked him to clear his doubts. But the man said he did not want anyone to know he had doubts. Kooratazhvar suggested that the man sit on a chair with the book in his hand. The moment they heard someone approach, the man could hand the book over to Kooratazhvar, and the visitor would think Kooratazhvar was the student, which was why he was seated on the floor!
Who but a true devotee of God would have such humility?
