Lord Narayana reveals His qualities to Alavandar, and a stunned Alavandar who had planned to praise the Lord is now diffident. Having witnessed His resplendent glory, he wonders if he will be able to do justice to it. Whatever he has seen must be described completely and as he has seen it. But how is this possible when there are so many aspects to the Lord’s greatness? Where does one begin? So, Alavandar is naturally hesitant.
The Lord is praised by the Taittiriya Upanishad thus: satyam jnanam anantam Brahma. This defines Brahman, said Valayapet Ramachariar in a discourse. The Supreme One is unchanging. He is always the same. The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad says He is satyasya satyam. He controls both cetana and acetana., that is sentient and non-sentient entities. Jnana is one of the attributes of the Supreme One. He knows everything and is referred to as Sarvajna. He supports all entities. He is not restricted by geographical boundaries or by time. He is present everywhere and is always present. Hence He is Ananta. The Lord is described by the Isavasya Upanishad thus: Isavasyam idham sarvam. That is, He is pervasive. This Lord is full of auspicious qualities (kalyana gunas). Upanishads celebrate Him as heya gunarahithan — One without negative traits. He has no inauspicious qualities. He is present in everyone as antaryamin.
Alavandar talks of the Lord’s ocean-like glory. Why does he compare the Lord’s greatness to an ocean? Because an ocean’s depth is not easily known. Likewise, the Supreme One’s greatness is also not easily comprehended. Even one small part of one aspect of one guna of the Paramatma cannot be described. Alavandar says even Brahma and Siva have failed to describe His greatness. That being the case, how can he do it, wonders Alavandar.
