Alavandar in his Stotra Ratna says Lord Narayana has placed His feet on his head. He mentions this first, saying ‘mae moordhni.’ Then he says that the Lord is the One the Vedas point to us as the Supreme One. There are many Upanishad vakhyas, which point to His Supremacy. But why does Alavandar first mention the Lord’s feet placed on his head, and then speak of the Vedas? Should the Vedas not be spoken of first, considering that they are timeless and are apaurusheyam (not written by anyone)? But there is a reason for the order followed by Alavandar, said Valayapet Ramachariar in a discourse.
When we set a goal for a person, he must have the confidence that it is attainable. Something that seems totally out of reach is not going to attract his attention. The Vedas are not easily comprehended by everyone. And if the Lord being the substance of the Vedas is first mentioned, people will be frightened off, thinking that He is beyond understanding. But if His putting His feet on a human being’s head is mentioned first, then the listener is drawn by the Lord’s quality of saulabhya. Kooratazhvan says that if one visits Hastigiri and sees Lord Varadaraja, then no one needs to instruct him about the Supreme One. He automatically realises that Lord Varadaraja is the Paramatma. The archa form is accessible, and it is this accessibility that people find appealing. So Alavandar first mentions the fact that will put our fears at rest and then takes up the subject of His Paratva (Supremacy). Krishna charmed the Gopikas with His simplicity. When He suddenly hid Himself from view, they rolled on the sand that had His footprints. Kooratazhvan, in his Atimanusha Stava, wishes he had been a particle of sand in Gokula, for then Krishna would have placed His feet on him.
