To break free from the samsaric cycle and to attain moksha, we need to surrender at the feet of Lord Narayana, who has innumerable auspicious qualities, including saulabhya and sauseelya. These two qualities make it possible for us to approach Him without fear and to seek His proximity, said Kazhiyur B. Devarajan in a discourse.
The Upanishads, when speaking of the Supreme One, do not describe Him, and instead say “neti, neti”. Neti (na+iti), meaning “not this”, simply means that the Upanishad is saying what Brahman is not. It does not say what He is, but says what He is not. That He is superlative is obvious, but a further definition is not to be found. In this sense, Hastigiri, the abode of Lord Varadaraja, deserves praise, for it shows us that the Lord who resides on this hill (giri) is the Supreme One. Vedanta says you cannot see Him, but Peyazhvar saw Him and recorded his experience too. He uses the word “kandaen” (I saw) many times.
Likewise, the hill known as Hastigiri in Kanchi makes it possible for us to claim that we have seen the Supreme One, for Lord Varadaraja is the Supreme One. Kooratazhvan in his Varadaraja stava, therefore, pays his respects to Hastigiri. There may be unfortunate people who have a wrong perception about Brahman. Kooratazhvan refers to them as kudrushtis. If such kudrushtis, who had wrong interpretations regarding the Supreme One, feast their eyes on Lord Varadaraja of Hastigiri, their doubts will vanish.
It is not easy to comprehend the Supreme One. Studying the Vedas and seeking to interpret them using nyaya texts is difficult. Not many can do this. But Hastigiri helps us see the Supreme One, without going through any such difficult processes of study and analysis.
