Like the Upanishad seers to whom the Truth of Brahman was revealed in their inner being, it is believed that the Lord out of His Sankalpa revealed the Truth of His form and innumerable auspicious qualities to the Azhwars. Their hymns are thus on a par with the scriptures when they sing of what they have intuitively grasped.
In a discourse, Atthangi Sri Srinivasachariar Swami drew attention to the invaluable contribution of Thirumazhisai Azhwar, who is also known as Bhaktisara, for establishing the Para Tatva of Narayana beyond all doubts. The epithet Bhaktisara signifies that he was adept in bhakti yoga and in that state of samadhi he realised in his inner being the Lord as the Highest Truth ever. It was the Lord’s will that he who had been in silent meditation for long should speak aloud the rich vibrations of his devotional experience and share this with posterity. He begins the hymn Nanmukan Tiruvandadi with the assertion of the supremacy of Narayana who is the Lord of all creation in which are included Brahma, Rudra, Indra and other deities. He asserts that he has known the Lord as the Primordial Cause and that having known this, there is nothing further to be known. He anticipates opposing views based on statements in the Vedas which hail other deities as superior, and he counters them effectively in his hymns.
In a verse he alludes to the Lord’s Trivikrama avatara when Brahma, Dharma and Rudra pay obeisance to Him. Seeing the Lord’s sacred foot in Brahma Loka, Dharma becomes the water to enable Brahma to wash the Lord’s foot and Rudra hastens to hold the holy Ganga waters in his head to sanctify himself. Does this not prove the Lord’s supremacy? He re-asserts this truth in the tone of the Upanishads that use the phrase ‘Ya Evam Veda,’ and advises the jivas to pay obeisance to the highest Lord alone.
