Devotion can be of two types — through one’s knowledge or intelligence, and through one’s consciousness. The former is compared with a baby monkey holding its leaping mother with a firm grip, while the latter is akin to a mother cat holding her kitten by the jaw in order to transfer it. The first one is risky because the baby monkey will fall if its grip loosens. In the second, the kitten remains free of tension.

Lanka Sri Jeyaraj said in a discourse that deeds carried out in previous births, bundled as karma (destiny), play a pivotal role in a person’s life. It is worth pondering why good men suffer in poverty while the envious prosper (Avviya Nenjathan — Kural 169).

Thiruvalluvar has devoted a chapter exclusively to describe the cause and effects of our previous deeds. Saint Arunagirinathar says that we can count even the particles of sand in the seven seas but not the number of births to which we have been subjected due to our karma.

Four forms of worship are prescribed — Chariya, Kriya, Yoga, and Jnana. Chariya refers to virtue and selfless service. It is the path to servitude. The soul relates to God as a servant to the master. Kriya denotes deep devotion through Bhakti. While Chariya is an external mode of worship, Kriya is internal. Yoga represents the process of unifying with God within oneself. It is an inner discovery. Jnana is divine wisdom emanating from an enlightened being. The state of jnana lies in the realm of intuition beyond intellect. Each form of worship does not compete with the others but rather complements them.

A coconut sapling takes several months to sprout, whereas green gram sprouts in a few days. The mode of worship differs from person to person based on past deeds.