In between the preceding stanza and this one, there would appear to have ensued a scintillating dialogue between the Lord and the Āzhvār. Put briefly, the Āzhvār who prayed in the last song for the bestowal on Him of the Lord’s grace, gets pulled up by Him, saying that there should be due merit in him deserving of His grace. The Āzhvār is quick to put the ball back into
In the divine dialogue of this third pāsuraṁ, a profound theological exchange unfolds. Emperumān appears to question the Āzhvār, saying, "You have pleaded, 'Show me mercy'. Very well, We shall do so; there is no cause for your distress. However, as is established in pūrva mīmāṁsā, 'śāstra-phalaṁ prayoktari' (the fruit of the śāstra accrues to the doer), and further