To talk of the means to attain to this great goal, will be futile if we don't understand the nature of man. From the statements in the first chapter of the Kural, it may be deduced that man is ignorant and subject to births and deaths, and has likes and dislikes, and does sin and suffer, and he could dot be compared to God in any way. The following texts bring out the distinction quite plainly enough.

"The knowing one (God) and the non-knowing (soul) are two, both unborn; one is Lord, the other non-Lord (anisa)."

"Patim Vivasy-atmeswaram (Lord of the soul) Sasvatam Sivam achyutam."

"He who dwells in the soul and within the soul, whom the soul does not know, whose body the soul is, who rules the soul within, He is thy soul, the ruler within, the immortal."

"But the soul Paramount is another. Who is proclaimed as the Paramatma, who - the infinite king - penetrates all the three worlds and sustains them.

Since I do surpass the kshara, and even do excel the akshara, 1 am reputed the Purushottama."