One should be without ego and must have accumulated punyas to be able to see God, said M.A. Manickavelu in a discourse. Gnanansambandar, in his verse on the deity of Thiruvalanchuzhi, wonders what punya he had done to have seen the deity.
There was a man who worshipped Lord Narasimha for many years and he wanted to see the Lord. So he went to the forest, thinking he could find Him there. He asked a hunter. The hunter was ignorant about Narasimha and the bhakta described Narasimha’s half man, half lion form to him.
The hunter said he had never seen anything that fitted this description, but promised to look. The bhakta then arrogantly said, “I have worshipped Him for so many years and if I have not been able to see Him, how can you — a man who lives in the forest and has never worshipped Him — see Him?” The hunter said that if by that evening he did not bring Narasimha to the bhakta, then he would immolate himself. He swore on Lord Muruga that he would keep to his word. He searched the forest for Narasimha, but did not find Him. He then lit a fire, preparatory to keeping his vow.
But then Narasimha appeared before him. The overjoyed hunter pointed to the Lord and told the bhakta, “Look, here He is. Narasimha is here.” The bhakta, because of his ego, could not see the Lord, and said, “You are lying. Where is He?” Lord Narasimha then growled and said, “It is your ego that has kept you from seeing me. Only in your next birth will you be able to see me.” Thus, a man who had claimed to have worshipped Lord Narasimha throughout his life, was unable to see Him, because of his arrogance. But a humble hunter was able to see Him, because he sought Him without pride.