A devotee was introduced to Bhattar as someone who was well learned in Tamil. Bhattar asked him if he had any doubts. He asked "There are some who say that only the body is real and that there is no such thing as a soul; that there is no dharma or adharma; and that there is no God. Others say that the body is ephemeral; that there is something greater beyond this which is eternal. How is that there are such exact opposite views about the same body?"

Bhattar replied "In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says 'mama mAya duratyayA' - that is, His mAya is difficult to cross. Yet, He says later 'mAyAmEtAm taranti tE' - that is, those who seek me cross this mAya. Therefore, good people see the lowliness of the body and look for a way to remove it. Others think that it is sweet and are destroyed. This is done by the Lord based on the karmas of the different beings".