Soul

Once Sri Sankara was returning from Viswanatha Temple at Varanasi with his disciples, after a bath in the Ganges. At that time casteism and untouchability was very prominent. A Chandala followed by four dogs appeared before Sankara. Sankara asked him to clear away from the path. The Chandala with a smile asked, “Whom are you asking to move away? The soul or the body? Your soul, my soul and every other soul in the world are one and the same. There is no impurity in the soul. It is just like the moon reflected in a pot of Ganga water or in a can of liquor. The moon will not become impure by its reflection. Or do you want the body to move? Without the soul the mere body is inert. It cannot move. And moreover for a sanyasin what are caste, purity and impurity?”

Sankara was taken aback by the amazing facts from the Chandala. He prostrated himself at the feet of the Chandala for teaching him such a great truth. Then the Chandala disclosed the truth about himself. It was Lord Viswanatha himself who had come in the form of a Chandala to teach Sankara that distinctions like Brahmin, Chandala etc. are only for the narrow minded. The Lord blessed Sankara and disappeared.