SIVA AND SANKARACHARYA

When Sankaracharya was in Kasi (Varanasi), at the approach of an untouchable, he said: “You fellow! keep away, keep away!” The other man asked: “Whom do you want to keep away from you? Is it the body? The body is inert. What right has your inert body to ask my inert body to keep away from it. Both are inert. How can one inert object talk to another? Or, is it the case that you want the Atma in me to keep away from you? The Atma in me is the same as the Atma in you. What is it that you want to go away from you?” There was an argument between the two over the body and the Atma at the end of which Sankaracharya realised that the person who had recognised the Atma-principle would be none other than the Lord Himself and prostrated before the man infront of him. At that moment Siva revealed Himself and told Sankaracharya:” It is to remove from your mind your mistaken notion that I had assumed the form of the untouchable.