While attempting to avoid a Chandala ("untouchable") on the road, Sri Shankara is upbraided for his behavior by the Chandala who, through his wise words, reveals Shankara's hypocrisy in the light of his teachings. Upon this revelation Shankara composed his Manisha Panchakam, a small but important treatise interpreted by many as the essence of Advaita Vedanta.

In this little book, Swami Ranganathananda extracts a radical social message from this ancient encounter in an effort to bring the essential truth of Advaita Vedanta to a world plagued by discrimination of all kinds.

Let him be a Chandala, let him be a Brahmin, whoever has realized this truth, he is my guru.
-- Adi Shankara
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