Hymn-Manisha Panchakam of Adi Shankara (M. Venkataraman)

Glimpses from Indian spirituality, mythology and way of life.

Manisha Panchakam

This is a hymn composed by the great saint Adi Shankara bringing about in just five verses the essence of the Advaitha philosophy. Advaitha meaning non-dualism, expounded in detail by Adi Sankara does not recognize differences between people on the basis of caste, creed etc since everything in the universe is the manifestation of the Almighty known as Brahman.

There is a story associated with this composition. One day, Adi Shankara was walking in the holy town of Varanasi along with his disciples. He was going towards the temple of Lord Viswanatha. It so happened that at that time a sweeper crossed his way. Shankara asked the sweeper ‘move away’, ‘move away’. The sweeper then asked him, ‘O great ascetic! Whom are you asking to move away? Do you want the body made up of food to move away to another body made up of food? Or do you want the consciousness to move away from consciousness?’ Is not the Supreme Being reflected in every object just as the rays of the Sun are reflected in the water bodies? What is this illusion of difference in the form of a being? Why this doubting confusion and differentiation?’

Immediately Adi Shankara realised the presence of Lord Shiva before him. And these five verses came out from the great Saint.

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