Today I present one of the most Profound and my personal favourite text called ‘Hastamalaka Stotra‘. Hastamalaka(name given later by Adi Shankaracharya) was 8th Century CE disciple of Adi Shankara and the first Jagat Guru of Dwarka Petham.
When Shankara, the Guru of the world, was travelling in the western parts of India and overcoming in debate the expounders of the various schools of thought, he once came to a village known as Srivali. When a brahmin inhabitant of the village named Prabhakara heard about his arrival he went to him with his thirteen year old son. He prostrated before Sankara and made his son also prostrate. He then explained that the boy had been dumb from his childhood, that he had no likes and dislikes, nor a sense of honour and dishonour, and that he was completely inactive. The Guru then raised the boy up and asked him as follows in a cheerful tone:
1. `Who are you? Whose child are you? Whither are you bound? What is your name? Whence have you come? Oh Child! I should like to hear your reply to these questions. Thus spoke Sri Shankaracharya to the boy, and Hastamalaka replied as follows.
All is One, One is All 