THE great Sankaracharya had a foolish disciple who used to imitate his Master in all matters. Sankara uttered ‘Sivoham’ (I am Siva); the disciple also repeated ‘Sivoham’. To correct his disciple’s folly, Sankara one day, while passing by a smithy, took a potful of molten iron and swallowed it; and he asked that disciple also to do the same. Of course, the disciple could not imitate this act of his Master, and thence forward he left saying ‘Sivoham’. (52)