Adi Shankaracharya the Saint and Scholar who spread Advaita Vedanta in India, is thought to have been tested for his moral character and spiritual prowess by Lord Shiva. And lord himself appeared as a Chandalan an untouchable from a lower caste. According to the tale, Shiva encountered Adi Shankaracharya while posing as a Chandalan as he travelled towards the highest point of knowledge. Lord Shiva put Shankaracharya to the test to see if he was trustworthy when it came to his knowledge and insight. Three Chandalans came to Shankaracharya in a gang and were very confident. Shiva is one of the Chandalans as Pulapottan while Parvathy and Nandikeshan are the other two. The Vedic and Brahminical Ideologies trained scholar Shankaracharya told the untouchables to get out of his way when he saw them across the street. According to the Varna System or Caste System, it was thought that having people from lower castes close to those from higher castes would upset them and defile their holiness. Most of the social ills that persisted in society could be attributed to this idea. After the group disregarded Shankaracharya's instruction, Lord Shiva and Shankaracharya got into a series of discussions in which the former exposed the absurdity of the caste system, which divides humanity and civilization into disparate parts. These arguments make up the bulk of the Thottam which also carries important societal lessons.

“Neenkale Kothiyalum Choralle Chovvare Naankale Kothiyalum Choralle ..."

During his debate with Shankaracharya, Lord Shiva emphasised this point again. The inquiry, which was translated as

"It is blood red blood, that flows out of you and me when cut open!"

This was put before the scholar as a fantastic idea and this blood has the same colour don't you think, master? In the simplest language possible, social ills like racism and casteism were discussed. Shankaracharya came to understand that he was more than just an untouchable man. As a result of Lord Shiva's persuasive arguments and strong beliefs, when Shankaracharya gained enlightenment, he realised that Lord Shiva was actually testing his intelligence and humaneness by appearing in front of him in disguise. Lord Shiva bestowed upon him the light of the fundamental human truth that regardless of caste, creed, gender, or religion, all people have red blood coursing through their veins as he travels towards the supreme knowledge.