Acharya Prashant addresses a question regarding the caste of Shiva, which has become a topic of national debate. He begins by quoting the Nirvana Shatakam by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, stating, "Neither am I bound by Death and its Fear, nor by the rules of Caste and its Distinctions." He emphasizes the line "Na me jaati bhedah," which translates to "I have no caste distinctions," and contrasts this with the current discussions about Shiva's caste. In response to the query, which originated from a long-time student of Vedanta, Acharya Prashant explains that the concept of Shiva's caste is unusual. He refers again to the Nirvana Shatakam, reciting the first stanza which negates identification with the mind, intelligence, ego, sense organs, and the five elements, concluding with "I am Shiva, I am pure auspiciousness." He clarifies that Shiva represents pure consciousness and unadulterated bliss. Since Shiva is not a body, the question of caste is irrelevant. The tendency to assign a caste to Shiva arises from our deep-seated body-identification, which makes us want to perceive even the highest reality in bodily terms. Acharya Prashant further elaborates by explaining the context of the Nirvana Shatakam. It was composed by a young Adi Shankaracharya when his teacher asked for his identity. His response was a negation of all bodily and material attributes, asserting his true nature as consciousness, separate from Prakriti (material nature). Shiva is not an idea or a figment of imagination but another name for the highest Truth taught in Vedanta: the Atma (Self). He equates Shiva with Atma, Brahm (the ultimate reality), and Satya (Truth), referencing the phrase "Satyam Shivam Sundaram" (Truth is Shiva, Shiva is Beautiful). The personification of Shiva as a yogi or with a family is a story created for the common person who needs a form to relate to, but this image is just an approximation and not the formless, imageless reality. He warns against desecrating the highest Truth by reducing it to our limited, mediocre understanding. The stories and myths surrounding Shiva are useful only if understood in the light of Vedanta; otherwise, they can be harmful. He concludes that the word "Shiva" must be used with the utmost understanding and responsibility. It represents the supreme consciousness, and only through the surrender of the ego-self can one be uplifted. The entire discussion about Shiva's caste is a product of ignorance, as Shiva, being the formless Truth, is beyond all such distinctions.