This poem is inspired by Advaita Siddhanta, the non-dual philosophy from Hinduism, taught by Adi Shankaracharya. Advaita means "not two" it reminds us that everything in this world is one. There is no separation between the divine and us. The tree, the animal, the fish, the mountain ,the river, the sky, every person you meet they are all filled with the same essence and presence. The same God lives in all.
You can feel this truth deeply in the Pandharpur Wari, a yearly pilgrimage in Maharashtra, India, where lakhs of people walk together to honor Lord Vithoba. The most beautiful part is not just the devotion it’s how the Warkaris treat each other. They bow to everyone, no matter their gender, age, wealth, or background. They see the divine in every face.
They even call each other Mauli : a word that means mother, divine. It is a way of saying, “I see God in you.” In the Wari, no one is higher or lower. All are equal. All are God in human form.
That is what Advaita teaches that the divine is not somewhere far away. It is here. In you. In me. In all.
The poem begins here:
The divine’s not locked behind shrine’s doorNot in the temple, not in loreNo hands can steal what none can claimWho dares to claim that holy name?
He lives within, not far or nearIn every thought, in every prayerHe fills all space, the east, the westThe sky, the sea, all life expressedHe’s found wherever life may beIn all that walks or swims or breathes
He won't be held in sculpted stoneNor bought where sacred flags are flownHe waits in silence, bare and trueNot draped in gold, but born in youIn you and me , our bones, our breath , in this heavy frame (body)He fills it all without a name
He is the tide, the burning sunThe end of time, the just begunHe’s form and formless, source and sparkThe flame that glows when all is darkThough ages pass and moments fleeThe Paramtatva remains eternally