Nirvana Shatakam, composed by Adi Shankara himself, embodies the spiritual pursuit.
"Ātma" is the True Self. "Nirvāṇa" is complete equanimity, peace, tranquility, freedom and joy. "Shatkam" means "six" or "consisting of six."

It is said that when Ādi Śaṅkara was a young boy of eight and wandering near River Narmada, seeking to find his guru, he encountered the seer Govinda Bhagavatpada who asked him, "Who are you?" The boy answered with these stanzas, and Swami Govindapada accepted Ādi Śaṅkara as his disciple. The verses are said to be valued to progress in contemplation practices that lead to Self-Realization.