Shankaracharya's Atma Bodha was written in the eighth century to clarify the fundamental ideas revealed in the Upanishads. It is meant to be studied as a straightforward introduction, as it does not include elaborate arguments negating dualistic and quasi-dualistic views. The Fire of Self-Knowledge is an illustrated commentary on the great sage's poetic verses that presents the teaching methodology of Vedanta in an easily understandable manner for the seeker to assimilate the basic concepts.