All three insist that liberation is an inner awakening, not an external achievement. Shankara: Liberation comes through jnana (knowledge) — the realization that Atman is Brahman. Kabir: God is not in temples or mosques, but within one's own breath and awareness. Vemana: Self-knowledge (ātma jñānam) is superior to rituals, pilgrimages, and outward piety. Truth is not acquired — it is recognized.

Though their tones differ, all three are deeply critical of mechanical religious practice. Shankara does not reject ritual outright but places it below self-knowledge. Ritual purifies the mind; it does not liberate. Kabir openly mocks ritualism, calling out both Brahmins and Qazis for missing the essence. Vemana ridicules superstitions, caste pride, and hollow asceticism. Kabir and Vemana speak bluntly; Shankara speaks systematically — but the conclusion is the same.

All three identify ego (ahaṅkāra) as the central problem. Shankara: Ego is born of ignorance (avidya) and dissolves with true knowledge. Kabir: Ego separates man from Ram; humility reunites them. Vemana: Pride of birth, wealth, or learning is spiritual poison. Liberation begins when the false sense of "I" collapses.