Vemana
Satakam (Essence of Dharma
according to poet Vemana in Telugu)
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
(One of the great books of “essence of Dharma”
in Telugu .Since these are taught
right from school, these are
ever popular. This is as great
as any other similar
book in any other language)
“Vemana satakam was composed by “Kumaragiri Vemareddy” popularly
known as
Yogi Vemana, a 14th century Telugu poet.He used
simple colloquial language in his poems with native Idioms. A poet ofthe
people, a philosopher of equality and a fighting saint, his poems were a direct
comment on the social structure at that time, which are relevant even to contemporary
society. His satakas(100 verses) are
known by his name as Vemana Satakam.
Almost all g his
verses of four lines end with a makuta(topping) line
“Viswadabhirama Vinura Vema” which is a refrain .Many different meanings /connotations are given to this line . The most common
is “The beloved of Vishwada, Listen
O Vemana!!” But I have chosen a
different meaning “Oh pretty one of the
world , please listen says
Vema” , which appeared to me as
more appropriate .Though I know spoken telugu
and Sanskrit, I do noy know how
to read Telugu.Due to this though I have been wanting to bring it to the notice of those outside Andhara, I was not able to do
it. Recently I came across a book by
“K.Srinivasa Sastry and Usha
.K.Srinivas” called “Vemana
Sataka” , where the poems have
been typed in english and there is a
commentary in english to each verse .I have
completly depended on this book
and have translated it in my own
words .My acknowledgements to the authors
of that book.
1.One Rama was
born and made clan of sun great,
The lord of Kurus(duryodhana) was born
and destroyed his clan,
This is the
effect of sins and good deeds ,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
2.The musk secreted
by the musk deer is black,
But its
sweet scent spreads
far and wide ,
Just like good
qualities of is recognized every where,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
3.The neem though
bitter cures diseses,
And gives firmness
to the luster of the body,
And if eaten regularly it leads to sweet results,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
4.Food without
dhal is
disliked by the world,
Only the person without debts is
more stronger,
And only the person without fear is the wise person
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
5,Even if a mean person practices knowledge ,
He does not become
important, just like a mean animal,
Like donkey
carrying perfumes does not become elephant,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
6.A child is
pampered only when mother is there,
And if she goes away
, no one cares about him,
And like that only
in good times, people get respect,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
7.What is the result in
offering food to a
person,
Who is not able to digest the food he takes,
And what is the result in giving charity to a rich man ,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
8.If we
provide help to a person with virtue,
It appears to him as big as a mountain due to his goodness,
But will the bad person even recognize
help as big as mountain,
Oh pretty one of the world , please listen
says Vema
9.If we are
fated to get God would
definitely give,
And if we are not fated to get it, there is no result,
And would God
bless you with Gold , if you are not fated?
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
10.A river full of water
flows with great majesty,
And a turbulent river
flows fast and slow and bent,
Will a noble person ever behave like a mean person,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
11.A rain drop
falling in an oyster
becomes a pearl,
And a rain drop falling in river , becomes a part of
water,
A person fated
to get it will never miss to get the chance,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says Vema
12.The outer
lappearance of a fig fruit is shining and smooth,
And if we cut it
open , we may see worms in it,
Such is the mind inside
an arrogant person,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
13,The bubbles
that form in the waves ,
breaks then it self,
And the
wealth seen in the dream is not wealth at all,
Please understand
the luck and enjoyment in the world are
bubbles,.
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
14.Though gold is
same different types of ornaments
are made out of it,
Though there are
various beings their soul is the same,
And there are many types of food all meant to satisfy
same hunger,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
.15.Do not claim
your superiority in places that
are not yours,
Even a small
precious thing has its own
importance but not its reflection,
Just like no
one bothers about reflection of a mountain in a mirror,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
16.A huge tree can
be destroyed by a small worm in its
root,
And white ants
affecting a huge tree can reduce it to nothing,
Just like by
influence of insignificant evil one can
destroy a person of good conduct,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
17.In every atom the
entire world is there.
And that atom is
again within itself ,
And the man who
can control his mind attains liberation,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
18.It is great joy
when our child grows up,
And becomes
obedient and respectful to elders,
But if he is not like
that , it is a cause of worry.
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
19.The head of the village knows who is lying,
And God knows about
those who tell the truth,
And the gluttony of husband is known to his wife,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
20.Serving
masters who do not know your
worth,
Would only lead
to a life full of delusion ,
For would a barren cow
ever give milk?
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
21.There are men
who sell milk adding water to it
There is a bird
which can separate
milk from water,
That swan is indeed
nobler than that man,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
22,Even if you
grow neem with love, by irrigating it
with milk,
The bitterness
would not reduce and it would not
be sweet,
An evil person would never turn in to a
good wise person,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
23.A fish can move
long distance in water,
But it cannot move
even one and half feet outside,
The strength of
its situation is more important to
it than its own strength
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
24.Among all charity , charity of food is greatest,
No one is more
superior than your own mother,
And no one is
better than our own guru,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
25.Saving money by
avoiding charity,
Saving food without
eating it ,
Is like bee
collecting honey for the passerby
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
26.The peppe
appears black to see ,
But when you bite
it , it tingles your tastebuds,
And the good
people have their separate essence,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
27.Though visible
, he does not recognise them,
Though it is
heard , he does
not understand them,
This is the state
of person who has wealth,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
28.What is written in paper is known to all,
The lines in the hand
can be deciphered,
But even a learned one cannot recognise , the writing
under the skin,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
29.It is possible
to examine and study many epics,
It is possible to utter
very many words,
But it is difficult indeed to be
patient,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
30.The Ganges flows with
peace towards ocean,
The gutter
canal flows making
great noise ,
A mean person cannot be peaceful like a noble person,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
31.Not understanding what comes definitely goes,
And death is a
natual process that comes,
If one roams recklessly
around as per his wish,
It is like an insect jumping and flying and falling in fire
, says Vema
32,If you give
shelter to a very
mean person ,
You would enter
in to needless trouble,
As it is like a fly
entering your stomach and causing
discomfort,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
33.Having a stone inside shoe or
flying insect inside ear,
Or having a
dust inside the eye or thorn in the feet,
Or quarrel in the
home . all cause great
discomfort,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
34.A mean person
always brags about himself,
A good man always
speaks with composure,
The sound produced by gold is different from that of
bronze,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
35.God dies not differ from one place to another,
For he is always
within your body,
Riding on your self
and controlling the horses,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
36.Even if you teach
the bull for a year ,
It would
understand you and behave properly,
But an adamant
person will not learn even in thirty years,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
37.Though the body is transient , the wealth is transient,
It cannot be
easily realized by any body,
It can be told to others
but difficult to practice,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
38.What If human
beings without any feeling of generosity,
Are born in this
world or dead in this world,
They are termites
being born or dead in ant hills,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
39,What is point
in bathing in water, offer
treasures,
And offer salutations
to the Gods,If they are done
By dishonest people whose mind is filled with evil?
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
40.If rains are
absent , famine occurs,
If rains are in plenty flood occurs,
But please realize that
they occur one after another,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
41,Though salt and camphor look alike,
They do taste
very different and like that ,
Though people look similar , the virtuous are different,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
42.All base qualities
in a person would be destroyed,
If he has
conversation with virtuous people,
Just like bad smell disappearing when scent is brought ,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
43.However much
one studies and however much one hears good,
A mean individual
can never become other than mean,
Would washing coal
with milk , turn it in to white?
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
44.The person who admits his ignorance is always
appreciated in this world,
But the one who admits to
be ready to learn would also be
blamed,
But the one who
keeps silent is considered as greatly wise,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
45.Any one who
keeps company of undesirable person,
Is also considered
as undesirable in this world,
It is something like drinking milk below a toddy palm,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
46.Just like large
black faced monkeys catch hold ,
Small monkeys and dress
it up in new cloths and respect
it,
Worthless
people flocj around useless people,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
47. If you person
with mental deficiency is given power,
He would dismiss
all efficient people from position of power,
Just like a dog
which chews a slipper does not know taste of sugarcane,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
48,If the bottom
of a wealthy man gets sore,
It would become a
news all over the world,
But even if a marriage takes place in a poor family no
one notices it,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
49.Due to desire
, all their life humans,
Wander all around
with false hopes,
Like flies swarming round a dirty pot ,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
50.A loveless feast is wasteful cooking of special dishes,
A devotionless
worship is waste of sacred
leaves,
A charity without knowing
worth of receiver is waste of gold,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
51.Fault
finders are very many in the
world,
While each person has
some fault or other ,
Fault finders can
never find their own defects,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
52.If an illiterate
associates himself with learned people,
He can never
become a learned person,
A duck by associating with swans cannot become a swan,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
53, At the time
of weakness even a lion,
Can be
troubled by a very
unhealthy dog,
And so when you are not strong , do not be stubborn,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
54.At the beginning
do not compromise on your principles.,
And till the end do not criticise the principle of any other,
And this is how a
poised person leads his life,
And such a person with joy becomes the leader
55.A steady
brain is better than worship,
Mind is always stronger
than words,
Good qualities
are better than
family lineage,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
56.The person seeking alms is the worst in the world,
The person who
never asks for anything is like God,
But the person who does
not give little charity is a bad person,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
57.No person is free
from birth and death,
He is not the one who
acts either in the beginning or
end,
And it is laughable that
he thinks he does it in the in
between period,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
58.Without
practice nothing can be achieved ,
Without teaching
no one can learn,
Please understand this by fixing your mind ,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
59. If the son who does not show affection to parents,
It does not matter
whether he is born or dead ,
They are like white ants born and dying in the anthill itself,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema \
60.A noble
person is the brother of other ladies,
Does not aspire
for other’s wealth, looks after
interest of of others,
Does not get angry when others get angry,
And leads his life for others , says ,Vema
61.Philosophers
are plenty in this world,
Though one who
knows the truth is not there
in the world,
And even if he is there, It is not possible to find him,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
62.If a pot is broken a new one can be bought ,
But in this world
, once a man is fallen,
It is extremely difficult
for him to recover,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
63. Humming again and again , the melody of singing increases,
Eating again and
again even bitter neem becomes sweet,
And only by constant practice anything becomes possible,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
64.In a house
without lamp,
IN the darkness
people cannot see their forms,
But even
having lamp of intelligence .
People are not able to see sinful ways says Vema.
65.It looks as
if it is possible to break a stone,
It is even possible
to powder all hills
But it is difficult to melt heart of cruel person,
Oh pretty one of the world , please listen
says Vema
66.A person
who forgets day and night,
Who is not bothered
about his feelings,
And forgets you and
me is the great yogi,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
67.Those who in
their mind wants to ruin others,
Do not understand that
it leads to their own ruin,
Please understand that God is there who oversees all this,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
68.one small good
act with a clean mind is sufficient,
For how does a tiny
banyan seed compare ,
With the
tree that comes
out of it,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
69.Only the person who knows the secret ,
Would be able to
know the truth
of any action,
For without
entering the water , we do not
know its depth,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
70.When you approach a barren cow to milk it ,
It would kick yoiur
teeth off , similarly,
If you approach a miser
for help , he will only insult you,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
71.What does not come , will not come , even if you
request,
And What is destined will come even without a request,
In spite of our thinking and worrying about it,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
72.If clouds mask the
sun cannot be seen,
If our mind blocks
, we loose our stability,
If we forget the duties of life , the salvation would
be blocked,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
73.If you catch ,. Hold it tight and do not leave it,
But saying I wont
catch , you should not catch,
It is better to die than catching and then leaving,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
74.There are
people who do sins inside but,
Appear as good
people outside, others,
May not know it
but God definitely will,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
75.Possesing a
genuine sapphire is better than,
Having a basket full of
glittering stones,
To read and understand one good poem is sufficient..
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
76.The world blames
the person who tells the truth,
Do not speak
truth in the company of evil persons,
But speak only truth
when you are in company of noble
people,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
77.Unity is extremely necessary,
One can achieve
anything by its strength,
Just like an elephant can be tied with a
rope of straw,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
78.We bathe it
with water , examine it,
Drape it with sari
and also feed it ,
We do all this to the body which is perishable,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
79.Wealth is the
root of all the world,
Wealth is the root of all Dharmas,
Good nature is root of
all prosperity,
And thought alone is the
basis of salvation, says Vema
80.Iron breaks by
heating it twice or thrice ,
But it could be made
to join again,
But when mind breaks
, nothing can be done to heal it,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
81.By having
one good person in one’s clan,
The clan can be made
in to great , it is,
Just like one
sandal wood tree making the forest
great,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
82. By increase of
wealth one’s pride increases,
By increase of
pride , bad characters increase,
And likewise when
wealth decreases pride decreases.
And by decrease of
pride good character increases , says Vema
83.Lord Shiva knows
there is falsehood in world
below,
The water knows
it is flowing to a lower level,
And the mother knows whether a son is going to be born to
her,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
84.A hand works
well due to power of five fingers,
Even if i one finger
is not there , the hand weakens ,
Similarly by deserting of one person, the group gets weakened,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
85.Words over
words leads to discussion,
All manthras
are combination of precious words,
When one knows
the harmony of words,
Through these
words , one can get salvation ,
says Vema.
86.Anger
reduces a person’s greatness,
Due to anger ,
good character gets reduced,
And due to anger
even one’s life span get reduced,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
87.If we get in our hand,an enemy who deserves to be
killed,
That enemy
should be left unharmed,
Because an appropriate help , will make him not an enemy,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
88. If you bring a bear’s hide , and however much,
We wash it again
and again, it would not become white,
Does beating of an wooden doll , ever make it speak,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
89.No work should
be done with unnecessary delay,
For if we hurry
to finish it early, complications would arise,
Can we pluck a unripe fruit and make it ripe by just keeping it,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
90.A person who has good conduct can swim across,
A river when the time is proper,
Only a steady mind
can help you to win your objective ,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema.
91.A person who
is obedient and respectful to his Guru,
And pleases him
in a proper manner , leaving out
self pride,
And communalism , would live focused as long as he lives,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
91.One who knows
his mother also knows God,
One who knows the earth
also knows the sky,
And he is also a person
who knows himself well,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
92.People bring
stones and build pretty temples
wth them,
They would then make stone idols and consecrate
them there with pomp,
And then would
those idol bless them or speak to them,?
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
93.When effect of past Karma increases , there is no escape,
Did not king
Yudhishtra the king of Dharma ,
Became a lowly
servant in the king Viratas court.
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
94.The great city
of Lanka , blessed by Goddess
of wealth,
Was destroyed by
an army of small monkeys,
In bad times , the small
and weak person can cause havoc,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
95.Cows are of
different colours but milk is always
white,
The flowers are
of different types but worship is same ,
Appearance of Gods
is different but they are all one God,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
96.When there
is no anger , there is no enmity,
When there is no
enmity, the karma from previous births do not trouble you ,
When you disregard
differences, there are no
quarrels,
When anger enmity
and bias are not there , you would get salvation
97. The sense
of fear leads to ignorance,
If fear can be
overcome, we can attain salvation,
This body of ours
would certainly get destroyed,
Please understand
that our soul is the
one who wins.
98.A spoon of good milk from a cow is
sufficient ,
Rather than getting a pot full of milk from a donkey,
A morsel of food given with love is sufficient to satisfy hunger,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
99.A swan in manasarovar
swims,
Without being affected by water,
A yogi wanders without being affected by pleasures,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
100.Self knowledge
is everything ,
Practical knowledge
is for living properly,
With destruction of knowledge of passion you see
everything,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
101Without inner purity rituals are useless,
It is like
cooking food in unclean vessels,
Why worship lord
Shiva without mental purity,
Oh pretty one of
the world , please listen says
Vema
