Vemana has said that while the serpent has poison in its fangs and the scorpion in its tail, man is capable of inflicting poison through his tongue, eye, hand and mind. He has to overcome this acquired tendency and remind himself that he is Amritasya putra (the child of immortality) conferring sweet nectar, not death dealing poison. (SSS Vol.8, p. 123)

You are Brahman, the Infinity, the Absolute, the Eternal,’ few respond to the call. Your insolence or ignorance cannot, however, diminish the authenticity of the Vedhic announcement. Poet Vemana has a fine way of saying this: ‘He who eats the dog is the Preceptor, the Guru; he who eats the pig is the exemplary Yogi; he who eats the elephant is the Wisest of the lot, the Jnani.’ Of course, Vemana means by dog, Anger; by pig, he means the Ego and by elephant he denotes Pride, uncontrolled passion. When these three are consumed, the vision becomes clear enough to see the Infinity. (SSS Vol. 10, p. 90) One who is able to control and overcome one’s anger, ego, and attachments becomes a great yogi. (SSB 1972, p. 174)

Saint Vemana says:

Scholars Study! Study! Study!

But the fools know not who they are!

Studying, studying, studying.

The scholar is not free from vice

Nor has he become wise.

Then, why study these mean mortal things?

Study only that which is deathless. (SSS Vol. 15, p. 40)

Vemana observed that a son who does not care for his parents is no better than the worms that are born and die in an anthill. (SSS Vol.21, p. 110)

You may have heard of Vemana too. He was a thinker who belittled worship offered to stones and idols. He used to doubt, ‘ God, who pervades the whole world, how can He be inside stone statues?’ He used to make fun of idol worshippers. One day, his elder brother’s daughter, whom he loved dearly, passed away. Grief-stricken, he kept on gazing at the little girl’s picture hanging on the wall. His elder brother’s wife was observing all this. One day, she threw down the picture. It broke into pieces. This was too much for Vemana to bear. Then, she said, ‘ My son! My girl is no more, isn’t she? Why do you cry over a broken picture?’ Vemana replied, ‘ Mother! Though she is gone, her picture was here, wasn’t it? Looking at it has been some consolation for me. That is why when it broke into pieces, I am grieving ever more. ‘ Then his elder brother’s wife counselled him admirably, ‘ My son! It is very true that God is present everywhere. But, the devotee delights in seeing Him and worshipping Him in an idol as well. Just as you consoled yourself looking at the picture even though she whom you love is no more, the devotee invokes God in an idol, and offers it worship. ‘ Straightaway Vemana grasped her message, and the secret behind idol worship. In this way, the experience of visualising the Supreme Lord in all places, times, and creatures is truly Constant-Integrated Awareness. This can also be called the existence and intimation of Divinity. (Satyopanishad, p. 91)

According to the words of poet Vemana, it does not matter even if you go to the world of Indra or to the land of the moon. You should try to get on the Nandi and see the Divine and understand the self. Ordinarily, the word Nandi means ‘bull’. But Vemana has used this word Nandi synonymously with Buddhi or intelligence. He means that if we make ourselves distant from our intellect and go to the moon, the happiness that we get will not be the right kind of happiness. The right kind of happiness is contained in our own mind and within our own thoughts. Without making proper use of our intelligence, without developing detachment to our body and without having faith in the Divine, we are not going to have the fruits of our actions. If you keep away from cleansing your mind, and if you stick to sensuous pleasures, you will never have the fruit of your actions, even if you go on praying to God for His blessings. (SSB 1973, p. 50)

‘If you fill your head with all sorts of evil ideas, you will be robbed of your discrimination and intelligence.’The Telugu poet Vemana has thus composed a number of couplets and quatrains which succinctly summarise a whole system of philosophy and a complete code of morality.

‘Why do you load your stupid pate with all kinds of learned lumber? Why do you kill yourself with too much learning? Try and understand that eternal truth which will make you immortal.’

‘You may learn all arts and sciences. You may call yourself a versatile genius and an all-knowing polymath. But still you will only be a learned fool if you do not know your Self.’

‘A mean-minded man without moral scruples may read but he can never give up his meanness.’

‘You may read all the books in the world. You can only become a hair-splitting and pettifogging pundit. With the aid of books you can never acquire spiritual wisdom and integrated knowledge. Such bookish learning may enable you to eke out your livelihood. But books can never reveal to you a vision of your own divine Atma.’(SSB 1979, pp. 75-76)