Vemana Satakam

ఉప్పు కప్పురంబునొక్క పోలికనుండు
చూడచూడ రుచుల జాడవేరు
పురుషులందు పుణ్యపురుషులు వేరయా
విశ్వదాభిరామ వినుర వేమ

Salt and camphor look alike when looked at.
But when tasted they are very different.
Similarly all people appear alike physically.
But, virtuous and pious people are a different lot. Vemana commented on many things in the contemporary world with unimaginable simplicity and ease. He says that looks are disceptive when people are concerned. A man may look very respectable. It is a question whether his deeds and words are equally respecatable. For this he takes the similarity between the common salt and camphor. They differ in both smell and taste.
Vemana a poet philosopher has given a lot of such gems to the Telugu knowing people.
He is known in every Telugu household. In my generation all people used to know at least a few verses of such scholastic works.
I will try to bring as many verses as possible in the next few days.