Vemana verses

Vemana is known to us a man without clothes. He was certainly a renounced. But not before he made a comment on the man woman relations.


He said certain interesting things about women. The beliefs are stereotypes for our present understanding. A female was an undeserving person and was only meant for procreation and keeping the hearth warm.

ఆలు మగని మాట కడ్డంబు వచ్చెనా
ఆలుగాదు నుదుటి వ్రాలుగాని
అట్టియాలు విడిచి యడవి యుండుటమేలు

Alu magani mATakaDDambu vaccenA
AlugAdu nuduTi vralugAni
aTTi yAli viDici YaDaviyunDuTa mElu

Vemana says that if the wife comes in the way of the man’s talking, that is if she talks back, she would not be a wife but the fate so written. He says that it would better to leave such a wife and live in a forest.

Difference of opinion is different from being adamant. I am sure the poet is talking about an adamant wife here. If the wife does not understand and keep harmony at the palce, the life is abd even for the wife. Vemana has also said about looking after the wife.

See the next verse.

కావవలయు మగడు కాంతనెల్లప్పుడు
కావలేని నాడు చావవలయు
కాపులేని దాని కాపురమడుగరా


kAvavlayu magaDu kAntanellappuDu
kAvlEninADu cAvvalayu
kApulEni dAni kApuramaDugarA

A husband should always protect the wife says Vemana. Is it protecting or taking care? Protection is when she is at risk. “Bharya roopayutah shatruh” said the tradition. If the wife is good looking, she would turn an enemy. It is not exactly about her trying to antogonise the man, but becoming a problem for him because every man in the land being interested in her. She then deserves protection. Vemana also says if you cannot protect the wife it si better you die. If the honor is at risk, it sure calls for some serious thinking. If teher is no protection for a woman whether good looking or otherwise, the family life is at risk.

Here I am in doubt about the word used.

It must be kApuramagaDura. agadu means at a low level. Such a family life will be not exactly good.

Another verse on man and wife relation.
ఆలి వంచలేక యధమత్వమున నుండి
వెనుక వంతుననుట వెర్రితనము
చెట్టు ముదరనిచ్చి చిదిమిన పోవునా


Ali vanca lEka Yadhamatvamuna nunDi
venuka vantunanuTa verritanamu
ceTTu mudaranicci cidimina pOvunA

If you are not able to control an adamant wife and say you will take it up later, you are mad says Vemana. Direct challenge to the man from Vemana here. Man is supposed to be at the helm and controlling the wife. Does that sound good at the present juncture? He says if you allow the plant to grow and become string, it cannot be nipped.

Vemana has written a lot of verses about man woman relations. I found these verses in a book of lectures by Sriman Rallapalli Anantakrishna Sharma garu, an authority on Vemana.

We shall share some of his impressions on Vemana in the coming posts on the subject.

Words of wisdom also call for some rethinking!
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