Verses of
Yogi Vemana
Translated from the Telugu by
C.P. Brown
[1829]
YOGI VEMANA
Translated from the Telugu VersesSurely thy mother is thy wife and thy wife thy mother. Wise is he who has comprehended this regarding these two (incomplete).
41
Unless thou give up thy lusts thou shall not be released from thy ties. (lit. cord: earthly ties). Unless thou be free thou at no devotee. None but a devotee can be freed from all desires.p. 18
42
If you listen and listen to the voice within thy soul, the first saint shall not be entangled in desires. If thou attain light In the soul, this beatitude,43
Convert thy mind into a fair chamber built in a summer mansion (pleasure house) with a bath, well and garden. Prepare it for meeting the maid of wisdom in secret and enjoying her charms. Thus let thy hours sweetly glide away.44
If thou search in the place where a thing is, thou shalt find it. Why search in a place where it is not? Without the conjuration of deep thought thou canst not attain that thing that is above all desirable.45
How did he learn all the truth, and yet fail of becoming the Eternal; carefully ascertaining the mystic word in abstraction, they distribute instruction regarding the wondrous from. (loose version).46
p. 19In the flame of fire when thou hast firmly immolated (as a holocaust) all personal affection fixing thy thought on the unborn, this shall he an acceptable dedication to Hari.
47
Though fire is produced in a tree, is the tree conscious of that fire? Like as the fire is concealed in the tree, thus can no one perceive the nature of the devotee who hath dispelled those passions that harass the soul.48
To gaze and gaze on the firmament in the mundane egg shall be excellently sweet to the sage if he fully meditates on it: abundantly blessed shall he be in whatever direction he directs his view or his steps.49
How can he be a (Brahmin) Divine who knoweth not (Brahma) the Divinity in the city of the Divine egg or universe? To understand by own mind, go to, this is (Brahminity) Divinity.50
p. 20The science taught by a teacher is known to the teacher. The teacher knoweth what the teacher explaineth. The power of the teacher is known to the primal teacher.
51
Understanding well in thy mind uniting thyself with thy mind and seizing him who is in thy mind--he that can stay his mind, this is the yogee who knows the great secret.52
Ignorant that he is himself the truth (tatwa) he loves delusion which he imagines to be truth. If truly he sought for uprightness and virtue (dharma and carma) this should be, to him, the truth, that is the source of happiness,53
He who constantly, without intermission, holdeth the all pervading Divinity in (the place of) his soul, he shall arrive at the ineffable dwelling, he shall truly comprehend the world--this is the truth.54
Quitting this thick darkness of ignorance he who in due time forgetteth himself, and who fixeth his mind with care on the supreme, this great noble sage no where is to be found.p. 21
55
As when one sees a rope and mistakes it for a snake he is alarmed, but when he knows it is a rope his fear is over. Thus only when fear departs, can we know the true nature of god.56
The Divinity appears diversely to all those who look him. They who seeing see and see him with understanding shall behold him; they themselves shall become that vision and that vision, them.57
He who comprehends the creed of the spine (cundali) what hath that sage of might to do with the embraces of a girl --nobly in this body shall the maid of beatitude alone shine.58
The Veda taught by Vemana is known to him alone. Hear! Others know it not. To those who understand Vemana shall the one letter (Om) be a thousand times taught and permanently impressed on their mind.p. 22
59
The corporal form being burnt in the flame of wisdom the body is all vexed crushing all that desire, that (rolls about or) is afflicted in the body. If thus we behold God, this is beatitude, O Vema!60
He is like to a meditator, like a dumb man, like to an enjoyer, like a diseased one. He who knows every state shall become Omniscient and be like the prince of yogees.61
Is not there one man living of good position? He may live some days in comfort. After living, living and living he lives no longer. If he will know the path to happiness, let him seize that stout thief, his mind cut into pieces and prepare a dwelling for himself in heaven.62
What is the wisdom of that man who in the house of the body cannot distinguish his friends and foes? On him who knoweth them shall Divine ambrosia be bestowed.p. 28
63
Like as water flows in its channel thus does an immersion in that knowledge of truth that arises in the mind ultimately (through an absorption in the final essence) constitute the perfect saint. Then is he like to the Ganges when her streams reach the ocean. (a correct version of awful intricacy).64
Casting away the mind and turning it back knowing the secret of the heart and if thou fix thy mind, this is the greatest task of religion.65
While pride of the body remains, love and the lust plunge us in the ocean of reproduction. Therefore, desire, mental enemies, senses, thoughts, deceit and fraud are all like to dream let us awake O Vema!66
If you comprehend not the entire secret and if thy mind be not bound up to one aim, the Divine secret shall not be revealed to thee. Should it be shewn openly it would be but as the unveiling of the secret parts.p. 24
67
If we look into these our bodies let us with inner vision consider that the nature our forms possess is also that of all other bodies--with devotion do all penitents, behold this.68
If the teacher knows not in his character, the prime teacher, he is himself as blind. The teacher who teaches the teacher is the lord of life.69
If first thy intellect steadfastly attached to thy resolution, it shall dissipate this blind sleep. If this sleep be dissipated, it shall cause thee to attain fearlessness. By tranquillity thou shalt gain the assemblage of all felicity. By that felicity thou shall become the whole world. By being united to the universe thou shalt become divine essence. By subduing thy senses, the essence (permanent life) shall remain stable in thee. If thou thus fix the divine essence, thou shalt become it. By becoming the lord of the kings of saints thou shalt shine brilliantly; thou shalt walk in delight and with deliracy like an infant, like to an aged man, like a spirit (nocturnal apparition) like a mad man shalt thou be. Behold thus, shalt thou act in thy dignity.p. 26
70
Whatever there be of knowledge and ignorance in the mind, we can neither perceive, see nor hear it. If we attempt to take hold on the mind to seize and bind it we shall see that the body is replete with delusion and nothing but delusion.71
Though we know delusion to the death we cannot quit it in the courts of God. They cannot see his equals and co-equals. Were all mighty would there be a distinguished place for God?72
All this life is illusion; possession and connections are delusion; understanding is delusion. I myself on consideration, am delusion. He that understands this illusion is the sage that comprehends the great secret.73
They know not the secret that this is all a world of delusion. They are entangled in delusion and deluded. If you only understand this delusion you shall attain the celestial regeneration.74
p. 26Wives and sons are delusion; connections are delusion; wealth and greatness are delusion; the body is delusion, he that is aware of this delusion is the sage who knows all secrets.
75
Born in delusion, grown in delusion to what end is a man who cannot discern the nature of delusion. He who can under-stand this delusion is the only happy man in the world.76
For the sake of delusive worldly state, a man being ensnared in it wanders in delusion, After he understands this delusion through delusion itself he attains beatitude; that is, his sins, by his quitting them, become sources of felicity.77
As long as we are held in the present delusion, the abode of the true state (of perfection) is beyond our reach. Then let us become perfected in accomplished essence.78
When we see our true figure shall we see truly that our body is born of delusion. He alone who beholdeth within himself the possession of the truth, this is the parama yogi.p. 27
79
The delusion of delusion is the great maya; the maya that hath not suffered delusion is unknown; it exists not. The maya that is not delusion is truth.80
(My humble salutations to Sreeman Brahmasri C P Brown for the collection)
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