Vemana satakam (a set of 100 poems) is invariably one of the first set of poems you’d come across if you are a Telugu kid.
As deep and thought-provoking his poems are, his own personality is a also a matter of mystery and wonder.
The bloke is often portrayed as naked derelict under the tree. It surely comes as off surprising if you’re a 5 year old kid reading poems by such a guy. But thankfully the emphasis is on what he wrote than how he looked and there are no attempts at changing his image.
Interestingly, atleast somewhere in the corner of your mind, it leads you to think that knowing the full essence of the world leaves you in the ascetic state that Vemana is often portrayed in. Devoid of any pretense.
His poems touch upon subjects mostly about worldly matters, moral consciousness etc. In poems that span just 4 lines, it’s particularly impressive than 4th line is always a refrain and he only uses 3 lines to get his point across. Man’s a fucking legend!