Vemana, popularly known as Yogi Vemana, was an Indian philosopher and poet in the Telugu language. His poems are known for their use of simple language and native idioms. They discuss the subjects of yoga, wisdom and morality.

Early life and background

There is no consensus among scholars about the period in which Vemana lived.

C.P. Brown Charles Philip Brown (10 November 1798 – 12 December 1884) was a British official of the East India Company. He worked in what is now Andhra Pradesh, and became an important scholarly figure in Telugu language literature. Background Telugu li ...

, known for his research on Vemana, estimates his year of birth to be 1652 based on some of his verses. Various sources say he was born in the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Vemana was Telinga to

Jangam The Jangam or Jangamaru (ಜಂಗಮರು) are a Shaiva order of religious monks. They are the priests or gurus of the Hindu Shaiva sect. Jangamas are also gurus of Veerashaiva' sect Jangamas are disciples of Lord Shiva as mentioned in Bas ...

a community. Brown says this was in his original history of Yogi Vemana. Vemana was a Vedic scholar and a great yogi in achala sidhantha. Vemana was born in Gandikota,

Kadapa district Kadapa district (officially: YSR district; formerly: Cuddapah district) is one of the twenty six districts in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. On 19 August 2005 nomenclature of “Cuddapah” has been changed as “Kadapa” by the Governm ...

in Andhra Pradesh.

Death

There is a headstone marking the grave of Yogi Vemana in Katarupalli (

Kadiri Kadiri is a major city in Sri Sathya Sai District the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a ''Special Grade'' Municipal City Council and headquarters of Kadiri Mandal and Kadiri Revenue Division. Kadiri Taluka ('Tehsil') was the largest taluk ...

town), a village in Kadiri taluk,

Anantapur district Anantapur district officially: Anantapuramu district is one of the eight districts in the Rayalaseema region of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The district headquarters is located at Anantapur city. It is one of the driest places in So ...

, Andhra Pradesh. It is widely believed that Vemana died in this village. Owing to the fact that he was a yogi, he was buried and not cremated.

Poetic style

Many lines of Yogi Vemana's poems are now colloquial phrases of the Telugu language. They end with the signature line ''Viswadaabhi Raama Vinura Vema'', literally "''Beloved of Viswada, listen Vema''." There are multiple interpretations of what the last line signifies. Vemana's poems were collected and published by Brown in the 19th century.Brown, C.P. (1829).
Verse of Vemana: Translated from the Telugu
'. His poems follow various themes: social, moral, satirical and mystical. Most of them are in Ataveladi (dancing lady) meter.

Films

* '' Yogi Vemana'', a 1947 Telugu film directed by

K. V. Reddy Kadiri Venkata Reddy (1 July 1912 – 15 September 1972) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who primarily worked in Telugu cinema. He is considered as one of the greatest directors in the history of Telugu cinema. He d ...

, starring V. Nagayya. * ''Sri Vemana Charitra'', another Telugu film, released in 1986 and directed by C. S. Rao, starring Vijayachander.

References

External links

[Dr. Sridhar Rapelli, New York]

Vemana Yogi - Varna Vyavastha, Dr. Sridhar Rapelli, Commentator- 2002

Verses of Vemana - English Translation by C.P.Brown

The story of Vemana
told by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. {{Authority control Telugu people Telugu poets Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain People from Rayalaseema Indian male poets Poets from Andhra Pradesh Vijayanagara poets