{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/vov/vov10.htm","path":"hin/vov/vov10.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/vov/vov10.htm","text":"800\nWhatever creed we examine all are the creed of woman; besides, assuredly my creed is the creed of woman! For love is the aim of every enquiry. He who comprehendeth my creed he is the excellent.\n801\nWhen the husband; son--both (join) at once look at the wife's breasts with constant gaze; the husband looks with desire for the flesh upon it, the son for milk within it.\n802\nBeing himself the son of another daughter the base wretch drives away his mother. Such blackguards are not produced even by boars.\n803\nBy building chatrams (inns) at every step and by possession and wealth they increase their splendour; where ever they wander their shadow follows them; i.e., God will reward them.\n804\nYou take a binding rope, bind and secure it. What theft has Lingadu stolen that he should be thus treated? Why is it that ye cannot be thus treated? Why is it that ye cannot see and worship the invisible atma linga?\n805\nTo eat the caraca fruit (autaphrodisiac) and to bind his langoti tight, and to desert all women shew a vile nature. If thou bind it firmly (lit. pleasurably) to a twig, will an elephant remain fixed.\n806\nMusing on a sweet lip, we forget all wisdom; how shall the man of devotion know Thee. O God! Through a sight of the yoni shall we forget (Parama yogam) meditation on the supreme.\n807\nThey cannot understand that there is but one God in the Siva, the Vishnu and all other creeds! Though these differ, can any diversity exist in truth (tatwa)?\n808\nIllusion (or death) is not an inconstant woman with glancing eyes, wearing beads and earrings and mounting on her husband's shoulder, she delays not to slay those who yield to her.\n809\nNourishing matted locks, to cry shame on the world, to distort all the limbs and all yogeeism (devoteeism)--This is to seize the woman of beatitude and kiss her.\n810\nWho is unable to instruct the minds of those brutes clothed in human bodies who, while the mighty all exists within themselves seek him not within themselves but roam the earth to find him.\n811\nAll those who pride on themselves on having bathed in the Ganges are defeated and consider their acts as mere vexation; surely the holy water of Vema's wisdom is nobler than the stream of Ganges and Gaya.\n812\nMounting the steed of thy mind not knowing how to govern it perplexing it, why should the rider set out? Is Banares a dear friend of thine? Govern thy mind and thou shalt be independent of pilgrimage.\n813\nYou put Siva, source of the Ganges, in the palm of your hand; and yet roam to the holy streams. This is like possessing butter and yet searching for melted butter.\n814\nWhy go to Mecca? Why return thence? Is not the only lord here with us? Allah Mohammad universally exists in his fullness. (spreads undivided, animates unspurt)\n815\nThe fool binds a linga to his throat, and this also being insufficient he climbs the mountain to visit the linga shine there at. Such a one can see beatitude?\n816\nThey who knowing not the God who dwelleth in their body, wander and become tenants of the holy springs. These are like the ass that beareth about the sandal tree.\n817\nIf thou perform bathing but give no charity thou gainest but the advantage of the plunge, void of instruction. Is not a fowl well versed in plunging in water?\nO! ye! hypocrites, who ignorant of the revolution of time, continually perform the daily rites and (meditation) japa, what may be the path by which perfection is attainable through these rites and postures.\n819\nSome of these fools wander this starry land to worship. They go to Ramanatha (Rameswaram) and then suffer scorn. They go to Concan on pilgrimage but in truth merely to hear news that they had never heard.\n820\nBy going a pilgrimage to Banares, and bathing on the Ganges ye indeed suffer hardship but shall never attain heaven. No more than a buffalo calf can resemble a cow by merely following about it.\n821\nIf a fellow has gone to Banares what shall we say he has done? What if there had been something to cause his death and he had died on the road, his mind truly might still go to Kasi, but never can attain the better world.\n822\nIf he who go to Kasi with great enthusiasm when by the wisdom of God they change their bodies, in transmigration he gives half his merits to his wife, and has only half to himself.\n823\nThey who go to Kasi, get trouble and nothing else; why should ye roam merely to get an itching in your feet. Will not women also for hire get water and bear it about for hire?\n824\nA dog that has gone to Tirupati does not become a lion. A pig that goes to Kasi is no elephant. A whore that goes to the Sri Shylam is no modest woman.\n825\nCeasing from food and sleep, a fool utterly void of understanding, for the sake of beatitude, roams the earth; he rambles like a mad dog.\n826\nHe who calls himself a yogee, and gets together some of the components of yogeeism, and kills those who are in the world--that yogi who roams and robs men is no yogi but a (Ogu) vile wretch.\n827\nHe who holds himself (a Paramahamsa) a perfect ascetic, by rarely wearing a dress and longs for the wealth of others 's no ascetic but (Parahimsa) death itself.\n828\nPostures and the like, bathings in the worship, pilgrimage to Kasi or a system of good works unless thou stay thy mind however many such paths thou walk, know that they shall avail you nothing.\nThey will journey on pilgrimages to Kasi and the bridge of Rameswaram. They can hereby behold piles of stones but not heaven, not even one of them.\n830\nIf thou give food to Bramins, they say it will be profitable to thee; if you were to give it to dogs where would be the harm (inferiority)? They say that one soul resides (both here and there) in each.\n831\nThe fool left his relations, bound himself with an iron langoti and quitting food and drink, and exceeded. If we give up the fluids of the body, can we attain perfection. How shall we have strength to worship?\n832\nPlunging, plunging and plunging in holy streams, squatting and squatting in meditation, talking and talking, charms becoming leaner and leaner, roaming, roaming, roaming and roaming from sanctuary to sanctuary--ye turn giddy and are ruined.\nThe impurities in the belly being the vilest of all, is the juice of food worse than that? Those therefore who fast, are fools unable to form comparisons.\n834\nHe ignorant of the being that dwelleth in the body, wanders in other pilgrimages is a fool. Does not a jackass thus roam bearing a pack saddle.\n835\nThat world hater (or recluse) who is attached only to using the words of stubbornness, no-where shall he attain the power of quelling death (yama). The recluse of the iron age is vile as the drinker of palm wine.\n836\nWith their matted locks a fathom long, and their smearings of ashes, they forsooth are able to dispute the day with cupid himself and after all their very garments become the property (petticoats) of whores.\n837\nBy a bald, head, and white streaks of ashes and postures, and airy diet, by all this a man is not a yogi unless his inner man be right.\n838\nIf we look at the fine dresses (sects) they are marvellously foolish. Devotion does not hereby dwell in the soul. They merely form la startling appearance. They have neither the title nor the nature (viracti) of saints.\n839\nIf you see among harmless cattle, one handsome ox with horns, it is indeed superior. But is wisdom attained by the mere shaven baldness of the sanyasi? (who only resemble helpless widows in this fancy)\n840\nThe long windedness (lit. breath) of a fowl, the steadfast gaze of a frog--such follies are written by fate in the forehead of the devotee. This must surely befall him through his sins in a former birth.\n841\nIf he rub ashes to his body and wear long locks, though he be a king he shall fail of heaven; however stiff a screen be, is it yet a door?\n842\nWhile all the precepts declare Siva to be the divinity, they seek and worship other deities; surely Bramins are in the path of destruction.\nHanging down their heads, void of the least patience opening and shutting his eyes and dumb--this is no wisdom but merely the residue of thy sins.\nWoe to the world that is full of the destruction of souls. But first the woe to the Brahma! View all the Gods! Woe to them all.\n845\nThey call Brahma the author of the writing of fate in our foreheads. Perhaps Brahma, who dwelleth in the lotus (wrote) destined that his own head should cleave to the hand of (Bhava) Siva! (Siva smote Brahma on one head which was separated and cleave to his hand.)\n846\nThose who believed in Siva have all become the share of the earth. Why then these disputes and discrimination of Gods. All the faithful to Vishnu have fallen to the shares of white ashes.\n847\nIt is impracticable to dress oblations for however great a God, without imbibing the favour (or scent). Thus he has your leavings while ye talk of \"devoting and setting aside as holy\". Ye are still biting your lips at it.\n848\nThe fool deceived becomes a devotee to Siva and submitted to slavish tasks. But the wise, an honoured, (badged) soldier is ever void of fear.\n849\nThe skill of the laundress (who recognised the owner of each vest) is more than that of the bookworm. Better is a dog than Ganesha the dumpy king; noble is truth than all the Gods in the world.\n850\nIf we know ourselves, the Veda would be all fooling to us; a mizzling rain is all folly to the store of grain; publish thou in the world O Vema that the six sastras, and the Puranas are mere infelicity.\n851\nAll those of the race of Brahma are fallen creatures. Those of the race of Rishies are ruined. Will they call near them these hateful wretches nor detest them.\n852\nConsider the words of Vemana as those of a mad man. Some fall into channels and some into streams (proverb); but a small proportion of them are removed out of the (Veda Sastra) scriptural level.\n853\nIn the thousand verses thus composed by Vemadu, many as are the bad, equally numerous are the good. Secrecy gives a charm to beauty and obscurity to wisdom; should not a lovely girl lie exposed naked on the couch.\n854\nLike mad foxes do the Bramins read the Veda perpetually howling it out. They know not its meanings. But Vemana knows the entire essence of the Vedas.\n855\nAll yagnas were invented for the sake of discovering the fornications of a wife and the periodical ceremonies to the end of knowing a mother's adulteries In so vile a way was the chapter of ceremonies invented.\nNote: At commencing the sacrifice called yagna the performer must require his wife to confess whether she has been untrue to him. The periodical ceremonies being performed to the late husband of a widow lead to the conviction, at least in her own mind, of her having been true or adulterous.\n856\nThe height of excellence is to abstain from slaying. Thus say the Bramins, lords of earth and still commit slaughter of animals in sacrifice. Better is the chandala who devours dead cattle.\n857\nThey pinch and scrub their halters (nose ropes) and rub themselves to remove all dirt, and pour water into their privities. By thus cleansing the whole body do they attain felicity.\n858\nPauper Bramins meet together and recite babbling charms and talk saying they will perform the initiation of a boy into their caste. Like the crow that has drunk the washing of rice and goes on crowing.\n859\nWhy take thy caste and pride thyself on it? Yea and what is the (twice born) Brahmin?\n860\nIf ignorant of service how can they become slaves? Ignorant of the Vaishnava belief how can ye be Vaishnavite? While living, why do ye suffer burning like corpses? (i.e., smear yourselves with ashes)\n861\nIf the pollutions caused by a birth or a death be real, and if the qualities communicated by that touch be destroyed to what end is it for a soul to become a hermit.\n862\nShall the wicked, being produced through carnal desire, talking vainly, with false words and deceiving men and twisting about to get money, shall such a one become a teacher?\n863\nUnable to discern that this world is a delusion, some talk of the smock and some of the langoti. These are mere tricks of the privities.\n864\nThe noble Brahmin goes to eat the vile funeral cakes of the ruined wretch. The Brahmin's wife haunts the marriage house; first they lose caste and then character.\n865\nIn the night of ignorance doth the goddess of delusion wear her petticoat and conceal herself; in the daytime of wisdom, when about her work she looses her petticoat; this is no prostitute but an edged sword in the hand.\n866\nThey are puffed up and cry I will perform a sacrifice, these who fill their bellies with the liquor vulva, these sons of whore brag nobly in their assemblies.\n867\nHe calls men sudras and says begone thou sudra; this is a pariar worse than a pariar. If he says I am a twice born does he thereby become one?\n868\nBorn and dying in ignorance of his prior state before all men, are they ensnared by their lusts? To what end do they leave wisdom and roam the earth.\n869\nThese heroes--the Brahmins, Kshatrias and Vaisyas and Brahma, Vishnu and Siva all these are beasts. Ignorant of the divinity have they adopted forms thus diversified,\n870\nDefilement appears no where in the least but exists in our ideas; whoever considers it will see that the beauty of the world is in truth extreme. If thy ignorance depart, wisdom shall shine with thee.\n871\nThose who abuse the practice of wearing ashes on the forehead, that is, the Vaishnavites yet perform their funerals with fire and thus become the portion of the fire. They the Saivites who equally abuse the wearing of earth, by burying their dead become earth.\nThus the advantage of all their mutual abuse discovers itself in their shame,\n872\nHowever great the spell be, not even Brahma can utter it undefiled with spittle. But with what mouth is it they talk of spittle and defilement thereby.\n873\nWhile the fire in our body is ignited and burns, to what end do (the Vaishnavites) burn their corpses. By merely burning does he become mighty?\n874\nTo put cord over the neck as the Lingamites and then to suppose that their soodra-ism has departed, this is mere (inferior sense) folly; if thy mind be not settled, will a cord give thee caste?\n875\nWearing a silk vest and putting the Vaishnavite streak on their forehead, the Vaishnava sect has exalted its head in the earth. By the contrivance of numberless fopperies has the Vishnava sect been ruined.\n876\nIf thou eat the body of a beast that eats pure grass they call you a pariar. Yet if he eat fowls and pigs (which are the foulest of feeders) a man is called wise.\n877\nIf you go seasonably to the abode of Ranga (in the Cauveri) you will find the charming smell of toddy. Truly this is scorn of the lord of the world. (The Vaishnavites drink toddy while worshipping.)\n878\nIn the house of the body a wild fire blazes with hunger; why should you burn your bodies? This is mere deception or perhaps this is punishment inflicted on the Dasoos. (This is a sneer at Vaishnavites.)\n879\nThey find fault with the well used by the village and are delighted with the water in which a holy man's feet have been washed. What profit is there in foot washings?\n880\nThose who understand omens and the interpretation of moles, are not to be met with in the Iron age. For their own profit men will explain the virtue of these. In cases where fortune meets us, these are accepted as its tokens.\n881\nA parcel of old whores (windows) join together in this age and through devotion to Siva forsooth go on dancing. Shall such hypocrisy obtain them felicity.\n882\nHe who cannot at first apply himself to restrain his passions, when he dies, seeks to become a devotee; void of purity of heart, how should beatitude appertain to him.\n883\nHe who has learnt to die, all his turning sanyasi is merely as though he at last lost his caste; the sin of doing this alone is certain. There is no ulterior profit in it.\n884\nThe leaving (spittle) of a pretty white dog are pure in our eyes. The spittle of a young dancing girl is acceptable to us. These vile leavings are precious everywhere. Then why are the leavings of those we love evil in our sight.\n885\nHowever much you wash it well, (does) the defilement of the mouth depart? That alone is a mouth (which does not speak falsehood); that daily speak falsehood is not a mouth but a mouth below.\n886\nBinding the linga fairly on their body, but unable to fix his faith on that lingam, failing of beatitude, they perish in their folly.\n887\nAll those who trust in Vishnu fall to the share of white earth; to what end are these disputes and sects (dissensions) in religion. The Lingadharies become the portion of earth,\n888\nWhen he proceeds from his mother's womb, had he a lingam along with him? Then what a joke it is for him to wear one afterwards.\n889\nThe Vaishnava sect puts on a silk turban and silk vest, and is puffed up in the earth. These are mere semblances and the emptiness of the Vaishnava creed,\n890\nUnable to know the great secret, they continue and frame religions, and merely give sorrow to each other, like as a dog that is agitated at the sight of a mirror,\n891\nYou see that those endowed with form all possess the first image. Why should ye value this man or that as a superior. If ignorant of this principle, how shall he attain happiness?\n892\nA pariar eats flesh, all other people eat fat--are not they one caste? They do not see that all castes are in fact one.\n893\nWhy dost again and again abuse a pariar? Are not his blood and flesh and thine one? Of what caste is he who is immingled with him? The deity animates his entire works.\n894\nWhen people see those who wear ashes they imagine that they contract inequity from them. When they see the Namadharies (Vaishnavities) they consider it healing. What are the ashes, and what the white clay (of the Vaishnavites) in the eyes of the supreme.\n895\nThose who are divided into sects are ten thousands. This is merely for filling their bellies--they cannot see the divine spirit. Can cranes however many they assemble, devour ships?\n896\nBy slaughtering the animals that eat grass men become pariars in the earth. But what sort of caste is that, that eats pigs and fowls (as the respectable classes do) that devour the dung of all?\n897\nIf men in the earth choose to take pipe clay and soften it well, then put it smoothly on their foreheads it is merely a mark, and thereby men cannot become Vaishnavites.\n898\nThough thou put on the mark and call thyself a (servant) adiya as the Vaishnavites do and eat chewed pawn, bow down and call thyself a Dasee--This is all merely a means of subsistence but no ground for happiness.\n899\nWe see that men are like barber's basin, common to all; then, while they thus are mingled, why babble about their castes. Put thy right hand on their heads and expose this to their ridicule,","title":"Verses of Vemana: 800-899","type":"page"}