144 venna chEtabaTTi nEyi vedakanElA (వెన్న చేతబట్టి నేయి వెదకనేలా)

 ANNAMACHARYULU

144 వెన్న చేతబట్టి నేయి వెదకనేలా

(venna chEtabaTTi nEyi vedakanElA)

for Telegu (తెలుగు) Version press here

Introduction: This single poem is sufficient to prove Annamacharya is a philosopher. He called on people to think radically, outside the box of convention. 

The wording పోది నిన్ను మదిఁ దలపోయనేలా (pOdi ninnu madi dalapOyanElA = O Hero! why should you keep reflecting on yourself?) is something worth a mention. It simply conveys by thinking and contemplation you only get to know the projections of yourself. This is direct denial of the statement of the chorus.  Annamacharya goes to the extremes of suggesting one should be an alien to oneself. 

Annamacharya’s daring declarations are not against established practices, but he contends that they are not the route for salvation. He simply wanted men to contemplate on “what action is” through this poem. Entire Bhagavad-Gita is also saying the same thing. 

He further emphasises by stating being in harmony with this world is the only meditation, not alienation from the world. 

Further the sentence నారదశుకాదులును / యీవిధముననే ఆనతిచ్చినారు (nAradaSukAdulunu / yIvidhamunanE AnatichchinAru) declares that “this is the interpretation provided by great saints Narada and Suka”. Thus, implying the life of meditation is pure action and everything else we do is non-action.  

This incomparable composition has all marks of a great soul behind it. Annamacharya is not preaching, he is asking people to explore.   

 

కీర్తన: రాగిరేకు:  232-1  సంపుటము: 3-180

POEM Copper Leaf:  232-1  Volume: 3-180

వెన్న చేతఁబట్టి నేయి వెదకనేలా యిన్నిటా నెంచి చూచితే నిదియే వివేకము ॥పల్లవి॥   నీ దాసులున్నచోట నిత్యవైకుంఠ మిదె వేదతో వేరొక చోట వెదకనేలా ఆదిగొని వారిరూపు లవియే నీరూపులు పోది నిన్ను మదిఁ దలపోయనేలా ॥వెన్న॥   వారలతోడి మాటలు వడి వేదాంతపఠన సారె వట్టిచదువులు చదువనేల చేరి వారికరుణే నీ చేపట్టిన మన్ననలు కోరి యింతకంటే మిమ్ముఁ గొసరనేలా ॥వెన్న॥   నావిన్నపము నిదె నారదశుకాదులును యీవిధముననే ఆనతిచ్చినారు శ్రీవేంకటేశ నీవు చేపట్టిన దాసులకు కైవశమౌ యీబుద్ధి కడమేలా         ॥వెన్న॥

venna chEtabaTTi nEyi vedakanElA yinniTA neMchi chUchitE nidiyE vivEkamu ॥pallavi॥   nI dAsulunnachOTa nityavaikuMTha mide vEdatO vEroka chOTa vedakanElA Adigoni vArirUpu laviyE nIrUpulu pOdi ninnu madi dalapOyanElA ॥venna॥   vAralatODi mATalu vaDi vEdAMtapaThana sAre vaTTichaduvulu chaduvanEla chEri vArikaruNE nI chEpaTTina mannanalu kOri yiMtakaMTE mimmu gosaranElA ॥venna॥   nAvinnapamu nide nAradaSukAdulunu yIvidhamunanE AnatichchinAru SrIvEMkaTESa nIvu chEpaTTina dAsulaku kaivaSamau yIbuddhi kaDamElA ॥venna॥

 

Details and Explanations: 

వెన్న చేతఁబట్టి నేయి వెదకనేలా

యిన్నిటా నెంచి చూచితే నిదియే వివేకము ॥పల్లవి॥

venna chEtabaTTi nEyi vedakanElA

yinniTA neMchi chUchitE nidiyE vivEkamu ॥pallavi॥ 

Word to word meaning:  వెన్న (venna) = butter; చేతఁబట్టి (chEtabaTTi) = holding in hand;  నేయి (nEyi) = ghee (oil); వెదకనేలా (vedakanElA) = why search?; యిన్నిటా (yinniTA) = In all these; నెంచి (neMchi) = by evaluating;  చూచితే (chUchitE) = seeing, watching;  నిదియే (nidiyE) = this alone is; వివేకము (vivEkamu) = intelligence.           

Literal meaning: Do you look for the ghee (oil) with the butter in the hand? When all possible actions are weighed, this alone is intelligence.

Explanation: The chorus sounds something like a fallacy “All men are mortal” / “Socrates is a man”. It’s simply stating, “Finding out what you already have is not intelligence”.

What do we have in hand? The opportunity of living (this life). The chorus is implying that finding or knowing you are “already alive” is a fallacy. This sounds very illogical but is the meaning. 

What man does? He goes about finding “what he is”, “what he would be” and “who created him”. Irrespective of the country of origin, this is the tendency of people. See the picture below titled “La Clairvoyance” by Rene Magritte capturing this propensity of "What will I be tomorrow". The artist in the picture is Rene Magritte. 

What is the object painter is seeing. An egg. What is he painting. A Bird. Similarly, we people, see one thing but “assume / create’ it to be another. We are not satisfied to know that “we already alive”, but want to prove and confirm “I am this big”, “I am this great” “I am so low” “I am so powerful”. we create a lifestyle according to our tastes and means. Thus, we inadvertently deny the truth of this chorus by engaging in life like we do now. 

This chorus is similar to Bhagavad-Gita statement कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य: (karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśhyed akarmaṇi cha karma yaḥ 4-18) = Those who see action in inaction and inaction in action are truly wise amongst humans. This implies that awareness that I am doing this is incorrect. If we do anything consciously, we are definitely aware of it. This is not action as per the Chorus and Bhagavad-Gita. Syllogism in Annamacharya’s words is not just deep, but deceptive. 

Implied Meaning: Man! figure out what (pure and unadulterated) action is. 

 

నీ దాసులున్నచోట నిత్యవైకుంఠ మిదె

వేదతో వేరొక చోట వెదకనేలా

ఆదిగొని వారిరూపు లవియే నీరూపులు

పోది నిన్ను మదిఁ దలపోయనేలా ॥వెన్న॥

 

nI dAsulunnachOTa nityavaikuMTha mide

vEdatO vEroka chOTa vedakanElA

Adigoni vArirUpu laviyE nIrUpulu

pOdi ninnu madi dalapOyanElA ॥venna॥ 

Word to word meaning:  నీ దాసులున్నచోట (nI dAsulunnachOTa) = where your servants stay; నిత్యవైకుంఠము (nityavaikuMThamu) = Ever New paradise of Vishnu; ఇదె (ide) = this one;  వేదతో (vEdatO) = వేదములు మొదలుగాగల గ్రంథముల నుండి సంపాదించిన జ్ఞానముతో, with knowledge from books and memory {here, I feel he used it in the sense of one learnt by effort, rather than one received naturally}; వేరొక చోట (vEroka chOTa) = Elsewhere;  వెదకనేలా (vedakanElA) = why search? (no need) ఆదిగొని (Adigoni) = the ones you encounter, the ones on which you see;   వారిరూపు (vArirUpu) = their forms; లవియే (laviyE) = the same; నీరూపులు (nIrUpulu) = your shapes;   పోది (pOdi)  = {this word is a short version of word పోదికాఁడు = పోటుకాఁడు = meaning a capable person for combat; here and in some other verses also Annamacharya had used shorter word పోది}, = వీరుడు,  hero; నిన్ను (ninnu) = you (God); మదిఁ (madi) = in the mind; దలపోయనేలా (dalapOyanElA) = why reflect or investigate; 

Literal meaning: There is paradise here in this world where your servants stay. Why do you search elsewhere with the impure knowledge. The one you encounter in this world are your shapes only. O hero! why should you keep contemplating on God? 

Explanation: నీ దాసులు {nI dAsulu = your servants} meant that all the people of this world are the servants of the lord (no exclusions). నీ దాసులున్నచోట నిత్యవైకుంఠ మిదె{nI dAsulunnachOTa nityavaikuMTha mide} is indicating this world is a paradise. This is reminiscent of ఆకాశ పాకాశ మరుదైన కూటంబు^#1(AkASa pAkASa marudaina kUTaMbu = this untidy, disorderly world is an unusual cluster).  This ugly, chaotic world is an extraordinary congregation. 

వేదతో వేరొక చోట వెదకనేలా (vEdatO vEroka chOTa vedakanElA) is implying that we work with “manufactured knowledge” born of effort. Therefore, we see ‘coloured’ picture. 

ఆదిగొని వారిరూపు లవియే నీరూపులు (Adigoni vArirUpu laviyE nIrUpulu) is confirming that the world we perceive is the projection of our mind. Its indicative of Bhagavad-Gita statement अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् (13-17) avibhaktaṁ cha bhūteṣhu vibhaktam iva cha sthitam = Though indivisible, appears to be divided. 

పోది నిన్ను మదిఁ దలపోయనేలా (pOdi ninnu madi dalapOyanElA) = O Hero! why should you keep reflecting on yourself?  Does this world has only 'you' as the center? Now see the painting titled “Golconda” by Rene Magritte. 

You will find numerous Rene Magritte pictures populated in small area. It is suggesting that on careful observation, we find that what we see is projections of ourselves, not the truth. 

Implied Meaning: When you find this world is your own projection, will you engage in this? Such a view is possible only when you are a stranger to yourself. 

Explanation: this is similar to poem ఎఱుఁగుటకంటే నెఱఁగమే మేలు మఱి తెలివికంటే మఱుపే శుభము e~ruguTakaMTE ne~ragamE mElu / ma~ri telivikaMTE ma~rupE Subhamu = Forgetting is more benign than awareness. It is more vital to unlearn the wrong than to learn new.

 

వారలతోడి మాటలు వడి వేదాంతపఠన

సారె వట్టిచదువులు చదువనేల

చేరి వారికరుణే నీ చేపట్టిన మన్ననలు

కోరి యింతకంటే మిమ్ముఁ గొసరనేలా ॥వెన్న॥

 

vAralatODi mATalu vaDi vEdAMtapaThana

sAre vaTTichaduvulu chaduvanEla

chEri vArikaruNE nI chEpaTTina mannanalu

kOri yiMtakaMTE mimmu gosaranElA ॥venna॥

 

Word to word meaning:   వారలతోడి (vAralatODi) = with them; మాటలు (mATalu) = discussion; వడి (vaDi) = quicker way; వేదాంతపఠన (vEdAMtapaThana) = studying or reciting Vedas; సారె (sAre) = మాటిమాటికి, time and again; వట్టిచదువులు (vaTTichaduvulu) = మిథ్యా జ్ఞానము, groundless knowledge; చదువనేల (chaduvanEla) = why learn? చేరి (chEri) = by approaching them; వారికరుణే (vArikaruNE) = their compassion; నీ (nI) = your; చేపట్టిన (chEpaTTina) = స్వీకరించు, పుచ్చుకొను,  మన్ననలు (mannanalu) = blessings;  కోరి (kOri) = deiring;  యింతకంటే (yiMtakaMTE) = beyond this;  మిమ్ముఁ (mimmu) = you (God); గొసరనేలా (gosaranElA) = ప్రార్థించనేలా? కోరనేలా? Why wish? Why anticipate? 

Literal meaning: Discussion with the servants of God is the quicker way to understand the Vedas. What purpose does it serve to learn the groundless knowledge.  Accepting their compassion is the blessings. What is there to wish for more? 

Explanation: Though this stanza appears to be very traditional, Annamacharya is simply conveying that Meditation is not isolation. Annamacharya lived among the people. So was Buddha and Jiddu Krishnamurti. 

The fact remains that these great men earnestly mingled with the masses to convey what they learnt. All the three mentioned here spent their life only in that activity.  Jiddu Krishnamurti though did not want anyone to be his disciple, he met more men than any other religious leader in the last century. 

Implied Meaning: There is no greater truth than this world. No teacher is better than your fellow men. No knowledge is higher than the wisdom of harmonious living.

 

నావిన్నపము నిదె నారదశుకాదులును

యీవిధముననే ఆనతిచ్చినారు

శ్రీవేంకటేశ నీవు చేపట్టిన దాసులకు

కైవశమౌ యీబుద్ధి కడమేలా        ॥వెన్న॥

 

nAvinnapamu nide nAradaSukAdulunu

yIvidhamunanE AnatichchinAru

SrIvEMkaTESa nIvu chEpaTTina dAsulaku

kaivaSamau yIbuddhi kaDamElA ॥venna॥ 

Word to word meaning:  నావిన్నపము (nAvinnapamu) = my submission;  నిదె (nide) = is same; నారదశుకాదులును (nAradaSukAdulunu) = Great saints Narada and Suka; యీవిధముననే (yIvidhamunanE) = same method; ఆనతిచ్చినారు (AnatichchinAru) = instructed, communicated, announced; శ్రీవేంకటేశ (SrIvEMkaTESa) = Lod Venkteswara; నీవు (nIvu) = you;  చేపట్టిన (chEpaTTina) = adopt, patronise; దాసులకు (dAsulaku) = servants;  కైవశమౌ (kaivaSamau) = స్వాధీనమగు, లోకువగు, become obedient, become submissive;   యీబుద్ధి (yIbuddhi) = this mind; కడమేలా (kaDamElA) = why any less. 

Literal meaning: Great Saints Narada and Suka communicated the same. Even my submission to you is same. For the servants of the Lord Venkateswara, this mind is submissive. Do they deserve any less? 

Explanation: Annamacharya is clear that all men are equal, and every human being can receive this blessing. Its for the man to walk towards it. 

Meditation is not a reflection, not a deliberation. Meditation is pure action. Annamacharya says this is the message of great saints like Narada and Suka. 

Implied Meaning: O Man! listen to the heart. On the assurance of great saints, move forward to become a true servant of God^#2.

 

Summary of this Poem:

Chorus: Do you look for the ghee (oil) with the butter in the hand? When all possible actions are weighed, this alone is intelligence. Implied Meaning: Man! figure out what (pure and unadulterated) action is.

 

Stanza 1: There is paradise here in this world where your servants stay. Why do you search elsewhere with the impure knowledge. The one you encounter in this world are your shapes only. O hero! why should you keep contemplating on God? Implied Meaning: When you find this world is your own projection, will you engage in this? Such a view is possible only when you are a stranger to yourself.

 

Stanza 2: Discussion with the servants of God is the quicker way to understand the Vedas. What purpose does it serve to learn the groundless knowledge.  Accepting their compassion is the blessings. What is there to wish for more? Implied Meaning: There is no greater truth than this world. No teacher is better than your fellow men. No knowledge is higher than the wisdom of harmonious living.

 

Stanza 3: Great Saints Narada and Suka communicated the same. Even my submission to you is same. For the servants of the Lord Venkateswara, this mind is submissive. Do they deserve any less? Implied Meaning: O Man! listen to the heart. On the assurance of great saints, move forward to become a true servant of God^#2

 

References and Recommendations for further reading:

#1 T-142® ఏమి గలదిందు నెంత పెనగినఁ వృథా (Emi galadiMdu neMta penagina vRthA

#2 47. ఎమ్మెలఁ బుణ్యాలు సేసి యిల నేలవచ్చుఁ గాక / కమ్మి హరి దాసుఁడు గావచ్చునా (yemmela puNyAlu sEsi yila nElavachchu gAka / kammi hari dAsuDu gAvachchunA)