gAju kuppe lOna kadalaka dIpamam
deTTulunDu gnAna maTTuLundu
telisinaTTi vAri dEhambu landuna
viSvadAbhirAma vinura vEma.
English Gist
Knowledge resides in the bodies of knowledgeable persons safely and without flickering. It is like light shining within the glass chimney of a lamp.
ybREMs: The Poet Vemana's verses, their number is undetermined and undeterminable. Brown's collection itself had around 2,500 verses, many of which have deep philosophical meaning and are incomprehensible for illiterates and semi-literates.
There are hundreds of verses in public circulation, which did not appear in Brown's collection. "ATa veladi" being an easy meter to write poetry, later-day enthusiasts might have added many verses, using their own creativity. It is now difficult to distinguish between the original verse of Vemana and the creative work of common folks. We have to attach greater importance to the meaning rather than the originality or subsequent addition of the verse.
