Monday, June 30, 2008

Vemana 9

ఎంత సేవచేసి యేపాటు పడినను
రాచమూక నమ్మరాదురన్న
పాముతోడిపొందు పదివేలకైనను
విశ్వదాభిరామ వినురవేమ

Enta sEva cEsi yE pAtupadinanu
rAcamUka nammarAduranna
pAmutOdipondu padivElakainanu
viswadABirAma vinura vEma

ఎంత సేవచేసి = however much you serve
యేపాటు పడినను = however much you struggleరాచమూక = the royal crowd
నమ్మరాదురన్న= you should not believe oh! Brother!పాముతోడిపొందు = The company of a snake
పదివేలకైనను = even if Ten thousands are offeredవిశ్వదాభిరామ వినురవేమ
It is interesting to see how Vemana denounced the rich and the mighty.
In this verse there is not much of hidden detail to understand. The fact is so simply told that you don’t require any commentary at all. Vemana tells that however much you have served them and struggled during that service, you should not believe the royal class. It is to say that those from the class that is used to being served, there is no habit of remembering the service or being grateful for the service. Vemana compares such association with rich people with living in the company of a snake. A snake is a snake. It takes a bite when it feels like. It does not think about whom it is harming. Similarly a rich person will not reciprocate the goodness just because the person happens to be one who served them at a point of time.
The third line gives the feeling of an incomplete expression. But it is the beauty of poetry where the creator expects the readers to imagine words that he has imagined. Even if a lot of money is offered, the company of a snake is not acceptable. It is not even suggestible. This is what Vemana means by the words in the third line.
There is no royal class, now a days in the society. May be we can attribute the word to the rich people who do not think of being kind to their servants.

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