Verses 1–9

1. The unborn (see 556) the slayer of sharabha endowed with the qualities of Siva and the lord of a thousand millions of demigods; the servants of Siva who sitteth at the root of the sacred Banyan, He that is endowed with the mind of Siva, the sage Somasekhara is my teacher. [He who is exalted above mortality, the vanquisher of the Chinmaya full of blessedness, Lord of ten thousand millions of saints who is also devoted to Siva, this is he who dwelleth under the sacred Fig tree whose heart is enwrapt in bliss, the crescent crowned Teacher, that is, the Deity alone was my instructor].

2. Who ever learneth the verses uttered by the sainted, this man shall attain to that object which is emphatically Incomprehensible.

3. Shall not they who read the thousand verses uttered by the venerable Vemana (who is full of the divine nature) relinquish all filthy lure whether of mind or body. (For [Telugu] I have substituted [Telugu] the name given by Jangams to all persons and things that are not consecrated to the Jangam creed.)

4. He that will become a sage, and with pure faith learn these thousand verses without quitting them surely the place of beatitude is put into the palm of his hand.

5. That wise man who will even learn only the number of hundred verses, his appetites shall be at an end--and he by the four paths shall verily attain the abode of the Deity.

6. Know that the mind is the universal cause. By viewing and meditating on this, a man shall himself become spirit wherever he dwelleth all his days--know well the truth of this Vema!

7. Is it in the hand of any one to attain beatitude except that perfected saint who has himself become a portion of the universe? Though those roam the whole earth, the caverns, the mountains or the waters of the great deep?

8. The learned Brahmins who read all that is to be read, cannot yet attain heaven and the chief God. If you remain still without moving thy lips, this shall thee within thy mind, the glory of the perfected saint.

9. Perfect that the prime root is the first of beings whom it is out of our power to make known. If with our secret soul and the thought of our mind we meditate upon this perfect, then in the end of thine shall our whole living spirits attain beatitude. Therefore will Vemana even in his songs sings the preaches of this blessed power whose form he beholdeth in the chamber of his heart.