CONTENTS :
- * A Human Document
* The Basic Material
* A Biographical Sketch
* Light from the Labyrinth of Legends
* More Authentic Information
* The Date of Veerabrahmam
* Were Vemana&Brahmam Contemporaries ?
* The Crisis
* The Political Crisis
* The Social Crisis
* A Religious Rebel and A Social Reformer
* The Dogma
* Precept and Practice
* The caste system & privilege of Learning
* The Reform of Dharma Peetham
* Religious Tolerance
* Ahead of Times
* Veerabrahmam and Vemana
* The Kalajnanam (Kalagnanam)
* The Musings of Mahayoga
* The Message
* Bibliography
Sri Madvirat Pothuluri Veerabrahmendra Swamy Biography
SWAMI SRI VEERABRAHMENDRA
A Monograph on Pothuluru Veerabrahmendra Swamy
Were Vemana and Veerabrahmam Contemporaries?
It is a matter of great interest to note that Veera¬brahmam and Vemana were almost contemporaries. R. Ananta Krishna Sarma, a scholar of repute also shares this view to some extent (vide page 106 of his book entitled ‘Vemana') There is also a great deal of anology in the fields of activities of both these two revolutionary saint - poets. What Veerabrahmam started with a miss¬ionary zeal, Vemana successfully pursued arid reaped the fruits of it. If this statement is to be accepted, a number of doubts arise and pose fresh problems.
Did Vemana in any of his poems make a mention of Veerabrahmam? No; he did not. Did Vemana and Veerabrahmam ever meet each other? No, there seems to be no evidence. Then how is it possible to jump at conclusion that Vemana is a contemporary and follower of Veerabrahmam ?
It is true that the two revolutionary saints had no occasion to meet each other. But it is quite likely that they heard of each other, Here, it may not be out of place if I quote a few lines from K.L.Narayana’s book “Potuluru Veerabrahmendra Swami” which contains an intersting anecdote
“AT one place in ‘Vemana Charitra’ (the name of the author not given) it was written that Vemana and Veerabrahmam met each other. When Brahmam was walk¬ing ahead, followed by his disciple Siddayya, they found Vemana on their way. Siddayya requests his Guru to permit him to put a question to Vemana. The Guru dissuades him, saying that replies given by greatmen may not be so easy to understand. But still, out of curiosity, Siddayya approaches Vemana and puts a question ‘Sir, who is it that leaves this world and who is it that arrives into it? Kindly enlighten me'.
‘Go and ask him’ Vemana gives a curt reply, natural to his tongue, rich in its pungent wit and humour”.
Since the source OF this enecdote was not specified we may have to wait for further evidence which supports that the two saints met one another.
K.L. Narayana holds the opinion that Veerabrahmam entered Samadhi only after Vemana attained it, in the year 1680 A.D. But this date of Vemana’s Samadhi was not acceptable either to C.P. Brown or to V.R. Narla.