Like many disillusioned about life by love, Vemana, the popular mystic-poet of the Telugu people, learned to disregard the material life from a failed love affair.
In one story, he had fallen in love with a Devdasi (a temple dancer), whose mother had an eye for Vemana’s sister-in-law’s jewellery. She told him he could not visit anymore until he had brought her those jewels.
Desponded, Vemana returned to his home and didn’t eat for a couple of days. His sister-in-law noticed, and pried the story out of him. Once he had told her, she laughed and handed him her jewels – shaking her head, as the story goes.
He brought the jewels to his lover but was repelled by the greed with which she seized them. The contrast of his sister-in-law’s nonchalant yet sweet generosity struck him. This began his journey to becoming one of the most famous mystic poets of his time.
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