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About This Podcast
Coffee with Vemana is a podcast dedicated to exploring the profound wisdom of the legendary 17th-century Telugu poet and social reformer, yogi Vemana
The show is hosted by Pavan Kannan, a theater actor and voice-over artist, who is joined in each episode by the scholar M. Srihari garu
Together, they delve into Vemana’s timeless padyamulu (verses), which are celebrated for their simple language and powerful metaphors that continue to resonate with people today.
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Recent Episodes
S1E10 Was Vemana a Determinist?
The final episode explores the debate between determinism and free will, questioning whether human life is a pre-programmed sequence like a "computer program" where we are merely "instruments"
S1E9 Was Vemana a Social Non-Conformist?
The hosts discuss Vemana's warning that "if ten people say it, it becomes law," urging individuals to use their own reason rather than blindly following the crowd or outdated traditions
S1E8 Was Vemana a Master of Silence?
This episode delves into the virtue of being a "Sage of Silence," arguing that the truest yogi is one who remains humble and quiet rather than boasting about their knowledge
S1E7 Was Vemana an Enemy of Anger?
Focusing on the destructive power of "Kopamu" (anger), this episode explores Vemana's teaching that anger reduces a person's greatness and acts as an internal "shadow" enemy
S1E6 Was Vemana an Indian Socrates?
Focusing on his anti-establishment stance, the episode compares Vemana to Socrates for his courage in questioning the authority of kings and the social status quo
S1E5 Was Vemana a Rationalist?
This episode examines Vemana as a "Hethuvaadi" (rationalist) who challenged superstitions and empty rituals, such as the practice of feeding crows to honor deceased ancestors
S1E4 Was Vemana a Marxist?
The discussion draws a direct parallel between Vemana’s 16th-century call for the unity of the poor and Karl Marx’s 19th-century slogan, "Workers of the world unite"
S1E3 Was Vemana an Alchemist?
This episode explores the legend of Vemana and his friend Abhiram attempting to create physical gold through alchemy, only for Vemana to eventually realize that spiritual wisdom is the only true…
S1E2 Who was young Vemana?
The hosts discuss Vemana's early life as a "Bhogi" (seeker of pleasures) who stole from his family to satisfy a prostitute before a dramatic spiritual awakening led him to become a "Yogi"
S1E1 Who is Vemana?
The focus of this inaugural discussion is one of Vemana’s most famous and beloved verses: "Uppu Kappurambu" (Salt and Camphor). Through this poem, Vemana teaches us a profound lesson about…
Frequently Asked Questions
Coffee with Vemana has published 10 episodes since March 2026, covering topics in Documentary, Society & Culture.
Coffee with Vemana is currently highly active with new episodes hourly. Average episode length is 12m.
