Family Conflict

This proverb describes a situation where everything goes wrong at once. It illustrates a household already struggling with severe hardships (kadagandlu) being further burdened by a specific, disabling problem (the husband's inability to see at night), making a difficult life even more miserable. It is used to describe a string of continuous misfortunes.

This expression is used to caution against exposing internal family secrets or private flaws of one's own people to the public. Just as damaging yourself only harms you and causes a mess at your own feet, revealing the faults of your relatives or close associates only brings disgrace and trouble back to yourself.

This proverb describes people who are so deeply involved or stuck in specific situations that they cannot be reached or distracted by anything else, even a family tragedy. It highlights the behavior of those who are either too focused on their addictions (toddy/palm wine) or too overwhelmed by their own personal disasters (house burning) to fulfill social or family obligations.

This expression is used to describe an act of extreme ingratitude or betrayal. It refers to a person who harms the very person who nurtured, helped, or supported them in their time of need.

This proverb describes a situation where someone takes a foolish or reckless action based on peer pressure or by following a trend without proper understanding or consultation. It highlights the consequence of acting blindly without looking at the long-term impact or seeking advice from elders/experienced people.

This proverb is used to describe a person who is so greedy, stingy, or selfish that they ignore the genuine suffering or needs of others. In the context of the saying, a husband who is overly miserly might dismiss his wife's illness just to avoid spending money on treatment or to ensure his own needs are met first. It characterizes blind selfishness and lack of empathy due to greed.

This proverb is used to criticize people who neglect their own family, relatives, or responsibilities at home while spending lavishly or showing great concern for outsiders. It highlights the irony of ignoring local needs to gain approval elsewhere.

This expression is used to describe a person who lacks common sense, social etiquette, or tact. It highlights a situation where someone asks an incredibly offensive, contradictory, or foolish question that insults everyone involved while being logically absurd (since a wife cannot be a widow while the husband is alive and being questioned).

This proverb highlights the loss of self-respect often experienced by a man who moves into his wife's parental home (Illarikam). It suggests that living in poverty or isolation (Mularikam) while maintaining one's dignity is far superior to the dependency and potential humiliation faced when living under the roof of in-laws.

This traditional proverb suggests that certain transactions or relationships can lead to constant interference or trouble. If you give a bull to a relative, every time it falls sick or underperforms, they may complain to you. Similarly, if you marry off a daughter to a family in the same or nearby village, every small domestic dispute or issue may reach your ears immediately, leading to constant involvement and lack of peace.

This proverb describes extreme indifference or lack of empathy. It highlights situations where individuals are completely unconcerned about losses that do not directly affect their personal interests or emotional bonds. It is used to criticize someone's cold-heartedness or apathy towards the misfortune of others.

This proverb describes a situation where a person, usually a man, becomes so infatuated or influenced by his wife that he begins to view his own mother with hostility or disdain. It is used to criticize someone who forgets their parents' sacrifices and treats them poorly after marriage, prioritizing their spouse to an extreme and unfair degree.

This proverb highlights that certain situations are inherently problematic and difficult to manage. Just as shared farming leads to disputes over labor and yield, having two wives in one household traditionally leads to constant domestic conflict and lack of peace.

This expression refers to extreme domestic secrecy or a lack of communication between a couple. It describes a situation where both partners are keeping secrets from each other, making it impossible for either to speak freely or share the truth.

This proverb is used to criticize hypocrites who give lectures on morals, values, and traditions while failing to fulfill their most basic responsibilities at home. It highlights the irony of people who cannot take care of their own family but try to act as moral guides or mediators for others.

This expression describes a dog-in-the-manger situation where someone neither helps you themselves nor allows you to seek help or opportunities from other sources. It is used to criticize people who obstruct others' progress while providing no support of their own.

This proverb is used to describe something or someone that is extremely intense, harsh, or unbearable. Just as the sun feels much hotter and more piercing immediately after coming out from behind a cloud, the anger or behavior of a person who has faced rejection or abandonment is perceived to be particularly sharp and difficult to endure.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone who is already biased or displeased with another person will find faults in everything they do, no matter how trivial or perfect the work is. It suggests that when there is a lack of affection or a pre-existing prejudice, excuses for criticism are easily invented.

This herb ( Salsola Indica ) is occasionally used as a vegetable, and is naturally very salt. Where there is no love, all are faults. If you want a pretence to whip a dog, it is enough to say he ate up the frying pan.

This proverb highlights the temporary and fleeting nature of domestic quarrels between a married couple. Kodo millet (arika) cooks very quickly; similarly, the disagreement between a couple is expected to resolve by the time their next meal is prepared, suggesting that they shouldn't hold grudges.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone asks for a basic necessity or a small favor and receives a cruel, impossible, or mocking response instead of help. It highlights the lack of empathy or the hostile relationship between two people, often used to critique someone who gives heartless advice.

Rōkali is a wooden pestle, five or six feet long, used for pounding rice.