Poverty

This proverb highlights the importance of living within one's means. It is used to criticize people who have expensive tastes or bad habits that far exceed their financial capacity. It suggests that one's lifestyle and expenses should be proportionate to their actual income.

This proverb highlights the negative impact of pessimism and constant complaining. It suggests that a household filled with sorrow, lamentation, or a lack of positivity fails to prosper, leading to poverty and a lack of basic necessities like food and clothing.

This proverb describes the harsh reality of social hierarchies, implying that someone who is down on their luck or lacks resources is often looked down upon or disrespected even by those who are considered to be at the bottom of society. It is used to highlight how vulnerability invites mistreatment from everyone.

This proverb describes a situation where a person who is already struggling with poverty or hardship faces even more obstacles or bad luck. It implies that misfortunes often multiply for those who can least afford them, or that even divine favor seems scarce for the destitute.

This expression highlights the practical side of education, suggesting that skills or knowledge that cannot be monetized or used to earn a livelihood often leave a person in financial struggle. It is used to emphasize the importance of vocational or professional value in learning.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone performs a difficult, degrading, or unconventional task purely for the sake of earning a livelihood. It highlights that most of human struggle and 'acting' in society is driven by the basic necessity of food and survival.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is easily satisfied with very little or where the standard of hospitality/reward is consistently minimal. It refers to a specific group or person who expects or receives the same simple thing every time, regardless of the occasion.

This proverb is used to express that humble or helpless people rely entirely on divine grace or the decisions of those in power. It suggests that whatever a higher authority (or God) decides is accepted as fate or luck by the common man, often used in contexts of surrender to destiny or a superior's command.

This proverb highlights the unpredictable and cyclical nature of fortune. Just as tides turn, a wealthy person (represented by ships) might lose everything and become poor (represented by carts), or a person in humble circumstances might rise to great power and wealth. It is used to advise humility during success and hope during hardship.

This proverb describes a situation where someone makes a demanding or luxury request without realizing the dire poverty or crisis the provider is currently facing. It is used to highlight the insensitivity or lack of awareness of a person's basic needs versus someone else's extravagant desires.

This expression is used to describe a situation where a person who is already struggling or living in poverty is struck by a major, unexpected disaster or misfortune. It highlights the cruelty of fate where those with the least resources are often the ones hit hardest by life's calamities.

This proverb is used to highlight how poverty changes one's perspective or how people treat those who cannot afford their services. In a literal sense, it implies that a person without wealth cannot pursue luxury or indulgence, as they are treated with the same distance or respect as a maternal figure by those who sell such services, simply because there is no transaction possible.

This proverb describes a situation where an unfortunate person is unfairly burdened with an enormous problem or a heavy accusation that they have no capacity to handle or resolve. In traditional contexts, 'Brahmahatya' (killing a Brahmin) was considered the ultimate sin with the heaviest consequences; a poor person facing such a charge would be completely helpless.

This proverb is used to describe a person who has very limited financial means or resources but behaves with excessive pride, a quick temper, or an arrogant attitude. It highlights the irony of someone having little to sustain themselves while maintaining a high-handed or easily offended demeanor.

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks basic necessities (like food) but tries to maintain a grand outward appearance or indulges in unnecessary shows of status and extravagance. It highlights the irony of being poor while acting as if one is wealthy or important.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where one misfortune is followed by another, compounding an already difficult situation. It is similar to the English expression 'When it rains, it pours.'

This expression is used to describe an extreme lack of resources or severe scarcity. It metaphorically suggests that during a drought or famine (kshamaam), there is so little moisture or 'rain' that even a tiny bird made of straw or a small sparrow wouldn't find enough water to even get wet. It is used to highlight situations of absolute poverty or complete absence of expected benefits.

This proverb highlights the inherent richness and potential of agricultural land. Even if a farmer lacks financial resources, a fertile and well-maintained field has the capacity to produce wealth and sustain life. It emphasizes that nature's productivity is a form of true wealth that transcends a person's current economic status.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where one's existing misfortunes are compounded by even more trouble or incompetence. It suggests that when a person is already in a helpless or poor state, they often end up with additional burdens that make their situation worse, rather than better.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where two people who have nothing (or are equally poor/powerless) clash or collaborate, resulting in no gain for either party. It implies that a conflict or interaction between two paupers is a futile exercise that yields no material benefit.