ఆచారం ఆరుబారలు, గోచిపాత మూడు బారలు

acharam arubaralu, gochipata mudu baralu

Translation

Customs are six fathoms, but the loincloth is only three fathoms.

Meaning

This proverb is used to mock people who display excessive outward religious or traditional strictness while failing to maintain basic decency or practical standards. It highlights the hypocrisy of those who talk big about rules and traditions but lack the fundamental means or character to follow them properly.

Related Phrases

Like a man wearing a loincloth asking a naked man for clothes.

This proverb describes a situation where someone asks for help or resources from another person who is even worse off than themselves. It highlights the absurdity of seeking assistance from someone who lacks even the most basic necessities or is in a state of absolute poverty.

The avaricious Brahman tied up a tumu [of grain] in his clout.

This proverb is used to mock people whose greed knows no bounds. It describes a situation where someone is so overcome by avarice that they try to hide or carry away far more than they can realistically manage, often in a ridiculous or impossible manner, leading to their own discomfort or exposure.

The garden is three spans long, but the fruit is six spans long.

This proverb is used to describe a situation that is highly exaggerated, impossible, or where the result/accessory is disproportionately larger or more significant than the source itself. It is often used to mock someone who tells tall tales or unrealistic stories.

A 'barana' for the talkative one, and is it a 'barana' for me too?

This expression is used when someone who has worked hard feels insulted or undervalued when they receive the same reward or treatment as someone who did nothing but talk. It highlights the injustice of equal pay or credit for unequal effort.

The man wearing only a loincloth is the master of thieves.

This proverb refers to a person who has absolutely nothing to lose. Since he owns nothing but a small piece of cloth (loincloth), even the most skilled thieves cannot steal anything from him. It is used to describe a situation where a person is immune to threats, extortion, or loss because they possess no worldly wealth or assets.

If one who has never done it works the water-lift, there will be six cubits of debt every year.

This proverb describes the consequences of an inexperienced person attempting a task they are not qualified for. It signifies that when an unskilled person manages a project or business without the necessary knowledge, they will likely incur losses or cause damage rather than achieving the desired result. It highlights the importance of expertise and experience.

A man wearing only a loincloth is a master to thieves.

This proverb describes a person who possesses nothing of value and is therefore immune to being robbed. It is used to highlight that when someone has nothing to lose, even the most skilled criminals or threats cannot harm them. It signifies the safety found in extreme simplicity or poverty.

The greedy Brahmin supposedly tied thirty measures of grain into his loincloth.

This proverb is used to mock extreme greed or unrealistic ambition. It describes a situation where someone's desire is so vast that they try to achieve or store something impossible using completely inadequate means, leading to a ridiculous or failed result.

A man wearing only a loincloth is a master to thieves.

This expression refers to someone who has nothing to lose. Since a person wearing only a loincloth possesses no wealth or valuables, even the most skilled thieves cannot steal anything from him. It is used to describe a situation where a person is immune to threats or exploitation because they lack worldly possessions or have reached a state of total simplicity.

Purity first and impurity after. Impurity always attends purity.

This proverb refers to hypocrisy or double standards. It describes a situation where someone publicly follows all religious or social customs strictly (outward display), but privately indulges in unethical or prohibited activities. It is used to criticize people who act righteous only when being watched.