అడవికిపోయిన ఆవులకు బంది అడిగినట్లు.

adavikipoyina avulaku bandi adiginatlu.

Translation

Like asking for a confinement fee for cows that have gone into the forest.

Meaning

This proverb describes a situation where someone demands payment or taxes for something they do not control or have no authority over. It is used to mock illogical or greedy demands made by people who try to exploit situations where they have provided no service or protection.

Related Phrases

Even if you carry your sins in your loincloth and go to Kashi, or even to the cremation ground, they will not be washed away.

This proverb emphasizes that one cannot escape the consequences of their bad deeds through religious pilgrimages or external rituals. It teaches that intentional sins cannot be hidden or absolved simply by visiting holy places like Kashi or until one's death; the karma of one's actions will inevitably follow them.

A washed mouth and a child who asks.

This proverb highlights two things that are always ready or desirable. A 'washed mouth' refers to a clean mouth ready to eat, and an 'asking child' refers to a child who is curious, expressive, or communicative about their needs, which is considered a sign of healthy development and clarity.

Like a discarded leaf plate becoming useful on a festival day.

This expression describes a situation where something or someone previously considered useless or neglected suddenly becomes valuable or essential due to specific circumstances. It is often used to highlight a stroke of luck or the unexpected utility of a discarded object/person.

Far from relatives, near to a well

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone moves away from their family and relatives to live in a solitary or secluded place, or when someone prefers peace and basic necessities over the complications of social circles. It highlights the choice of isolation or self-sufficiency over family ties.

Like asking for the taste of the curry just as one is about to eat.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone asks for feedback or information right at the moment they are about to experience the result firsthand. It highlights the pointlessness or impatience of questioning something that will be self-evident in a matter of seconds.

Like offering a dead cow to an outcast Brahman. Knock a man down, and kick him for falling. Him that falls all the world run over. (German.) All bite the bitten dog. (Portuguese.)

This expression describes a situation where one useless or ruined thing is given to someone who is already in a helpless or destitute state. It refers to a mock charity or a futile gesture where neither the giver is making a sacrifice nor the receiver is getting any benefit. It is used to mock instances where someone tries to solve a problem with a worthless solution.

Like a cart moving over a Cissus quadrangularis (Nalleru) plant.

This expression is used to describe a process that is extremely smooth, easy, and without any obstacles. Just as a cart glides effortlessly over the soft, succulent Nalleru plant, it signifies that a task is being completed very easily.

Like asking for wages to chew sugarcane

This expression describes a situation where someone asks for a reward or compensation for doing something that is already beneficial, pleasurable, or personally advantageous to them. It highlights the irony of demanding payment for an activity that is its own reward.

Like asking for a head wrap for the head.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone makes a request or demand that is redundant, obvious, or perfectly suited to the immediate need, often implying that what is being asked for is already essential or inevitable. It is frequently used when a person asks for something they are clearly entitled to or which is a natural fit for the context.

Like asking the woman who fed you for a feast of her thighs.

This proverb is used to describe extreme ingratitude or shamelessness. It refers to a person who, after receiving basic help or food from a benefactor, inappropriately demands more or makes lewd, ungrateful requests. It highlights the behavior of someone who forgets the help received and acts with total lack of character.