అదే పథకమైతే మనము బ్రతకమా?

ade pathakamaite manamu bratakama?

Translation

If this were a brooch, might we not be made rich ? Patakam ( Sans. Padaka ) is a valuable ornament attached to the Kanthasara ( necklace ). The allusion is to one made of false gold, and set with false gems. Disappointment. The treasure turned out charcoal. (Latin.)?

Meaning

This expression is used sarcastically or philosophically to point out that if things actually went according to a specific (often flawed or overly simple) plan, life would be much easier or different. It is often used to highlight the gap between ideal planning and reality, or to dismiss a suggestion that sounds good in theory but is impractical.

Related Phrases

Plays are unreal, your wit is your beauty.

This expression is often used to convey that worldly life or human behavior is superficial and deceptive. It implies that people's actions are often just 'acts' (dramas) and that youth or external beauty is fleeting and pretentious rather than reflecting a deeper truth.

Living with a grudge is the same as living in a house with a snake.

This proverb warns that harboring enmity or living with an active grudge is inherently dangerous and stressful. Just as one can never be at peace or safe in a house where a venomous snake resides, a person living with a rivalry or hatred is always under the threat of harm and lacks mental peace.

Guntaka puranam and Gampa shatakam

This expression is used to describe someone who talks endlessly or provides irrelevant, nonsensical, and long-winded explanations that have no basis in reality or logic. 'Guntaka' refers to a farming tool and 'Gampa' refers to a basket; pairing them with 'Puranam' (epic) and 'Shatakam' (collection of 100 verses) implies a fabricated or uselessly long story.

He will neither allow me to die nor to live. Perpetual worrying.

This expression is used to describe a person or a situation that is extremely suffocating or troublesome. It refers to someone who keeps others in a state of perpetual misery or limbo, where they are neither allowed to move on nor allowed to live in peace.

Like saying, take the sighs (curse) of the villagers and live for a hundred years.

This sarcastic expression is used when someone acts selfishly or unjustly at the expense of others. It implies that a life built on the suffering or curses of others is a dubious blessing, often used to mock someone who is gaining wealth or power by harming their community.

When the devil attacks will the child live ? Said of a meddling fool.

This proverb is used to describe an impossible situation where two contradictory things cannot happen at the same time. It implies that certain actions have inevitable, often negative, consequences; you cannot expect a positive outcome when a destructive force is involved. It is similar to saying 'You can't have your cake and eat it too' or used when someone wants to do something harmful but expects no damage.

If liked, they are flower garlands; if disliked, they are thorny bushes.

This proverb describes a fickle mindset where a person's perception of someone or something changes based on their current mood or interest. When they like a person, everything about them seems wonderful and soft like flowers (eeparalu), but once the interest fades or a conflict arises, the same person or thing seems irritating and painful like thorns (kamparalu). It is used to mock hypocritical or inconsistent behavior in relationships.

If there is rain in the Karkataka month, there will be no famine.

This is a traditional agricultural proverb. Karkataka refers to the Karkataka Masam (July-August) in the lunar calendar. It suggests that if it rains well during this specific period, the crops will thrive, and there will be no shortage of food or drought for the rest of the year.

If it were a gold medal, couldn't I sell it?

This expression is used sarcastically to retort when someone asks a redundant or silly question about an obvious situation, or when someone expects one to value something that is actually useless or a burden. It implies that if the object or situation in question actually had any value (like a gold medal), the speaker would have already benefited from it.

A scribe for writing? Or a scribe for grazing?

This proverb is used to criticize someone who is incompetent at their designated professional task but very efficient at consuming resources or taking benefits. It highlights the irony of a person who holds a position (like a village clerk/Karanam) but excels only at eating (meta) rather than the actual work of writing (vrata).