అడివి ఉసిరికాయ, సముద్రపు ఉప్పు కలిసినట్టు.

adivi usirikaya, samudrapu uppu kalisinattu.

Translation

Like salt from the sea being mixed with Emblic Myrobalan grown in the [ distant ] jungle.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a perfect, harmonious, or destined combination of two things that come from completely different origins or environments. Just as forest amla (gooseberry) and sea salt are harvested from opposite places but blend perfectly to create a delicious taste (pickles), it refers to an ideal pairing of people, ideas, or events.

Notes

Usirikakaya is the Emblica Officinalis. Used with reference to an advantage gained by an unlooked for coin- cidence.

Related Phrases

If you preserve your life, you can at least live by selling salt. Used as an argument not to risk life for the sake of gain.

This proverb emphasizes that life is the most precious asset. As long as one is alive and healthy, they can find some way to make a living, even through the humblest of jobs like selling salt. It is used to encourage resilience and hope during times of great loss or financial ruin.

When the cot was wet, it became tight. The cots used by the poorest classes are plaited with the fibres of the Cannabis Sativa which shrink when wet. A bad man is puffed up when flattered.

This expression is used to describe a situation or a problem that becomes increasingly difficult, rigid, or stubborn over time rather than resolving easily. It refers to how natural fibers like hemp or jute (kukki) shrink and tighten significantly after being soaked and then drying, making them nearly impossible to loosen.

The connection between an amla fruit in the forest and salt in the sea

This expression is used to describe an unexpected but perfect combination of two things or people from completely different backgrounds. Just as amla (from the forest) and salt (from the sea) combine to make a great pickle, it signifies a destiny-driven union or collaboration of disparate elements.

Like fixing a pump to the sea. For full description of the Etam, Etām or Yâtâm (the Indian swape called by the English Picota) see Buchanan's Mysore. He is building a bridge over the sea.

This expression describes a futile or insignificant effort. An 'Etamu' (picota) is a traditional tool used to draw water from small wells for irrigation; using such a small tool to try and empty or impact a vast ocean is pointless and ineffective. It is used when someone's efforts are grossly inadequate for the scale of the task at hand.

I will eat as much of the rice as my Dâl has been mixed with. Said by the greater of two men who, when travelling together, had mixed their food, the big man having brought dâl and the other rice. Applied to a grasping, selfish man.

This expression is used to describe a person who is purely self-interested or opportunistic. It implies that the individual will remain involved in a situation or relationship only as long as they are gaining a personal benefit or until their specific need is met, after which they will leave without concern for others.

My sister's fortune is greater than mine, and my fortune is greater than my sister's. One no better off than the other.

This expression refers to a situation of mutual jealousy or comparison where individuals constantly feel that others have it better than them, or conversely, boast about their own superiority in a circular, never-ending argument. It describes the fickle nature of human perception regarding status and possessions.

*No diga la lengua por do pague la cabesa.

Like the forest amla and the sea salt meeting each other

This expression is used to describe an unexpected but perfect union or meeting of two entities from completely different origins that complement each other beautifully. Just as forest-grown gooseberries and sea salt come together to make a great pickle despite their distant sources, it refers to people or things from different backgrounds coming together for a common purpose.

Before studying, it is a bitter gourd; after studying, it is a 'keekarakaya'.

This proverb is used to mock people who pretend to be more educated or sophisticated after learning a little, but in reality, their knowledge is superficial or they have only learned to complicate simple things. It satirizes someone whose behavior or speech becomes unnecessarily complex or nonsensical after gaining education, rather than becoming wiser.

Like dipping a small stick into the ocean.

This expression is used to describe an action that is insignificant or has no noticeable impact on a vast situation. It refers to a task that is so small compared to the scale of the problem that it makes absolutely no difference, similar to the English idiom 'a drop in the ocean.'

Like rain falling into the ocean

This expression is used to describe an action that is redundant, useless, or has no significant impact because it is being added to something that is already vast or abundant. Just as rain does not change the level of the sea, a small contribution or help given to someone who already has everything is considered pointless.