అడుక్కొని తినేవాడి ఆలి అయ్యేకంటే, భాగ్యవంతుడి బానిస అయ్యేది మేలు.

adukkoni tinevadi ali ayyekante, bhagyavantudi banisa ayyedi melu.

Translation

It is better to be a slave to a rich man than to be the wife of a beggar.

Meaning

This expression suggests that security and basic comforts provided by a wealthy household are preferable to the extreme hardships and instability of poverty. It is used to describe a pragmatic choice where one prioritizes material survival over status or perceived freedom in destitute conditions.

Related Phrases

For those who live by begging, there are sixty villages.

This proverb suggests that for a person with no pride, attachments, or fixed responsibilities, the whole world is their home. It is often used to describe people who are resourceful or nomadic, implying that they can find sustenance or a way to survive anywhere because they are not tied down to a single place or status.

Better to be a wife to a beggar than to be a slave to a wealthy man.

This proverb emphasizes the value of self-respect and status within a relationship over material wealth. It suggests that it is better to live in poverty but with dignity as a life partner (spouse) rather than living in luxury but being treated as a subordinate or servant.

The astringency of flowers is what becomes honey

This proverb suggests that raw, bitter, or difficult beginnings can lead to sweet and rewarding outcomes. It is used to encourage patience and perseverance, highlighting that hard work or initial unpleasantness eventually transforms into something valuable and beneficial.

If one is wealthy, do they eat gold?

This proverb highlights the essential nature of basic necessities over luxury. It implies that no matter how rich a person is, they still need food to survive just like anyone else. It is used to humble those who are arrogant about their wealth or to remind people that money cannot satisfy every human need.

Like a beggar asking for curd rice.

This proverb is used to describe a person who is in a desperate or dependent situation but still makes high demands or shows excessive fussiness. It refers to someone who lacks the basic means to survive yet expects luxuries or specific preferences that are beyond their current status.

Behind the person who gathers and eats, followed the person who scrapes and eats.

This expression is used to describe a situation where a person who is already poor or struggling is burdened by someone even worse off. It highlights the irony of a needy person being followed by someone seeking help from them, despite having nothing to give.

Education became thin, while the teacher became fat

This proverb describes a situation where an endeavor or institution fails to achieve its primary purpose while the person in charge prospers. It is commonly used to criticize scenarios where a student's knowledge diminishes despite the teacher's growth in wealth, or more broadly, when a project fails but the manager benefits personally.

The poor man desires death, while the wealthy man desires wealth.

This expression highlights the extreme difference in perspectives and priorities based on one's life circumstances. It suggests that while those in suffering or poverty might see death as an escape from their miseries, those with resources are driven by the ambition to accumulate even more success and prosperity. It is often used to describe the contrasting mindsets of the 'haves' and the 'have-nots'.

It is better to be a slave to a strong man than to be a partner to a base person.

This expression suggests that serving a powerful or noble person provides more security and dignity than collaborating with a mean-spirited or incompetent person. In a partnership with an unworthy person, one faces constant friction and risk, whereas serving a strong person offers stability and protection. It is used when choosing between two difficult situations, favoring the one with more inherent value or stability.

Better be the hand-maid of a great man than the wife of a low fellow. Better fare hard with good men than feast with bad.

This proverb emphasizes that it is better to serve a noble or powerful person than to be intimately associated with someone of poor character or low status. It suggests that even a subordinate role under a virtuous or strong leader offers more dignity and security than a higher-ranking position with a base or wicked individual.