అరనిమిషం తీరికాలేదు, అరకాసు సంపాదనా లేదు

aranimisham tirikaledu, arakasu sampadana ledu

Translation

Not even half a minute of free time, yet not even half a cent of earnings.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a person who is constantly busy and overworked but has nothing to show for it financially. It highlights a situation where one's efforts are unproductive or unrewarding, often used to mock someone's inefficient busyness or lack of success despite hard work.

Related Phrases

One person's earnings are shared by ten people.

This proverb refers to a situation where a single individual is the sole breadwinner for a large extended family or a group of dependents. It describes the burden of one person's hard work sustaining many others, often used when discussing family responsibilities or collective dependency on one source of income.

He has not the means of [getting] one cash, but thinks nothing of [spending] a hundred [pagodas]. A pagoda = 3½ Rupees. Wanton extravagance. He is able to buy an abbey.

This proverb describes a person who lacks the means to earn even a small amount of money (a 'kasu'), yet talks or acts with grand indifference toward large sums (a 'hundred'). It is used to mock someone who is boastful or financially reckless despite being in deep poverty.

Zero copper coin earnings, but a silver rupee debt.

This expression is used to describe a person who has absolutely no income or savings, yet indulges in extravagant spending through heavy borrowing. It highlights the recklessness of living beyond one's means and the irony of having high debts without any financial foundation.

Not a penny of income, not a moment of leisure.

This expression is used to describe someone who is constantly busy and working hard but without any financial gain or productive results. It highlights the irony of being extremely occupied while remaining poor or unsuccessful.

Neither in the lap nor in the cheek, yet children for the skinny legs.

This proverb describes a situation where someone who lacks basic stability or resources takes on unnecessary or excessive responsibilities. It is often used to mock people who are incapable of looking after themselves but still aspire for things they cannot manage, or when someone is overly ambitious despite having no foundation.

Neither invocation nor dismissal.

This expression refers to someone who is indifferent or neutral towards a situation, person, or ritual. It originates from Vedic rituals where a deity is invited (Avahana) and then sent back (Visarjana). It is used to describe a state where one is neither welcoming nor rejecting something, often implying a lack of interest or involvement.

Not a moment of leisure, not a penny of earnings

This expression describes a situation where a person is extremely busy and constantly working, yet their hard work yields no financial gain or significant results. It is used to mock someone's unproductive busyness or to lament a period of fruitless labor.

No invocation, no dismissal.

This expression refers to a state of complete indifference or lack of formal procedure. It is used to describe someone who doesn't follow any rules, doesn't start or finish tasks properly, or remains totally unbothered and detached regardless of the situation or guests arriving/leaving.

Neither on that day did I put it on, nor on this day have I torn it.

This proverb is used to describe someone who is consistently lazy, indifferent, or irresponsible. It refers to a person who didn't take the effort to wear/tie a garment properly in the past and doesn't bother about it being torn or ruined in the present. It characterizes a state of having no cares, no progress, and no sense of responsibility regardless of the time or situation.

Said by a poor fellow who had never had the pleasure of putting on a good cloth or the annoyance of tearing it.

There is no mercy in Hell; there is no death in Heaven.

This expression highlights the fundamental characteristics of the afterlife realms in Hindu mythology: Hell (Naraka) is a place of absolute punishment where no sympathy is shown, while Heaven (Nakalu/Swarga) is a place of eternal life where the concept of mortality does not exist. It is used to describe situations of extremes or the inevitable nature of certain environments.