బాతాకానీ వానికి బారానా, నాకూ బారానానేనా?

This proverb describes a lifestyle of extreme inconsistency or instability, often referring to a person's financial state or food availability. 'Dharana' refers to a ritual fast or restraint, while 'Parana' refers to breaking the fast with a meal. It is used to describe someone who is rich one day and poor the next, or a situation that fluctuates between scarcity and abundance.

This expression is used to describe how people tend to exaggerate the qualities or potential of things that are already lost or projects that have failed. Just as a child who died at birth is often remembered as being exceptionally healthy or large, people often overstate the greatness of 'what could have been' in hindsight.

This proverb highlights the consequences of poor habits and lack of responsibility. A person who consumes everything wastefully (a glutton) leaves nothing to sustain their livestock, and a person who is extremely lazy or stubborn (like a wooden block) cannot maintain a family or relationship because they fail to provide or cooperate. It is used to emphasize that sustainability and family life require discipline and effort.

This expression describes the unpredictable nature of life, especially regarding financial or food security. 'Dharana' refers to fasting or self-restraint (often due to lack), while 'Parana' refers to the meal that breaks a fast or a feast. It is used to describe someone whose circumstances fluctuate between periods of scarcity and abundance, or simply the ups and downs of life's fortunes.

A precarious subsistence. Change of fortune is the lot of life. To-day a king, to-morrow nothing. (French.)

This proverb is used to describe a person who is very active when it comes to consuming or taking benefits but remains silent or inactive when it is time to work, speak up, or contribute. It highlights a selfish or lazy nature where one is present only for the 'eating' part and absent for the 'effort' part.

This expression is used to describe tasks—especially repairs or household chores—that keep surfacing one after another. It implies that once you start fixing things, new problems constantly appear, making the work never-ending.

This proverb emphasizes the social stigma and loss of self-respect associated with a man living off his wife's wealth or dowry (Aranam). It suggests that for a man with dignity, death is preferable to the humiliation of being dependent on his in-laws' property or a dowry-based lifestyle.

This proverb describes the unpredictability of life's fortunes, particularly regarding financial stability or food availability. It is used to describe a situation where one experiences extreme lack or hardship one day, followed by abundance or satisfaction the next day. It highlights the cycle of ups and downs in life.

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).

This proverb describes a person who is overly anxious, restless, or impatient. It suggests that such a person's inner turmoil follows them wherever they go; even if they change their environment or tools, their restless nature prevents them from working calmly or effectively, resulting only in noise and haste rather than productive outcomes.