బతికే సేద్యం - తురక నేస్తం

This proverb describes someone who sets ideal or impossible conditions before committing to a task. It highlights the tendency to blame external factors or demand perfect resources to justify one's willingness to work, implying that with such perfect comforts, anyone would be willing to do the job.

This proverb humorously suggests that begging is a more reliable or easier way to survive than farming. It implies that while agriculture is dependent on seasons and labor, a beggar can find success through three means: persistent asking, wandering, or evoking sympathy. It is often used to comment on people who prefer dependency or easy paths over hard labor.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of timing and readiness. Just as a blunt knife is useless for cutting, farming becomes futile if the right season or opportunity is missed. It is used to convey that actions must be taken at the appropriate time to be effective.

This proverb is used to describe tasks or situations that require constant attention, effort, and resources. Just as a chronic illness needs continuous care and a garden requires daily maintenance to prevent it from withering, certain responsibilities or businesses demand unending vigilance to stay viable.

This proverb highlights tasks or conditions that require constant attention and never-ending effort. 'Meha Jadyam' refers to chronic metabolic or venereal diseases that are difficult to cure and persist for a long time, while 'Thota Sedyam' refers to gardening or horticulture, which demands daily maintenance, watering, and care without a definitive completion point. It is used to describe situations that are perpetual or 'bottomless pits' of time and effort.

This proverb emphasizes the power of teamwork and support. It suggests that even an incompetent or timid person can achieve great tasks, like agriculture, if they have a large family or a strong team to support and guide them. Success often depends more on collective strength than individual ability.

This is an agricultural proverb related to the lunar asterisms (Kartelu). It suggests that heavy rains during the Magha and Pubba periods are detrimental to crops. It implies that regardless of who is farming or how hard they work, the yield will be ruined (turned to dust/mud) if it rains excessively during this specific time of the season.

This expression is used to describe things or people that are fundamentally unsuitable or harmful. Just as 'Toka Vadlu' (a poor quality grain with tails) is difficult to cook and yields poor results, a person who betrays trust is ruinous to a friendship. It serves as a warning against relying on low-quality resources or untrustworthy companions.

This proverb highlights the difficulty and inefficiency of trying to complete a major task without the necessary resources or help. Just as farming requires a pair of oxen to be effective, attempting it with one ox forces the farmer to exert extra physical effort, leading to pain and exhaustion. It is used to describe situations where a lack of support makes a job unnecessarily hard.

This proverb describes the nature of friendships based on financial status and reciprocity. A merchant (Komati) is friendly as long as you are a customer spending money, whereas an Eediga (historically associated with communal social circles) represents a friendship based on mutual exchange or sharing. It is used to highlight how the dynamics of friendship change based on economic transactions versus mutual benefit.