చచ్చిన మొగుడు చనుబాల మీద, బతికిన మొగుడు మంచం మీద

chachchina mogudu chanubala mida, batikina mogudu mancham mida

Translation

The dead husband on breast milk, the living husband on the bed.

Meaning

This proverb is used to satirically comment on people who neglect their current responsibilities or family members while they are alive, but express excessive, misplaced grief or perform elaborate rituals once they are gone. It highlights the irony of valuing the memory of the dead over the presence of the living.

Related Phrases

If the crying woman's husband returns, my husband will return too.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone waits for others to act or succeed before taking initiative themselves, or a situation where one's fate is tied to the general outcome of a group. It is often used to mock someone who lacks independent drive and simply follows the crowd's luck or progress.

If the weeping widow's husband returns, mine will come also. Stolid indifference. Want of feeling.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone's own success or progress is entirely dependent on another person's outcome. It reflects a state of helplessness or a wait-and-see approach, implying 'if it can happen for them, it will eventually happen for me too.'

After her husband's death, the jade came to her senses.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone realizes their mistake or understands the importance of something only after it is permanently lost or when it is too late to rectify the damage. It highlights the futility of late realization.

A sister-in-law is half a husband.

This proverb describes the significant authority, influence, and sometimes interference a husband's sister (aadabidda) has over his wife in a traditional Indian household. It implies that her power is second only to the husband.

Own husband smells like mud, neighbor's husband smells like flowers.

This proverb is used to describe the human tendency to undervalue what one already possesses while overestimating the value or quality of what others have. It is similar to the English expression 'The grass is always greener on the other side.'

While she was mourning her dead husband, her paramour came and threw stones at her.

This proverb describes a situation where a person already suffering from a major tragedy or problem is further harassed or troubled by an insensitive or opportunistic person. It is used to highlight the cruelty of adding more misery to someone who is already in a state of grief or distress.

A sister-in-law is like a half-husband.

This traditional expression refers to the significant authority, influence, and sometimes interference a husband's sister (aadabidda) can have in a newly married woman's household. It suggests that her status is nearly equal to that of the husband in terms of decision-making or power dynamics within the family.

A husband to Nannamma, and a husband to Timmanna's mother.

This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely clever, cunning, or a 'know-it-all' who thinks they can outsmart anyone. It refers to a person who claims superiority over those who are already considered experts or authorities in a particular field, often used in a sarcastic tone to highlight someone's overconfidence or manipulative nature.

When she was crying 'Alas!' because her husband died, her paramour came and said, 'Don't worry, I will give you a child.'

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone offers a completely inappropriate, insensitive, or irrelevant solution to a person in deep distress. It highlights the lack of empathy or the absurdity of a person trying to take advantage of or misinterpret a tragic situation for their own interests.

A husband without any looks or charm feels like he is occupying the whole bed.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone or something that lacks value or appeal feels like an overwhelming burden. It highlights how defects or undesirable qualities in a person make their presence feel more intrusive or annoying than it would otherwise be.