చదువకముందు వరవర అంటే, చదివిన వెనుక వడవడ అన్నాడట.

chaduvakamundu varavara ante, chadivina venuka vadavada annadata.

Translation

Before studying he said 'Vara Vara', and after studying he said 'Vada Vada'.

Meaning

This proverb is used to mock someone whose education or learning has not improved their wisdom or has actually made them more confused or foolish. It describes a situation where despite putting in the effort to learn, the person remains ignorant or produces nonsensical results, often misapplying their knowledge.

Related Phrases

A well in front, a pit behind

This expression is used to describe a dilemma or a 'catch-22' situation where one is trapped between two equally difficult or dangerous alternatives. It is the Telugu equivalent of the English idiom 'between a rock and a hard place.'

I have become acquainted with all the secret mysteries of learning. The allusion is to the story of Prahlâda son of Hiranyakaśipa. The words of the Proverb are found in the Telugu translation of the Bhâgavata Purâṇa, (but not in the Sanscrit original,) as having been used by Prahlâda to his father.—(See Vishnu Purâṇa Book I, Chapters 17—20.) Said of a man who pretends to be learned.

This expression is used to mock someone who boasts about having complete knowledge or mastery over a subject, often used in a sarcastic context when the person's actions or actual knowledge suggest otherwise. It highlights overconfidence and pretentious behavior regarding one's learning.

" O grandfather! do you know your Sandhyâ,” [ asked a boy ]; " If you who have just learnt it don't know it, can I who learnt it sixty years ago remember it?" [ replied the old man. ]

This proverb is used to mock people who use their age or the passage of time as an excuse for their ignorance or for forgetting basic skills. It highlights a situation where someone who should be experienced and knowledgeable tries to justify their lack of knowledge by comparing themselves to the younger generation's failures.

When the teacher said 'hit from the back, student,' the student replied, 'If I hit from the back, will there be a face left, master?'

This expression is used to describe a person who is foolishly literal or lacks common sense. It refers to someone who interprets instructions in the most absurd way possible or provides nonsensical excuses instead of understanding the intent behind a command.

Before studying, it is a bitter gourd; after studying, it is a 'keekarakaya'.

This proverb is used to mock people who pretend to be more educated or sophisticated after learning a little, but in reality, their knowledge is superficial or they have only learned to complicate simple things. It satirizes someone whose behavior or speech becomes unnecessarily complex or nonsensical after gaining education, rather than becoming wiser.

A washerman is better than an educated person.

This proverb is used to criticize someone who lacks common sense or practical wisdom despite being highly educated. It suggests that a simple, uneducated person (like a washerman) who performs their duties effectively and understands the practicalities of life is more valuable than a scholar who cannot apply their knowledge or lacks humility.

A washerman is better than an educated person. The washerman, though illiterate, invariably distinguishes the clothes belonging to different people by putting certain marks on them, but many of the educated cannot discern between good and evil.

This proverb is used to criticize an educated person who lacks common sense or practical wisdom. It implies that practical knowledge and a sensible approach to life (often attributed to simple workers like a washerman) are more valuable than formal education without the ability to apply it properly or behave appropriately.

Before reading it is a bitter gourd, after reading it is a 'keekarakaya'.

This expression is used to mock someone who pretends to have gained immense knowledge after studying but only ends up being more confused or making nonsensical claims. It highlights the irony of education failing to bring clarity or when someone makes up words to sound sophisticated.

When a grandson asked 'Grandfather, do you know how to perform the Sandhya prayer?', the grandfather replied 'If you who are studying now don't know it, how would I know it when I studied sixty years ago?'

This proverb is used to mock those who make excuses for their ignorance or forgetfulness by blaming the passage of time. It highlights the irony where someone expects an elder to remember something that even the younger person, who is currently learning, has failed to grasp. It can also refer to situations where knowledge is lost across generations due to lack of practice.

Before studying they were called 'Pesalu' (Moong dal), and after studying they are still called 'Pesalu'.

This proverb is used to mock someone who, despite being highly educated, has not gained any practical wisdom or changed their basic perspective. It describes a situation where education has failed to make a person more sophisticated or knowledgeable than they were before.