చెడ్డ చేనికి మూడు మంచెలా?

This expression is used to describe a person who has excessive or grand requirements for a very small or humble task. It highlights the irony of someone who, despite being in a position of seeking help or doing something minor, demands or carries more tools than necessary.

This proverb highlights the essential requirements for success or strength in different contexts. Just as a field requires a constant supply of water through a canal (vaaka) to thrive and yield crops, a king or leader requires a loyal following or a strong army (mooka) to maintain power and authority. It is used to describe the fundamental necessities of a particular situation.

This expression describes hypocrisy or a situation where someone talks very politely or makes grand promises but acts in a harmful or contrary manner. It is used to describe people whose actions do not match their virtuous words.

This proverb describes someone who focuses on trivial matters or maintains unnecessary formalities even after suffering a massive tragedy or facing a total loss. It is used to mock people who do not understand the gravity of a situation and worry about insignificant details instead of focusing on recovery or survival.

This proverb is used to criticize excessive or unnecessary security, decoration, or attention given to something that is fundamentally worthless or poor in quality. It implies that when the core object is of no value, the elaborate efforts to protect or showcase it are a waste.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of fertilization in agriculture. It suggests that just as manure enriches the crop field, allowing a flock of sheep or cattle to stay in a small plot (penning) naturally fertilizes the soil with their waste, ensuring a healthy yield. It is used to highlight that timely and appropriate inputs lead to better results.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person starts making poor decisions or loses their sense of judgment when they are facing a period of misfortune or ruin. It suggests that one's intellect or character often declines when their downfall is near.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone's good intentions or attempts to help lead to unexpected negative consequences, criticism, or trouble. It is similar to the English expression 'No good deed goes unpunished.'

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone has already lost their reputation or is in a completely compromised position, and then tries to hide or be modest about minor things. It suggests that when the worst has already happened or been exposed, trivial attempts to maintain dignity or secrecy are hypocritical or pointless.

This proverb describes a situation where one wastes valuable resources on a hopeless or unproductive cause. Just as sowing good seeds in a barren or bad field results in a loss of both the seeds and the effort, this expression is used when someone invests time, money, or energy into something that yields no results.

Pongali is a preparation of rice offered to the fields after the harvest. In this case the crop had failed and the offering had to be made from the old store. It was therefore a needless ceremony.