చేట భారతము - కంప రామాయణము

cheta bharatamu - kampa ramayanamu

Translation

A Mahabharata the size of a winnowing basket - A Ramayana the size of a thorn bush.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe an excessively long, tedious, and never-ending explanation or story. It refers to someone who stretches a simple point into a confusing and unnecessarily detailed narrative, much like calling a small winnowing basket (cheta) or a small fence (kampa) as grand epics like Mahabharata or Ramayana.

Related Phrases

That is all a thorny Ramayana

This expression is used to describe a story, explanation, or situation that is unnecessarily long, confusing, messy, and difficult to get through. Just as a 'kampa' (thorny bush) is tangled and hard to navigate, a 'Kampa Ramayanam' refers to a tedious or convoluted narrative that lacks clarity.

A dispute with the wife is Ramayanam; a dispute with the partners is Bharatam.

This proverb highlights the endless and complex nature of certain conflicts. Disputes with one's spouse (Ramayanam) are often long-winded and emotional, while disputes regarding property or inheritance among partners/relatives (Bharatam) are intense and destructive. It is used to describe household or familial conflicts that seem never-ending.

Rama's story for the world's pleasure / Worldly gossip

While literally referring to the story of Rama that delights the world, in common usage it refers to casual conversation, idle talk, or endless gossip about worldly matters and people's lives. It is often used to describe social chitchat or passing time by talking about various random topics.

Is it Ramayana without Rama?

This expression is used to describe a situation, event, or discussion where the most essential person or core element is missing. Just as the epic Ramayana cannot exist without its protagonist Rama, this rhetorical question highlights the absurdity of an endeavor that lacks its central figure or primary purpose.

There are a thousand reasons for Karna's death.

This expression is used to describe a situation where a failure or a complex event cannot be blamed on a single factor, but is rather the result of many contributing causes. In the Mahabharata, Karna's downfall was caused by multiple curses, promises, and circumstances happening at once.

The Râmâyana is [a tale of] adultery; the Bhârata is obscene; the Bhâgavata is a lie.

This is a paradoxical or cynical saying used to highlight how critics or those with a narrow perspective can misinterpret the core themes of the great epics. It refers to how someone who doesn't understand the spiritual context might only see the abduction of Sita (Ramayana), the harsh violence/politics (Mahabharata), or the supernatural miracles (Bhagavatam) as negative traits.

A chest filled with mucus and a fruit growing inside a thorny bush are the same.

This proverb describes something that is technically present but utterly useless or inaccessible. Just as a fruit stuck deep inside a thick thorny bush cannot be harvested or enjoyed, a person who possesses wealth or talent but is too stingy or restricted to use it for any good purpose is considered useless to society.

A Mahabharata as large as a winnowing basket.

This expression is used to describe a story, explanation, or document that is unnecessarily long, tedious, or excessively detailed. It compares a small or simple matter to the epic Mahabharata, implying that someone is stretching a simple point into a never-ending saga.

By mildness or severity. If one does not answer, the other must be tried.

This expression refers to a strategy of using both persuasion (friendly approach) and intimidation (threats) to get something done. It is equivalent to the English idiom 'by hook or by crook' or 'the carrot and the stick' approach.

Ramayana is about infidelity, Mahabharata is about lies.

This provocative proverb is used to criticize or point out that even the greatest epics contain flaws and moral complexities. In a broader sense, it is used to argue that no one or nothing is perfect, or to justify small mistakes by comparing them to the controversial actions found in sacred texts. It suggests that if even the gods faced such allegations, human errors are inevitable.