దేవుడు ఇస్తాడు గాని, వండి వార్చి నోట కొడతాడా?
devudu istadu gani, vandi varchi nota kodatada?
God gives [food ] but does He cook and strain it and put in the mouth ?
This proverb emphasizes the importance of self-effort. While divine grace or luck may provide an opportunity, one must still work hard to utilize it. Success requires personal initiative; things will not be handed to you on a silver platter without any effort on your part.
God gives every bird its food, but does not throw it into the nest. (Danish.)†
Related Phrases
మొట్టేవాడికి వరమిస్తాడుగాని మొక్కేవారికి వరమీయడు
mottevadiki varamistadugani mokkevariki varamiyadu
He grants a boon to the one who hits him, but not to the one who prays to him.
This proverb describes someone who yields or responds only to pressure, aggression, or force, while ignoring those who approach them with humility or respect. It is used to highlight situations where being polite gets you nowhere, but being demanding or forceful yields results.
చెవుడు చెవుడూ అంటే, తవుడు తవుడూ అంటాడు
chevudu chevudu ante, tavudu tavudu antadu
When they call out "Deaf man! Deaf man!" he answers "[ I've got ] Bran, Bran!"
This proverb is used to describe a complete lack of communication or a situation where two people are talking about entirely different things. It refers to a person who misunderstands what is being said due to a lack of attention or hearing, responding with something totally irrelevant. It is used in situations where there is no sync between a question and an answer.
The jingle of the Telugu words is similar to that of the English equivalents.
చెవుడు చెవుడూ అంటే, తవుడు తవుడూ అన్నట్లు
chevudu chevudu ante, tavudu tavudu annatlu
When one person says 'deafness, deafness', the other person says 'bran, bran'
This expression describes a situation where two people are talking at cross-purposes or failing to communicate effectively due to a misunderstanding or a lack of attention. It is used when one person's words are completely misinterpreted by another, leading to a nonsensical or irrelevant response, much like a deaf person mishearing a word and replying with something that sounds similar but has a different meaning.
కూర్చుని లేవలేడు కానీ, వంగి తీర్థం వెళ్తాడన్నట్టు
kurchuni levaledu kani, vangi tirtham veltadannattu
He could not rise from his seat and yet he proposed to crawl to the holy place.
This expression is used to mock someone who talks about undertaking massive, ambitious tasks when they are incapable of performing even the simplest, basic chores. It highlights a lack of self-awareness regarding one's own limitations or laziness.
Offering to do that which is difficult, when unable to do that which is easy. * Crea el cuello, y sacarte ha los ocios. 16
మొగుడు కొట్టినందుకు కాదు గానీ, ముక్కు చీమిడి వదిలినందుకు సంతోషం
mogudu kottinanduku kadu gani, mukku chimidi vadilinanduku santosham
It is not about the husband's beating, but the joy that the nasal mucus is gone.
This expression is used sarcastically to describe a situation where someone tries to find a trivial or absurd silver lining in a bad or humiliating situation. It points out the irony of ignoring a major problem (being beaten) while focusing on a minor, irrelevant benefit (clearing a stuffy nose).
దేవుడు ఇస్తాడు గాని, వండి వార్చి నోటికి అందిస్తాడా?
devudu istadu gani, vandi varchi notiki andistada?
God may give, but will he cook, strain the rice, and feed it to your mouth?
This proverb emphasizes that while divine grace or luck might provide opportunities, one must still put in the necessary hard work to achieve results. Success requires personal effort; you cannot expect everything to be served to you without lifting a finger.
నా నెత్తురు నా చేతనే తాగించుతాడు
na netturu na chetane taginchutadu
He casts my blood into my mouth. i. e. He harasses and annoys me exceedingly.
This expression is used to describe a person who causes extreme distress, suffering, or mental agony to someone close to them. It characterizes a situation where someone's actions are so hurtful or demanding that the victim feels they are being self-destructed or bled dry by the perpetrator's behavior.
దేవుడు వరమిచ్చినా, పూజారి వరమీయడు.
devudu varamichchina, pujari varamiyadu.
Even if God grants a boon, the priest will not grant it.
This proverb describes a situation where a higher authority is willing to help or approve a request, but the subordinates or intermediaries create obstacles. It is commonly used to express frustration with bureaucracy, middle-men, or lower-level officials who block progress despite orders from the top.
కొడితే కొట్టాడుగాని కొత్త కోకెట్టాడు
kodite kottadugani kotta kokettadu
He might have beaten me, but he gave me a new saree.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone endures some hardship, insult, or mistreatment because they received a significant benefit or compensation in return. It highlights a trade-off where the material gain outweighs the temporary suffering or loss of dignity.
తినడానికి తవుడు లేదు కానీ, వారానికి ఒక పందిపిల్ల కావాలన్నట్టు
tinadaniki tavudu ledu kani, varaniki oka pandipilla kavalannattu
He has not even bran to eat, but he wants a pig every week.
This proverb describes a person who lacks even the basic necessities of life yet indulges in or demands expensive luxuries and extravagant habits. It is used to mock someone who lives far beyond their means or has unrealistic, high-end desires despite being in poverty.