ఎద్దులు వెయ్యను, గుజ్జాలు మొయ్యను

This proverb is used to describe limits to helping someone. Just as you can only push a tree climber as high as your hands reach, after which they must climb on their own, you can only provide a certain amount of support or motivation to a person. Eventually, their success depends on their own effort and initiative.

A clumsy person must be helped to the end.

This proverb emphasizes that relationships of any kind—be it conflict, kinship, or friendship—work best between equals. It suggests that individuals or families involved should be of similar status, strength, or character to ensure balance and mutual respect. It is commonly used when discussing suitability in marriages or the fairness of a rivalry.

In traditional society, widowhood was considered the ultimate hardship. This proverb emphasizes that losing one's reputation or facing a false accusation is even more painful and harder to endure than the greatest personal tragedies. It highlights the supreme importance of personal honor and character over physical or social suffering.

This proverb describes a hypocritical situation where someone creates a problem or hurts another person, but then pretends to be the victim or shouts for help to gain sympathy and deflect blame. It is used to mock people who act innocent after being the aggressor.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone seeks protection or help from the very person who is likely to cause them harm. It highlights the foolishness of trusting a predator with its natural prey or putting a person in charge of something they are known to exploit.

This proverb emphasizes that relationships, whether friendly or adversarial, are best suited between people of equal status, strength, or standing. It suggests that for a bond to be meaningful or a conflict to be fair, the parties involved should be evenly matched.

This proverb highlights the importance of animal husbandry and long-term planning. A heifer (young female cow) eventually grows to provide milk and offspring, ensuring a source of livelihood and financial security for a household. It suggests that small, diligent investments in livestock can eliminate poverty.

This is a powerful traditional saying emphasizing that a person's reputation and honor are more important than any physical or social hardship. While widowhood (historically considered a great misfortune) is endurable, the burden of a false accusation or a stain on one's character is considered unbearable and worse than death or extreme misery.

This proverb emphasizes that loss of reputation or a stain on one's character is far more painful and difficult to endure than even the most tragic personal misfortune or social hardship. It highlights the supreme importance of personal honor over physical or social suffering.

This proverb describes a situation where a household or an organization is in total chaos or mismanagement. It is used when the person in charge is making constant errors and those supporting them are engaged in pointless, unproductive, or repetitive work, leading to zero progress.