ఎరువులేని సేద్యం, కరువుదేవతకు వాద్యం

This proverb describes someone who sets ideal or impossible conditions before committing to a task. It highlights the tendency to blame external factors or demand perfect resources to justify one's willingness to work, implying that with such perfect comforts, anyone would be willing to do the job.

This proverb is used to describe tasks or situations that require constant attention, effort, and resources. Just as a chronic illness needs continuous care and a garden requires daily maintenance to prevent it from withering, certain responsibilities or businesses demand unending vigilance to stay viable.

This proverb highlights the essential nature of self-respect and integrity for an individual. Just as a crop cannot grow healthy or yield results without proper manure/fertilizer, a person (metaphorically referred to as a farmer) cannot truly thrive or lead a meaningful life without honor and social standing.

This proverb highlights a traditional ideal for a prosperous and stable family. It suggests that if the father takes care of agriculture (ensuring food security) and the son becomes a doctor (ensuring health and income), the family will always have 'koodu' (food/sustenance) right in the middle or in abundance. It is used to describe a perfectly balanced and self-sufficient household.

This proverb highlights tasks or conditions that require constant attention and never-ending effort. 'Meha Jadyam' refers to chronic metabolic or venereal diseases that are difficult to cure and persist for a long time, while 'Thota Sedyam' refers to gardening or horticulture, which demands daily maintenance, watering, and care without a definitive completion point. It is used to describe situations that are perpetual or 'bottomless pits' of time and effort.

This proverb highlights a recipe for complete ruin or waste. It suggests that if a father is a farmer and his son is a doctor, they might survive, but if they consume alcohol (or waste resources), everything they earn will be lost. It is often used to warn against addictive habits that destroy family legacies regardless of how hard the previous generation worked.

This is an agricultural proverb related to the lunar asterisms (Kartelu). It suggests that heavy rains during the Magha and Pubba periods are detrimental to crops. It implies that regardless of who is farming or how hard they work, the yield will be ruined (turned to dust/mud) if it rains excessively during this specific time of the season.

This expression describes a futile or useless effort. Just as crops cannot grow in salty/barren soil and farming is impossible without a water source, starting a project without the necessary resources or foundation will lead to certain failure.

This proverb highlights that certain tasks require discipline, guidance, and constant presence to yield results. Just as education is difficult to acquire without a structured school environment, farming cannot be successful if the farmer does not personally supervise or attend to the fields. It is used to emphasize the importance of direct involvement and systematic effort in any endeavor.

This expression describes a situation where one is forced to seek a loan or credit during a time of extreme scarcity or crisis. It signifies an act of desperation or a burden upon an already struggling person, as borrowing during a famine is difficult to repay and even harder to obtain.