ఏటి ఒడ్డు చేను, ఏరు పొంగితే నిలుస్తుందా?

eti oddu chenu, eru pongite nilustunda?

Translation

A crop on the riverbank, will it remain if the river overflows?

Meaning

This proverb highlights vulnerability and the inevitability of loss when one's assets or efforts are placed in a high-risk position. It is used to describe situations where something is destined to be destroyed because it lacks a safe foundation or protection from predictable disasters.

Related Phrases

If a black beetle issues a command, will it stand?

This proverb is used to describe situations where a command or prohibition is issued by someone who lacks the authority, status, or power to enforce it. Just as a small beetle's 'prohibition' is ignored by others, the words of an insignificant or powerless person carry no weight in a society or a specific situation.

When the river arrives, the rain stops.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a minor concern or source of relief is superseded by a larger event, or specifically, that once a major outcome is achieved (the river flowing), the preliminary signs (the rain) are no longer needed. It is often used to imply that after a long-awaited result occurs, the struggles leading up to it come to an end.

If the nose doesn't stay when coughing, will it stay when sneezing?

This expression is used to describe a situation that is already fragile or failing under minor pressure, suggesting it will certainly collapse under greater stress. It implies that if someone cannot handle a small problem, they surely cannot handle a bigger one.

If a nose falls off just by blowing it, how long will it last?

This proverb is used to describe something that is extremely fragile, temporary, or unstable. It suggests that if a foundation or a situation is so weak that even a minor pressure causes it to fail, it is bound to collapse sooner or later.

Will the nose that can't stand a cough bear a sneeze ?

This proverb is used to describe an extremely fragile situation or a person who couldn't handle a small problem and is now facing an even bigger one. It suggests that if something couldn't survive a minor pressure (a cough), it certainly won't survive a greater force (a sneeze).

Will a pasted mustache stay on forever?

This proverb is used to say that artificial or fake things are never permanent. It implies that borrowed status, false appearances, or temporary fixes will eventually fail and cannot replace something natural or genuine.

Either that bank or this bank.

This expression is used to describe a 'do or die' situation or a definitive decision where there is no middle ground. It signifies a state of reaching a final outcome, whether it is success on the other side or staying where you are, but ending the state of uncertainty.

Time will go, an accusation will remain.

This expression emphasizes the permanence and importance of keeping one's promises. While time moves forward and situations change, the words you have spoken and the commitments you have made will be remembered and will define your character long after the moment has passed.

What does it matter if the house dries up or if Kolleru lake overflows?

This expression is used to describe a person who is completely indifferent to external events, whether they are personal losses or grand occurrences. It signifies a state of total apathy or lack of concern regarding things that do not directly impact one's immediate needs or when one is in a state of despair/detachment.

Time passes away, but the word remains

This expression emphasizes the permanence and importance of one's promises or speech. While time is fleeting and situations change, the words you speak—especially promises or insults—leave a lasting impact and are remembered long after the moment has passed. It is used to advise someone to be careful with their words or to honor their commitments.