గడ్డపార తినేవాడికి శొంఠి కషాయం ఏమి చేస్తుంది?

gaddapara tinevadiki shonthi kashayam emi chestundi?

Translation

What can dried ginger decoction do to a person who eats a crowbar?

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe someone who has committed a massive fraud or a serious crime and is indifferent to minor consequences or small punishments. Just as a small herbal remedy (ginger tea) cannot aid the digestion of a swallowed iron crowbar, trivial solutions or small threats are ineffective against someone involved in much larger, more 'indigestible' schemes.

Related Phrases

A Mahabharata without Karna is like an herbal decoction without dry ginger.

This expression is used to describe something that is incomplete or lacks its most essential element. Just as dry ginger is the core medicinal ingredient in an Ayurvedic decoction, and Karna is a pivotal, indispensable character in the Mahabharata, a project or situation lacks its true essence or effectiveness without a key component or person.

Like swallowing crowbars and then drinking ginger decoction.

This expression is used to describe someone who commits a massive blunder or a serious crime and then tries to fix it or hide it with a trivial, ineffective remedy. It highlights the absurdity of thinking a small act can offset a major wrongdoing or a huge physical impossibility.

A Mahabharata without Karna is like a medicinal decoction without dry ginger.

This expression is used to describe something that is incomplete or lacks its most essential and defining element. Just as Karna is a pivotal, soul-stirring character in the epic Mahabharata, and dry ginger (shonthi) is the indispensable core ingredient of a traditional herbal tonic (kashayam), a project or a gathering feels hollow without its key participant or component.

Behind the person who gathers and eats, followed the person who scrapes and eats.

This expression is used to describe a situation where a person who is already poor or struggling is burdened by someone even worse off. It highlights the irony of a needy person being followed by someone seeking help from them, despite having nothing to give.

If the teller has no shame, shouldn't the listener have some common sense?

This expression is used when someone is telling blatant lies, making absurd claims, or giving bad advice. It suggests that even if the speaker is being unreasonable or shameless, the listener should use their own intelligence and discretion to evaluate the information rather than blindly believing or following it.

One who eats once a day is a Yogi, one who eats twice a day is a Bhogi, one who eats thrice a day is a Rogi

This traditional Telugu proverb highlights the health benefits of moderation in eating. It suggests that eating once a day leads to spiritual and physical discipline (Yogi), eating twice a day is for those enjoying a worldly life (Bhogi), while eating three or more times a day leads to sickness or a diseased state (Rogi).

When dried and seasoned, ginger becomes dry ginger.

This proverb is used to describe someone who has become highly experienced, skilled, or 'seasoned' in a particular field. Just as raw ginger undergoes a transformation to become more potent dry ginger (shonthi) through a process, a person becomes an expert through time and practice.

No decoction without ginger.

This proverb is used to describe a person or thing that is omnipresent and essential in every situation or task. Just as dry ginger is a mandatory ingredient in traditional Ayurvedic medicine (Kashayam), it refers to someone who is involved in every matter or a solution that is applicable everywhere.

An indispensable accompaniment. No flying without wings. ష.

If the one who eats meat leaves, the one who eats bones will come.

This proverb is used to warn that if a bad person or a difficult situation is replaced, the successor might be even worse or more exploitative. It highlights the fear that the 'new' might be more desperate or damaging than the 'old'.

Swallowing crowbars and taking ginger draughts. An insufficient remedy.

This proverb describes someone who commits a major crime or performs an incredibly difficult/sinful act and then performs a minor, trivial ritual to 'purify' themselves or aid digestion. It highlights the absurdity of trying to fix a massive, self-inflicted problem with a tiny, ineffective remedy.