గుడి మింగే వానికి గుళ్లో లింగం ఒక లెక్కా?

gudi minge vaniki gullo lingam oka lekka?

Translation

To him who swallows the temple, the lingam in it is a sugar-plum.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a person who commits massive frauds or crimes. It suggests that if someone is capable of stealing or destroying something huge, they won't hesitate to take or ruin smaller things associated with it. It refers to someone who has no moral limits or bounds.

Related Phrases

Offering the molasses in the bazar to the idol in the temple.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone tries to gain credit or do a favor using someone else's resources without spending their own. It refers to making promises or performing acts of charity using things that do not belong to you.

Naivédyam is the ordinary oblation. Willing to be liberal at the expense of others.

Will a man that swallows a mountain care for a Gôpuram?

This proverb is used to describe a person who has already accomplished a massive, difficult task or possesses immense power. For such a person, a much smaller problem or obstacle is insignificant. It is similar to the English idea of 'if someone can handle the big things, the small things are trivial.'

Gôpuram is the tower over the gate of a Hindu temple.

For one who can swallow the whole temple, is the Lingam inside it a big deal?

This proverb is used to describe someone who is capable of committing massive frauds or crimes, for whom a small part of that act is insignificant. It implies that if a person is bold or corrupt enough to take everything, they won't hesitate to take the small details as well. It is often used to refer to extreme greed or systemic corruption.

Jaggery in the shop is offered to the Shiva Lingam in the temple.

This proverb is used to describe a person who tries to be generous or charitable using someone else's resources or property. It refers to a situation where someone takes credit for a donation or an act of kindness without actually spending their own money or making any personal sacrifice.

The man who is determined [to worship] uses his ladle as a lingam. Where there's a will, there's a way. The will is everything. (Italian.)* The will is the soul of the work. (German.)

This proverb refers to a person who has become desperate, reckless, or completely shameless. Once a person loses their fear or sense of social propriety, they stop caring about the sacredness or rules of society, treating even a common kitchen tool like a ladle with the same (or lack of) regard as a holy deity. It is used to describe someone who has nothing left to lose and acts without inhibition.

A daughter-in-law who swallows the age ( Yuga ) to a mother-in-law who swallows the house.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone meets their match in terms of cunning, greed, or mischief. It implies that no matter how difficult or domineering a person is, they will eventually encounter someone even more formidable who can outdo them. It is similar to the English expression 'to meet one's match'.

For one who can swallow mountains, are towers an obstacle? For one who can swallow a temple, is the Shiva Lingam an obstacle?

This proverb is used to describe a person who has committed massive crimes or major scams, suggesting that smaller moral or physical barriers won't stop them. It implies that if someone is capable of doing something enormous or outrageous, they won't hesitate to do smaller, related tasks or commit smaller offenses. It is often used to mock the audacity of corrupt individuals or those with insatiable greed.

A cheat, literally one who swallows the temple as well as the deity inside.

When greed grows excessively, a person wishes to acquire all – without caring for the means to attain his immoral goal.

For one who can swallow the entire temple, is the Shiva Lingam inside it even a consideration?

This proverb is used to describe a person who is involved in massive corruption or a huge crime; for such a person, stealing a small thing or committing a minor offense is trivial. It highlights that someone who has already committed a grave misdeed will not hesitate to commit smaller ones to further their goal.

For the one who swallows the temple, the Nandi (stone bull) is like a peppercorn.

This proverb describes extreme greed or large-scale corruption. It implies that a person who is capable of stealing or committing a massive fraud (swallowing a temple) will consider a smaller part of it (the Nandi statue) to be an insignificant snack. It is used to describe people who have no moral boundaries and for whom no crime is too big or too small.