గుడిని మింగేవాడు ఒకడుంటే, వాడికన్నా బలవంతుడు గుడిని, గోపురాన్ని, ధ్వజస్తంభాన్ని కూడా మింగేస్తాడు
gudini mingevadu okadunte, vadikanna balavantudu gudini, gopuranni, dhvajastambhanni kuda mingestadu
If there is one who can swallow a temple, there is another who can swallow the temple, the tower, and the flagpole too.
This proverb is used to describe how there is always someone more corrupt, powerful, or skilled than the person currently being considered. It emphasizes that no matter how 'big' a thief or a person of influence one thinks they are, there is always a 'bigger fish' who can outdo them in those same actions. It is often used in the context of corruption or greed.
Related Phrases
నమిలేవానికన్నా మింగేవాడు ఘనుడు.
namilevanikanna mingevadu ghanudu.
He who swallows is better off than he who chews. He gets along at a greater pace.
This proverb describes someone who is more efficient or cunning than another. While one person is busy working through details or struggling (chewing), the other person finishes the task instantly or takes the credit effortlessly (swallowing). It is often used to describe someone who outperforms another with less apparent effort.
Said of an energetic man.
దేవళం మింగేవాడికి ధ్వజస్తంభం లొటలొట
devalam mingevadiki dhvajastambham lotalota
To the one who can swallow the whole temple, the flagstaff is just a small snack.
This proverb is used to describe a person who commits large-scale scams or massive thefts. For such an audacious criminal, stealing something small or minor is effortless and insignificant. It highlights how someone capable of huge corruption will not hesitate or struggle with smaller illicit acts.
గుడిని మింగేవాడికి గుళ్ళో లింగం ఒక లెక్కా?
gudini mingevadiki gullo lingam oka lekka?
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.
గుడి మింగేవాడొకడయితే, గుడినీ లింగాన్ని మింగేవాడింకొకడు, గుడిని గోపురాన్ని మ్రింగేది మరియొకడు.
gudi mingevadokadayite, gudini linganni mingevadinkokadu, gudini gopuranni mringedi mariyokadu.
If one person swallows the temple, another swallows the temple and the Shiva Linga, and yet another swallows the temple along with the tower (Gopuram).
This proverb is used to describe levels of extreme greed or corruption. It suggests that for every person who is corrupt or greedy, there is someone even more audacious and thorough in their exploitation. It highlights a hierarchy of dishonesty where each successive person is more predatory than the last.
కొండలు మింగేవానికి గోపురాలడ్డమా, గుడి మింగేవానికి లింగమడ్డమా?
kondalu mingevaniki gopuraladdama, gudi mingevaniki lingamaddama?
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.
గుడిని, గుడిలో లింగాన్ని మింగేవాడు.
gudini, gudilo linganni mingevadu.
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.
గుడి మింగేవానికి తలుపులు అప్పడాలు
gudi mingevaniki talupulu appadalu
For one who swallows the temple, the doors are like papads (wafers).
This proverb describes an extremely greedy or corrupt person. If someone is bold enough to commit a massive crime or theft (like stealing a whole temple), they won't hesitate to take small things (like the doors) as if they were minor snacks. It is used to describe people who have no moral boundaries once they have committed a major transgression.
గుడిని మింగేవాడికి గుడిలో లింగం ఒక లెక్కా?
gudini mingevadiki gudilo lingam oka lekka?
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.
గుండు మింగేవాడికి తలుపులు అప్పడాలు
gundu mingevadiki talupulu appadalu
For one who swallows a cannonball, doors are like papads (wafers).
This proverb is used to describe someone who has already committed a massive crime or handled a huge task, making smaller obstacles or rules seem trivial to them. It implies that if a person can handle something extreme, they won't hesitate or struggle with something much smaller.
గుడిని మింగే వాడికి నంది పిండిమిరియం
gudini minge vadiki nandi pindimiriyam
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.