గుళ్ళో దేవుడికి అంగట్లో బెల్లం నైవేద్యం

gullo devudiki angatlo bellam naivedyam

Translation

Offering jaggery from the shop as a sacrifice to the God in the temple.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone tries to gain credit or show devotion by using someone else's resources or by performing an act that costs them nothing personally. It refers to a person who makes hollow promises or offers things they do not truly own or have not worked for.

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.

While I am crying because I have nothing, do you expect a ritual offering?

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is asking for a favor or a gift from a person who is already in deep financial distress or lacking basic necessities themselves. It highlights the irony of demanding something from someone who has nothing to give.

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.

One who does not cultivate will not even find enough for an offering.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of hard work and agriculture. It implies that if a person is lazy or refuses to work the land, they will end up so poor that they won't even have the minimal amount of food required to offer to God in prayer. It is used to highlight that survival and prosperity depend on labor.

While the idol in the temple was in want of Naivêdyam, the priest cried for Puḷihôra. Puḷihôra is a more expensive offering prepared with acid.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone makes selfish or excessive demands when the basic necessities are not being met. It highlights the irony of someone worrying about their personal luxuries or specific desires in a moment of extreme scarcity or crisis where even the essentials are unavailable.

The temple priest is more important than the God in the temple.

This expression is used to describe a situation where an intermediary or a subordinate has more influence or power than the actual authority figure. It suggests that one must please the gatekeeper or the middleman to get access to the main person or result.

An offering of jaggery the size of a fingernail to a god as big as a mountain.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone offers a very small or insignificant token of gratitude or contribution in comparison to the massive favor or help received. It highlights the disparity between the greatness of the benefactor and the smallness of the gesture returned.

Stoutness of body, consumption of food. The only advantage of obesity is expensive living.

This proverb is used to describe someone who looks physically strong, healthy, or imposing but is actually incompetent, lazy, or useless when it comes to performing work. It implies that despite their grand appearance (like a large idol), they are a 'waste of food' (the offering) because they don't contribute anything productive.

Scissors in the heart, jaggery on the tongue

This proverb describes a hypocritical person who speaks very sweetly and kindly (like jaggery) but harbors harmful or malicious intentions (like sharp scissors) in their heart. It is used to warn others about people who are outwardly pleasant but inwardly deceitful.

Offering the Molasses Gaṇēśa a bit nipped off his own person. Said of a stingy man.

This proverb describes a situation where someone tries to show generosity or perform a duty by using the resources that belong to the recipient themselves. It is used to mock people who act as if they are making a sacrifice when they are actually giving nothing of their own, similar to 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' or using someone's own money to buy them a gift.