ఇల్లు గెలవలేనోడు రచ్చ గెలవలేడు
illu gelavalenodu rachcha gelavaledu
When he was asked to walk round the house he walked round the shed.
This proverb suggests that success begins at home. If a person cannot manage their own domestic affairs or earn the respect of their family, they are unlikely to succeed in public life or handle community matters effectively.
Related Phrases
పొద్దున్నే వచ్చిన వాన, పొద్దు తిరిగి వచ్చిన చుట్టం పోరు.
poddunne vachchina vana, poddu tirigi vachchina chuttam poru.
Rain that comes in the morning and a relative who arrives late in the day will not leave quickly.
This proverb highlights two situations that are known to persist for a long duration. Morning rain often indicates a rainy day ahead, and a relative arriving in the evening is likely to stay overnight. It is used to describe situations or guests that are expected to linger for quite some time.
ఊరు తిరిగి రమ్మంటే, రోలు తిరిగి వచ్చినట్లు
uru tirigi rammante, rolu tirigi vachchinatlu
Like being told to go around the village but only going around the mortar
This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely lazy or lacks initiative. It refers to a person who, when given a large task (circling the village), performs the smallest, most effortless version of it (circling the grinding stone inside the house) and claims they are finished.
తిరిగే రైతు, తిరుగని బైరాగి చెడుతారు
tirige raitu, tirugani bairagi chedutaru
A roaming farmer and a stationary monk will both be ruined.
This proverb highlights the importance of staying true to one's role. A farmer must stay on his land to tend to crops; if he wanders away, his farm fails. Conversely, a monk (Bairagi) is meant to travel and seek spiritual truth; if he settles in one place, he becomes entangled in worldly attachments and loses his purpose.
మర్చిపోయి చచ్చినాను ప్రాణమా రమ్మంటే తిరిగి వచ్చునా?
marchipoyi chachchinanu pranama rammante tirigi vachchuna?
If one says "O life! I died by mistake, come back," will the life return?
This proverb is used to convey that certain actions are irreversible. Just as life cannot return once it has left the body—regardless of whether the death was accidental or intentional—certain mistakes cannot be undone, and lost opportunities or broken trust cannot be restored simply by wishing for them.
విని రమ్మంటే, తిని వచ్చినట్టు.
vini rammante, tini vachchinattu.
When he was sent to find out, he ate and returned.
This proverb describes a person who completely ignores the original purpose of a task or instruction and instead focuses on their own comfort or personal interests. It is used to mock someone's irresponsibility or lack of focus when they are sent on an errand but get distracted by something trivial or beneficial to themselves.
కోర్టు చుట్టూ తిరిగి కొల్లబోయినట్లు
kortu chuttu tirigi kollaboyinatlu
Like losing everything after wandering around the courts
This expression describes a situation where someone spends significant time, money, and effort pursuing justice or a resolution in a legal system, only to end up bankrupt or ruined in the process. It is used to caution against the exhausting nature of litigation where even if one 'wins', the cost of getting there leads to total loss.
ఆడది తిరిగి చెడితే, మగాడు తిరగక చెడును
adadi tirigi chedite, magadu tiragaka chedunu
A woman is ruined by roaming out, while a man is ruined by staying in.
This traditional proverb suggests that a woman's reputation or household duties suffer if she is constantly wandering away from home, whereas a man's livelihood or success suffers if he remains idle at home and does not go out to work or explore opportunities.
ఇల్లు తిరిగి రమ్మంటే, ఇలారం తిరిగి వచ్చినట్లు
illu tirigi rammante, ilaram tirigi vachchinatlu
When told to go home and come back, he went to Ilaram and returned.
This expression is used to describe a person who does not understand instructions properly or takes an unnecessarily long and round-about way to do a simple task. It highlights inefficiency or foolishness in following directions.
చూచి రమ్మంటే పెండ్లాడి వచ్చినట్లు
chuchi rammante pendladi vachchinatlu
When asked to just go and see, he came back married.
This proverb describes a situation where someone exceeds their brief or instructions in an impulsive or extreme way, often causing unintended consequences. It is used when a person is sent for a simple task but ends up making a major, permanent decision without permission.
తల తిరిగి ముద్ద నోటికి వచ్చినట్లు
tala tirigi mudda notiki vachchinatlu
Like the hand going around the head just to put a morsel of food in the mouth.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone takes a long, complicated, or roundabout way to do something that could have been done very simply and directly. It highlights unnecessary complexity or lack of efficiency.