జపం వదిలి, లొట్టల్లో పడ్డట్లు

japam vadili, lottallo paddatlu

Translation

Like leaving the prayer and falling into greed.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a person who abandons a noble or serious task they were performing to pursue something trivial, greedy, or materialistic. It highlights the lack of focus and the ease with which one can be distracted by selfish desires.

Related Phrases

A kick landed one in a basket of garelu (cookies)

When some harm is intended to be inflicted on a person, sometimes the person gets benefited by that. Occasionally, evil intentions and actions of others may turn out to be beneficial.

Like a wolf entering a flock of sheep

This expression is used to describe a situation where a predator or a dangerous person enters a group of vulnerable, innocent, or defenseless people, causing sudden chaos and destruction. It can also describe a powerful opponent easily overcoming a weak group.

The fruit slipped, and fell into the milk.

This expression is used to describe a situation where something good happens unexpectedly or a fortunate event occurs that makes a situation even better. It is similar to the English idiom 'The icing on the cake' or 'A stroke of luck.'

Happy go lucky.

When asked 'You with the sticky face, when is your daughter's wedding?', he replied 'You with the blockhead face, it happened just the other day'.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where two people who are equally flawed or in the same miserable condition try to insult or criticize each other. It highlights the irony of pointing out someone else's defects while ignoring one's own similar shortcomings. It is similar to the English expression 'The pot calling the kettle black.'

Is it that the calf has sucked, or that [ the milk ] has fallen into the pail? In either way beneficial.

This expression is used to question where a resource or money went when there is nothing to show for it. It highlights a situation where something has been consumed or spent, but the result is neither productive (like a calf growing) nor preserved (like milk stored in a pot). It is typically used when someone is unaccountable for losses or missing items.

A snake falling among a lot of people will not die. A bad man often escapes through the difference of opinion among others as to his guilt, as a snake does through the Hindu's super- stitious dread of killing it.

This proverb describes a situation where a task remains unfinished because too many people are involved, but no one takes individual responsibility. When many people are present, everyone assumes someone else will handle the problem (in this case, killing the snake), leading to inaction. It is equivalent to the English idiom 'Too many cooks spoil the broth' or 'Everybody's business is nobody's business'.

Like falling from the frying pan into the fire

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone tries to escape a difficult or bad situation, only to end up in an even worse one. It is equivalent to the English idiom 'out of the frying pan and into the fire.'

Like falling into a basket of sweet buns (Boorelu) when kicked.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone's attempt to harm or insult another person unintentionally results in a huge benefit or great luck for the victim. It signifies an accidental stroke of good fortune arising from a negative action.

As if the milk arrived the moment the child was born

This expression is used to describe a situation where a necessary resource or solution becomes available exactly when it is needed, often by natural design or perfect timing. It highlights the providence of nature or a stroke of good luck where preparation meets a new requirement perfectly.

Like a grasshopper falling into the fire.

This expression describes a situation where someone blindly rushes into a dangerous situation or self-destruction without realizing the consequences. It is used to signify a fatal mistake or an inevitable doom caused by one's own impulsive actions, similar to the English idiom 'like a moth to a flame'.