జీతమూ బత్యమూ లేకుండా తోడేలు మేకలు కాస్తానన్నట్టు

jitamu batyamu lekunda todelu mekalu kastanannattu

Translation

"I'll watch the sheep without wages," said the wolf. A man offering to serve without pay for the sake of dishonest gains.

Meaning

This proverb describes a situation where a person with bad intentions or a natural conflict of interest offers to help for free, only to exploit the situation for their own benefit. It warns against trusting someone whose inherent nature is to harm the very thing they are offering to protect.

Related Phrases

The wolf said it would guard the sheep without any salary or allowances.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person with malicious intent or a natural predator offers 'selfless' help to their prey. It warns against trusting someone who stands to benefit secretly from the very thing they are supposed to protect, highlighting hypocrisy and ulterior motives.

The husband who is never around made a promise to return every day.

This proverb is used to describe a person who is habitually unreliable or inconsistent, yet makes grand promises that they have no intention or capacity to keep. It highlights the irony of someone who fails at basic commitments offering even larger, unrealistic assurances.

When the house was on fire, he tried to light his cigar with it.

This proverb is used to describe an extremely selfish or opportunistic person who tries to find a small personal benefit even in a situation of great disaster or someone else's misery. It highlights a lack of empathy and a focus on trivial personal needs during a crisis.

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.

A devotee on the forehead, a wolf in the mouth.

This expression is used to describe a hypocrite who puts on a show of piety or kindness outwardly (indicated by religious marks on the forehead) but speaks or acts with cruelty and greed (like a wolf). It refers to people who are 'wolves in sheep's clothing' or those whose words don't match their holy appearance.

A dog is not a lion, and a rabbit is not a wolf.

This proverb is used to emphasize that every living being or individual has their own inherent nature and limitations. One cannot change their fundamental character or identity to become something superior or more aggressive, just as a domestic dog cannot possess the majesty of a lion, nor can a timid rabbit become a predatory wolf.

He said he would herd the goats if provided with broken rice.

This expression is used to describe someone who demands a reward or payment even for a task that is inherently beneficial or provides for them anyway. It highlights the absurdity of asking for extra incentives to do something that is basic or self-serving.

Like saying "yes" when asked whether brinjals grow in the river. A time server.

This expression is used to describe a person who agrees with everything someone says, even if it is logically impossible or absurd, usually to avoid conflict, please someone, or out of pure sycophancy. It highlights a lack of independent thinking or honesty.

Like a rabbit licking its own leg

This expression is used to describe a person who is overly self-satisfied or takes immense pride in their own small achievements, often ignoring the bigger picture or failing to realize that their actions are self-serving and of little consequence to others.

A king will not die alone. The Hindus believe that when a royal personage dies, some other person dies at the same time to keep him company. When a great man suffers he drags others with him into trouble.

This proverb implies that when a powerful or influential person falls or gets into trouble, they often bring others down with them. Historically, it refers to the practice of subordinates or wealth being sacrificed or lost alongside a king, but in modern usage, it describes how a major disaster or the downfall of a leader inevitably affects many associated people.