జొన్నగింజ ఊచబియ్యం, వరిగింజ అటుకుబియ్యం

jonnaginja uchabiyyam, variginja atukubiyyam

Translation

Sorghum grain is like tender grain, paddy grain is like flattened rice grain.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe the inherent nature or qualities of different things. It signifies that every object or person has their own specific utility and characteristics, emphasizing that one should understand the natural state or the processed form of things to appreciate their value.

Related Phrases

A man who gives a date stone and takes a palmyra nut.

This expression describes a manipulative or extremely shrewd person who gives something of very little value (a small date seed) to gain something much more valuable (a large palmyra seed). It is used to caution against people who perform small favors only to demand or extract much larger benefits in return.

Íta is the wild date ( Phoenix Sylvestris ). Tāḍu is the Palmyra ( Borassus Flabelliformis ). Offering a gift of slight value for the purpose of gaining a rich present. Throw in a sprat to catch a salmon.

In the ages past he was Kandi and in the time of his fore- fathers he was Pesara. Said of a prosy old fellow who spins long yarns.

This expression is used to highlight the decline in quality, health, or size of things over generations. It suggests that what was considered small or ordinary in the past (like a green gram) is comparable or superior to what is considered significant today (like a pigeon pea), emphasizing the strength and richness of the olden days.

A rosary pea seed is unaware of the black spot on its bottom.

This proverb is used to describe a person who is quick to find faults in others while being completely oblivious to their own flaws or shortcomings. Similar to 'the pot calling the kettle black,' it highlights hypocrisy and lack of self-awareness.

Like a green gram falling on a mirror.

This expression is used to describe something that slides off or fails to stick, just as a smooth seed would bounce or slip off a glass surface. It is often used to characterize a person who is unaffected by advice, warnings, or criticism, or to describe a situation where efforts have no lasting impact.

That which is in the paddy is rice. Said to an inquisitive person.

This expression is used to highlight the obvious origin of something or to indicate that the core essence (the rice) is hidden within a shell (the husk). It serves as a metaphor for looking beyond the external covering to find the true value or substance inside.

The secret is that inside a grain of paddy lies a grain of rice.

This expression is used to describe something that is blatantly obvious or a self-evident truth presented as if it were a profound secret. It mocks situations where someone tries to reveal common knowledge as a major discovery or when a 'secret' is essentially the core nature of the object itself.

Rice from the market, firewood from the Tangedu tree.

This expression is used to describe a person who lives hand-to-mouth or leads a very simple, unorganized life without any savings or future planning. It refers to someone who buys rice daily from the shop and picks up wild twigs for fuel just before cooking, signifying a lack of domestic stability or foresight.

The scarlet gourd seed does not know the blackness underneath it.

This proverb is used to describe a person who points out flaws in others while being completely oblivious to their own faults or shortcomings. Just like the bright red Guriginja seed which has a black spot at its base that it cannot see, some people ignore their own negative traits.

Even a mustard seed cannot be hidden in his mouth. A gossipping fellow who repeats all he hears.

This expression is used to describe someone who cannot keep a secret. Just as a tiny mustard seed is hard to keep still in one's mouth, this person feels a restless urge to reveal any information or secrets they hear to others immediately.

A pigeon pea from the olden times, a green gram from the ancestors' times

This expression is used to describe something that is extremely old, ancient, or outdated. It often refers to objects, traditions, or ideas that have been preserved for generations, sometimes implying they are long-lasting and at other times suggesting they are archaic.