కాలానికి కడగండ్లూ దేశానికి తిప్పలూ వచ్చినవి

kalaniki kadagandlu deshaniki tippalu vachchinavi

Translation

Time is afflicted, and the country is wandering [in trouble ]. Said jokingly by a person when asked whether he was in trouble. Dîiams here means literally the country and not the inhabitants of it.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a period of extreme adversity, crisis, or misfortune affecting an entire society or region. It suggests that both the times (destiny) and the land are undergoing severe trials, often used in literary or dramatic contexts to lament widespread suffering, political instability, or natural calamities.

Related Phrases

Three times the troubles in old age.

This expression refers to the immense hardships, health issues, and dependencies that often plague a person during their old age. It is used to describe a situation where one faces constant, overwhelming difficulties during the final stages of life.

Endless troubles for the family, and night blindness for the husband.

This proverb describes a situation where everything goes wrong at once. It illustrates a household already struggling with severe hardships (kadagandlu) being further burdened by a specific, disabling problem (the husband's inability to see at night), making a difficult life even more miserable. It is used to describe a string of continuous misfortunes.

Two measures for the one who just arrived, and one measure for the one who arrived earlier.

This proverb highlights unfairness or lack of appreciation for seniority and loyalty. It describes a situation where a newcomer is given greater rewards or importance than someone who has been present or working for a long time.

Heaps for the one who sits, troubles for the one who roams.

This proverb contrasts physical labor with strategic or steady placement. It suggests that someone who stays focused or 'sits' (often referring to a landowner or a steady worker) accumulates heaps of grain or wealth, whereas someone who wanders aimlessly or works without a plan faces hardships and troubles. It is used to highlight the rewards of stability versus the difficulties of being unsettled.

Mangoes bloom during good times, tamarinds bloom during bad times.

This proverb suggests that positive and sweet experiences (symbolized by mangoes) arrive during prosperous or favorable periods, whereas sour struggles and worries (symbolized by tamarinds/worries, as 'chinta' means both tamarind and worry in Telugu) are prevalent during difficult times. It is used to describe the cyclic nature of fortune and misfortune.

The one who has teeth doesn't have nuts, and the one who has nuts doesn't have teeth.

This proverb describes the irony of life where opportunities or resources often come to those who cannot utilize them, while those who have the capability or desire lack the necessary means. It is used to express that life is rarely fair or perfectly balanced.

The eyes of a dead person are as large as a palm.

This proverb is used to describe how people tend to exaggerate the qualities, virtues, or features of someone or something only after they are gone or no longer available. It highlights the human tendency to glorify the past or the deceased, often inflating the truth.

Misery for the times and troubles for the country.

This expression is used to describe a period of collective misfortune or a series of calamities affecting a whole region or nation. It implies that when times are bad, hardships become widespread and inevitable, often used when discussing economic crises, natural disasters, or political instability.

The lame man's struggles are his own, and the hunchback's struggles are his own.

This expression means that every person has their own unique set of problems and struggles which only they truly understand and endure. It is used to emphasize that one cannot compare or diminish someone's hardship, as everyone is preoccupied with their own specific challenges in life.

Countries are not visible when the mustache is growing.

This proverb refers to the phase of adolescence or early youth when one becomes self-centered or blinded by physical growth and ego. It suggests that when young people reach a certain age (symbolized by growing a mustache), they often lack the maturity or worldly perspective to see the realities and complexities of the world around them, often being overly confident in their limited knowledge.