కలిమికి పొంగరాదు, లేమికి కుంగరాదు.

kalimiki pongaradu, lemiki kungaradu.

Translation

Do not swell with wealth, do not sink with poverty.

Meaning

This proverb teaches emotional stability and equanimity. It suggests that one should not become arrogant or overly excited when they possess wealth (success), nor should they become deeply depressed or lose hope during times of scarcity (failure). It encourages maintaining a balanced state of mind regardless of life's ups and downs.

Related Phrases

If you have gold, what is the shortage for decoration?

This proverb suggests that if one has the fundamental wealth or resources (the gold), then outward appearances or secondary enhancements (the decoration) are easy to achieve. It is used to describe situations where having the core essential makes everything else possible.

Like breaking a ring to make a top, and then breaking the top to make a ring.

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks a clear vision or skill, resulting in wasted effort and resources. It refers to someone who repeatedly undoes their own work or destroys something useful to create something else, only to reverse the process again, ending up with nothing productive or losing the original value of the materials.

Should not hear, should not see, should not say.

This expression is the Telugu equivalent of the 'Three Wise Monkeys' principle (See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil). It serves as a moral guideline advising people to avoid listening to gossip or negativity, refrain from witnessing bad deeds, and avoid speaking ill of others or using harsh language.

(kavadi), in villages for carrying water from the village pond/river

In life, happiness and unhappiness, wealth and poverty are both inevitable. It is necessary for us to maintain the proper balance between them and we should not get either over-joyed or depressed, but ought to retain optimum poise.

You should not transgress the commandment of your Guru, nor swallow a crowbar. The first is as bad for you as the second.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of obedience and common sense. Just as it is physically impossible and harmful to swallow a crowbar, it is considered morally wrong or detrimental to ignore the wise counsel of a teacher or mentor. It suggests that following a guru's guidance is essential for a smooth life, while attempting the impossible or the forbidden leads to ruin.

Having promised, you should not fail; having spoken, you should not lie (retract).

This proverb emphasizes the importance of integrity, honesty, and keeping one's word. It suggests that once you have made a promise (ఆడి) or made a statement (పలికి), you must stand by it and not deviate or lie about it later. It is used to describe a person of high moral character who honors their commitments.

The decoration is proportional to the gold available.

This proverb means that the quality or extent of a result depends on the resources or effort invested. It is used to describe situations where you get exactly what you pay for, or where the outcome is limited by the budget or materials provided.

That which exists does not leave, and that which does not exist does not come.

This proverb expresses a sense of stoicism or fatalism regarding one's destiny or inherent nature. It means that what is meant to be yours will stay, and what is not destined for you cannot be acquired. It is often used to console someone facing loss or to suggest that some things are unchangeable and predetermined by fate.

By weeping at the good fortune of another he lost one eye, and by weeping at his own ill fortune he lost the other.

This proverb highlights the destructive nature of envy and self-pity. It suggests that being jealous of others' success and constantly lamenting one's own misfortunes leads to total ruin and loss of perspective. It is used to advise people to focus on their own growth rather than comparing themselves to others.

* Anlourd 'hui roi, demain rien. † Heut' im Puts, morgen im Schmutz.

A merchant (Komati) has no poverty, and a goldsmith (Kamsali) has no wealth.

This proverb reflects traditional social observations. It suggests that a merchant is usually prudent enough to never be truly broke, while a goldsmith, despite handling precious metals, rarely becomes exceptionally wealthy because they often live on commissions or work for others.