కని గుడ్డు విని చెవుడు

kani guddu vini chevudu

Translation

Seeing, blind ; hearing, deaf. " Eyes have they, but they see not : they have ears, but they hear not." Psalm exv. 5, 6.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a person who intentionally ignores things they have seen or heard. It refers to someone who pretends to be unaware of a situation or chooses to remain indifferent despite having full knowledge of it, often to avoid trouble or responsibility.

Related Phrases

Seeing blind, hearing deaf

This expression describes a person who intentionally ignores what they see or hear. It is used to characterize someone who stays indifferent or pretends to be unaware of the truth or events happening right in front of them for personal reasons or convenience.

The more you tell, the more deaf they become.

This expression is used to describe someone who becomes increasingly stubborn, unresponsive, or indifferent as they are repeatedly advised or corrected. It implies that constant nagging or instruction is being ignored as if the listener has lost their hearing.

He dragged the one who listened by the ear, and stood witness for the one who rebelled.

This proverb is used to describe a person who behaves absurdly or unjustly by punishing those who are cooperative and obedient, while supporting or favoring those who are defiant and troublesome. It highlights a complete lack of common sense or fair judgment.

The brinjal gardener is blind, though he sees; the betel gardener is deaf, though he hears. In the first case, the gardener on being asked to give brinjals pretends he cannot find any; in the second case, the gardener when called to by some one outside the garden for betel pretends he cannot hear.—(Brah- mans and some high caste Sûdras are forbidden by their Sâstras to enter a betel garden). None so deaf as he that won't hear. (French.)

This proverb describes professional biases and intentional ignorance. A brinjal gardener ignores the ripeness or pests they see to suit their convenience, and a betel leaf gardener (who needs silence for the delicate plants) pretends not to hear others. It is used when someone deliberately ignores obvious facts or calls to action for their own benefit.

* Panadera erades antes, aunque ahora traeis guantes. † Il n'est pire sourd que celui qui ne veut pas entendre.

When they call out "Deaf man! Deaf man!" he answers "[ I've got ] Bran, Bran!"

This proverb is used to describe a complete lack of communication or a situation where two people are talking about entirely different things. It refers to a person who misunderstands what is being said due to a lack of attention or hearing, responding with something totally irrelevant. It is used in situations where there is no sync between a question and an answer.

The jingle of the Telugu words is similar to that of the English equivalents.

When one person says 'deafness, deafness', the other person says 'bran, bran'

This expression describes a situation where two people are talking at cross-purposes or failing to communicate effectively due to a misunderstanding or a lack of attention. It is used when one person's words are completely misinterpreted by another, leading to a nonsensical or irrelevant response, much like a deaf person mishearing a word and replying with something that sounds similar but has a different meaning.

A field without weeding is like a temple without a deity.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of maintenance and care. Just as a temple is purposeless and empty without a god, a crop field is useless if it is not weeded. It is used to highlight that without proper effort, supervision, or the core essential element, any endeavor or establishment becomes worthless.

See and be blind, hear and be deaf

This expression describes a situation where someone deliberately ignores or overlooks something they have clearly seen or heard. It is used to suggest that sometimes it is wiser or necessary to remain indifferent or silent despite being fully aware of the facts, often to avoid trouble or maintain peace.

He who gives poison to a person who is already dying by eating bran is a fool.

This expression is used to describe a redundant or unnecessary action. If someone is already facing ruin due to their own poor choices or circumstances, there is no need to actively work against them or waste resources to cause their downfall. It highlights the foolishness of over-exerting oneself to harm someone who is already self-destructing.

Like the deaf blind man under the Rêgu tree. The story runs as follows :—A deaf blind man insisted on being taken to a comedy, and begged his friends to nudge him when anything very amusing was acted so that he might laugh. They pretended to agree to this, but left him half way under a Rêgu tree, telling him that the per- formance was going on there. He sat there all night laughing whenever the slender branches of the tree, moved by the wind, touched him.

This expression describes a situation where a person is completely unaware of the opportunities or resources available right in front of them. When berries fall from the jujube tree, a blind person cannot see them and a deaf person cannot hear them fall, thus they miss out on the fruit despite being right under the tree. It is used to mock someone who lacks the awareness or senses to benefit from their immediate environment.