కన్నులు పెద్దవైతే కనుపాపలు పెద్దవౌతవా?

kannulu peddavaite kanupapalu peddavautava?

Translation

If the eyes are large, will the pupils also be large?

Meaning

This proverb is used to explain that greatness or the size of a whole does not necessarily mean its core parts or subordinates will be equally large. It highlights that everything has its own natural limit and scale, and one should not expect the impossible or a direct proportionality in all matters.

Related Phrases

If the manure heap grows, the poor farmer becomes great.

This proverb highlights the importance of organic waste and manure in agriculture. It means that as a farmer accumulates more organic waste/manure (pentakuppa), the fertility of the land increases, leading to better yields and eventually making the farmer wealthy and successful. It emphasizes that hard work and the collection of resources, even those considered lowly, lead to prosperity.

When by saving and saving they married the younger son, the elder son's wife went to her ancestors.

This proverb describes a situation where excessive delay or extreme frugality in planning an event leads to the loss of its original purpose or results in another tragedy. It is used when someone takes so much time to organize or save for something that the circumstances change entirely, often making the effort redundant or bittersweet.

Eyes are big, stomach is small.

This expression refers to a person whose eyes are bigger than their stomach. It describes a situation where someone takes or orders a lot of food because it looks appealing, but they cannot actually finish it all because they get full quickly. It is used to caution against greed or wastefulness.

When a sinner went to a mountain, it is said that all the lamps became huge (extinguished).

In Telugu, 'deepam peddayindi' is a polite way to say a lamp has gone out. This proverb describes a person with such bad luck or 'sinful' fortune that their presence brings misfortune or ruins the situation for everyone else. It is used to mock someone whose arrival coincides with a disaster or a failure.

Will they feed the bull for its muscles?

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is working hard or performing a duty, but the benefits or rewards are not meant for them personally. It implies that just as a bull is fed to work in the fields and not for its own growth or meat, some efforts are purely functional and don't result in personal gain for the individual doing the work.

The cow that gives no milk is the first one to eat the fodder.

This proverb describes a person who is lazy or unproductive when it comes to work, yet is the most demanding and ahead of everyone else when it comes to benefits, food, or rewards. It is used to criticize someone who contributes nothing but consumes a lot.

When the mother dies, a man's gluttony is seen; when the head is dirty, [ a woman's ] top-knot is large [ and untidy ]. As long as the mother lives her son's greediness is concealed.

This proverb highlights how certain losses or neglects can create a false or superficial appearance of growth or prosperity. In the first part, it implies that without a mother's care and balanced feeding, a child might develop a bloated stomach due to malnutrition or poor diet, which is not true health. In the second part, it suggests that unwashed, tangled hair might look voluminous, but it is actually a sign of poor hygiene rather than healthy hair growth. It is used to describe situations where something looks substantial or 'big' only because of neglect or underlying problems.

No matter how large the eyes are, it is beauty; no matter how large the breasts are, it is youth.

This proverb highlights that certain attributes are considered more desirable or indicative of positive qualities as they increase in size. It is used to describe things that are inherently good and do not become a burden or a defect even when they are large or plentiful.

Those who fall are not bad people.

This proverb is used to encourage resilience and offer perspective after a failure or a mistake. It means that falling down, making an error, or facing a setback does not diminish a person's character or value. It emphasizes that failure is a part of life and what matters is the ability to get back up rather than the fall itself.

When the mother dies, the stomach grows; when hair is tied, the bun looks big

This proverb highlights how people manage and move on after a loss. It suggests that once the person who feeds and cares for the family (the mother) is gone, one learns to fend for themselves or overeat out of lack of discipline, and that appearances can be deceptive or managed once the initial mourning period ends.