కారువరికి గొట్టిలమంద, పిషాణాలకు రొట్ట ఎరువు.

This proverb describes a paradoxical situation where a professional or skilled worker lacks the very thing they produce for others. It is used to highlight irony, such as a doctor who is always sick or a financial advisor who is broke.

This expression refers to a situation where a mediator takes advantage of two quarreling parties for their own gain. It is based on a fable where a monkey, asked to settle a dispute between two cats over a piece of bread, eats the entire bread bit by bit while pretending to equalize the portions. It is used to warn against letting a cunning third party intervene in a dispute.

This proverb refers to the onset of the monsoon season in the Hindu month of Ashadha. It signifies that the heavy rains during this time lead to the sprouting of stored seeds or the necessity to use up stored grains for the new sowing season, metaphorically 'breaking' the storage containers due to pressure or urgent need.

This proverb is used to describe someone who claims to be related to everyone or tries to act overly familiar with people they don't actually know. It is often used to criticize a person who meddles in everyone's business or pretends to have connections everywhere just to fit in or gain advantage.

This proverb warns against choosing a remedy that is more dangerous than the original threat. It suggests that while fleeing from a known danger (a bandit), one must not blindly rush into an even more chaotic or fatal situation (unpredictable wild buffaloes) where there is no chance of escape.

This is a rhetorical expression or a riddle-like saying often used to discuss the cyclical nature of things or to question priorities. 'Eruvaka' refers to the traditional festival marking the beginning of the plowing season. It highlights the deep connection between the arrival of rains (rivers) and the start of agricultural activity.

This proverb is used to describe a difficult situation where both available options or people are troublesome, regardless of their status or seniority. It specifically highlights the common domestic trope of friction with mothers-in-law (or aunts), suggesting that both are equally difficult to deal with, differing only in the scale of their nuisance.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of fertilization in agriculture. It suggests that just as manure enriches the crop field, allowing a flock of sheep or cattle to stay in a small plot (penning) naturally fertilizes the soil with their waste, ensuring a healthy yield. It is used to highlight that timely and appropriate inputs lead to better results.

This expression is used to describe a person's selfishness or double standards. It highlights a situation where someone takes the lion's share or the best part of something for themselves while offering only a small, insignificant portion to others.

This expression describes a situation where one is forced to seek a loan or credit during a time of extreme scarcity or crisis. It signifies an act of desperation or a burden upon an already struggling person, as borrowing during a famine is difficult to repay and even harder to obtain.