కోతలు ఉన్నన్నాళ్ళు కోతీ బతికింది, తరువాత బతికిందే బతుకు

kotalu unnannallu koti batikindi, taruvata batikinde batuku

Translation

As long as there were harvests, the monkey survived; life after that is the real struggle.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone enjoys a comfortable life due to favorable external circumstances or resources. When those resources are exhausted, they face the harsh reality of survival. It serves as a reminder that true resilience is tested only when easy times end.

Related Phrases

No matter how long you live, you cannot avoid going to the cremation ground.

This proverb emphasizes the inevitability of death. It is used to remind someone that despite wealth, power, or a long life, everyone is mortal and will eventually pass away. It serves as a philosophical reflection on the temporary nature of life.

A mouse under a grain silo must live under that silo itself.

This proverb emphasizes stability, loyalty, or the necessity of sticking to one's source of livelihood. It suggests that one should find contentment and survive within the environment or resource that sustains them, rather than wandering off or being ungrateful to their source of support.

If one dies, there is one cry; if one lives, there is crying for a lifetime.

This proverb describes a situation where life is so filled with continuous suffering, misery, or struggle that death is seen as a singular moment of grief for others, whereas living is an endless cycle of pain for the individual. It is used to highlight extreme hardship or a state of perpetual sorrow.

Delicacies for the dead, a cartload of debts for the living.

This proverb highlights the irony of human traditions where people spend extravagantly on funeral rituals and feasts for the deceased, often by borrowing money, which leaves the surviving family members in deep financial distress. It is used to criticize performative social customs that prioritize ritualistic honor over the practical welfare of the living.

Look at the hands of the woman who prospered after poverty, and the ears of the woman who fell into poverty after being rich.

This proverb highlights how past status leaves marks on a person. A woman who was once poor but became rich will have rough hands from previous hard labor. Conversely, a woman who was once wealthy but became poor will have stretched earlobes from years of wearing heavy gold jewelry. It is used to describe how one's history and background can be identified through subtle signs, regardless of their current situation.

Does the life lived deserve a recitation of the Bhagavad Gita?

This expression is used to mock someone who has led a questionable or sinful life but suddenly starts acting overly religious or righteous. It implies that their spiritual activities are hypocritical or unnecessary given their past behavior.

The beauty of the dead and the relationship of the living.

This expression suggests that we often praise people's qualities only after they pass away (idealizing the dead), whereas we focus on the obligations, conflicts, and burdens of relationships while people are still alive. It is used to point out how humans tend to value people more when they are gone than when they are present.

For the life lived, is it necessary to rear a pig?

This expression is used to criticize someone who, despite having lived a respectable or decent life, stoops to low, undignified, or petty behavior. It is often used to question why someone would tarnish their reputation or standard of living by engaging in something considered base or beneath them.

Look at the cheeks of one who rose from ruin, and look at the clothes of one who fell from prosperity.

This proverb highlights the physical and visible remnants of a person's past circumstances. Someone who was once poor but became wealthy often retains a healthy, glowing appearance (plump cheeks) from their new prosperity. Conversely, someone who was once wealthy but lost everything often tries to maintain their dignity by wearing their old, high-quality clothes, which are now worn out or reflect their former status.

The path walked by four (the majority) is the way; the word spoken by many is the truth.

This proverb emphasizes social consensus and the power of the majority. It suggests that a path becomes established only when many people follow it, and a statement gains the weight of truth or law when it is widely accepted by the community. It is used to describe following traditions or acknowledging public opinion.