కూర్చున్నవానికి కుప్పలు, తిరిగినవానికి తిప్పలు
kurchunnavaniki kuppalu, tiriginavaniki tippalu
Heaps for the one who sits, troubles for the one who roams.
This proverb contrasts physical labor with strategic or steady placement. It suggests that someone who stays focused or 'sits' (often referring to a landowner or a steady worker) accumulates heaps of grain or wealth, whereas someone who wanders aimlessly or works without a plan faces hardships and troubles. It is used to highlight the rewards of stability versus the difficulties of being unsettled.
Related Phrases
లేనివానికి తెంపు, ఉన్నవానికి మొండి.
lenivaniki tempu, unnavaniki mondi.
The one who has nothing is daring, the one who has everything is stubborn.
This proverb highlights how people's attitudes are shaped by their circumstances. A person with no possessions or status often acts with great courage or recklessness because they have nothing to lose (tempu), whereas a wealthy or powerful person may become stubborn or obstinate (mondi) because of their ego or desire to protect what they have.
ఇల్లు ఇచ్చినవానికి మజ్జిగ పోసినవానికి మంచిలేదు
illu ichchinavaniki majjiga posinavaniki manchiledu
There is no gratitude for the one who gave a house or for the one who served buttermilk.
This proverb highlights the irony of human ingratitude. It suggests that people often fail to show appreciation or give credit even to those who have provided significant help (like a home) or basic hospitality (like buttermilk). It is used when someone's kindness is met with indifference or negativity.
ముసలి కాలానికి ముప్పతిప్పలు
musali kalaniki muppatippalu
Three times the troubles in old age.
This expression refers to the immense hardships, health issues, and dependencies that often plague a person during their old age. It is used to describe a situation where one faces constant, overwhelming difficulties during the final stages of life.
సాకులు చెప్పినవానికి కాసు, ఇల్లు కప్పినవానికి దుగ్గాని
sakulu cheppinavaniki kasu, illu kappinavaniki duggani
A 'kasu' for the one who gives excuses, and a 'duggani' for the one who thatched the house.
This proverb highlights unfairness in rewards or wages. It describes a situation where someone who does little work or offers only excuses receives more benefit (a kasu) than the person who performed the actual hard labor of roofing a house (who receives a lesser coin, a duggani). It is used to critique systems where talkers are valued more than doers.
ముంజలు తిన్నవానికంటే, మోరులు తిన్నవానికే తంటా.
munjalu tinnavanikante, morulu tinnavanike tanta.
The one who ate the palm fibers faces more trouble than the one who ate the palm fruits.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where an innocent person or a person who only handled the leftovers/waste of an act gets into more trouble or faces more blame than the person who actually enjoyed the primary benefit. It highlights the irony of unfair consequences.
పండ్లు ఉన్నవాడికి పప్పులు లేవు, పప్పులు ఉన్నవాడికి పండ్లు లేవు
pandlu unnavadiki pappulu levu, pappulu unnavadiki pandlu levu
The one who has teeth doesn't have nuts, and the one who has nuts doesn't have teeth.
This proverb describes the irony of life where opportunities or resources often come to those who cannot utilize them, while those who have the capability or desire lack the necessary means. It is used to express that life is rarely fair or perfectly balanced.
కాలానికి కడగండ్లూ దేశానికి తిప్పలు
kalaniki kadagandlu deshaniki tippalu
Misery for the times and troubles for the country.
This expression is used to describe a period of collective misfortune or a series of calamities affecting a whole region or nation. It implies that when times are bad, hardships become widespread and inevitable, often used when discussing economic crises, natural disasters, or political instability.
కాలానికి కడగండ్లూ దేశానికి తిప్పలూ వచ్చినవి
kalaniki kadagandlu deshaniki tippalu vachchinavi
Time is afflicted, and the country is wandering [in trouble ]. Said jokingly by a person when asked whether he was in trouble. Dîiams here means literally the country and not the inhabitants of it.
This expression is used to describe a period of extreme adversity, crisis, or misfortune affecting an entire society or region. It suggests that both the times (destiny) and the land are undergoing severe trials, often used in literary or dramatic contexts to lament widespread suffering, political instability, or natural calamities.
కుంటివాని తిప్పలు కుంటివానికి, గూనివాని తిప్పలు గూనివానికి
kuntivani tippalu kuntivaniki, gunivani tippalu gunivaniki
The lame man's struggles are his own, and the hunchback's struggles are his own.
This expression means that every person has their own unique set of problems and struggles which only they truly understand and endure. It is used to emphasize that one cannot compare or diminish someone's hardship, as everyone is preoccupied with their own specific challenges in life.
చచ్చేవాడికి తమ్ముడు, పుట్టేవాడికి అన్న
chachchevadiki tammudu, puttevadiki anna
Younger brother to the one dying, elder brother to the one being born
This expression describes a person who is in a middle-aged or transitional stage of life. It is often used to refer to someone who is neither too young nor too old, bridging the gap between generations, or someone who is an experienced adult who has seen both the end of one era and the start of another.