లంకణాల్లో తెచ్చుకున్న బలమంతా అపత్యంలో హరించుకు పోతుంది

lankanallo techchukunna balamanta apatyamlo harinchuku potundi

Translation

All the strength gained through fasting is lost through improper diet.

Meaning

This expression means that the discipline or gains achieved through great effort and sacrifice (represented by fasting) can be easily destroyed by a single act of carelessness or lack of self-control (represented by improper eating). It is used to caution someone that maintaining a success is as important as achieving it.

Related Phrases

When someone said they were leaving, the other replied, 'Who will bring fodder for the ox?'

This proverb is used to describe a person who is extremely selfish and lacks empathy. It highlights a situation where someone expresses their departure or pain, but the listener is only concerned about their own needs or who will perform the departing person's chores. It is used to mock people who only care about their work getting done.

Diet for medicine, truth for words

This expression emphasizes that just as dietary restrictions (pathyam) are essential for medicine to be effective, honesty and truthfulness are essential for words to have value and credibility. It is used to highlight the importance of integrity in communication.

Like bringing the very ropes that will be used to tie oneself up.

This proverb describes a situation where a person's own actions, decisions, or words inadvertently lead to their own downfall, trouble, or restriction. It is used when someone creates the very tools or circumstances that others eventually use against them.

Like bringing noose-ropes to a life that was at peace.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone who was living peacefully unnecessarily invites trouble or creates complications for themselves. It is similar to the English idiom 'To look for trouble' or 'To invite a headache'.

Like buying and bringing home a funeral ceremony.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone unnecessarily invites trouble or a burden upon themselves through their own actions. It implies that a problem which didn't exist was intentionally 'purchased' or brought home by the individual.

A buffalo that broke the door, a horse that snapped its rope.

This expression is used to describe someone who has become completely uncontrollable, unruly, or has broken free from all restraints and discipline. It refers to a state of absolute chaos or a person acting without any inhibition or regard for rules, similar to the English phrase 'running wild' or 'loose cannon'.

Like paying money to get stung by a scorpion.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone knowingly or unknowingly spends their resources (money, time, or effort) only to end up with trouble or self-inflicted harm. It is used when a person's own actions or investments lead to a negative outcome for themselves.

Like buying and bringing home the misfortune that was passing by on the road.

This expression is used when someone unnecessarily involves themselves in a problem that has nothing to do with them, or when they invite trouble into their lives through their own voluntary actions. It highlights the foolishness of taking on burdens or conflicts that could have been easily avoided.

When brought in as a cook, she sat on top of the house.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone who was hired or brought in to do a humble job ends up dominating the household or overstepping their boundaries. It refers to people who take undue advantage of the position given to them and start controlling the benefactor.

A kept man is not a husband, an adopted one is not a son.

This traditional proverb suggests that certain relationships formed through convenience or external arrangements may lack the genuine legal, social, or biological permanence of original roles. It is often used to imply that something acquired or temporary cannot fully replace the original or legitimate version.