లేనిదానికోసం పోతే ఉన్నది ఊడిపోయినట్టు.

lenidanikosam pote unnadi udipoyinattu.

Translation

Going for what you don't have and losing what you already have.

Meaning

This proverb describes a situation where a person, driven by greed or a desire for something they don't possess, takes a risk that results in the loss of their current assets or possessions. It is similar to the English expression 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' or 'Grasp all, lose all.'

Related Phrases

Like losing one's senses while going for an ascetic.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person, in the pursuit of something minor or spiritual, ends up losing their common sense or something far more valuable. It highlights a loss of perspective or poor judgment during a specific endeavor.

Like cutting the udder for milk

This expression describes the actions of someone who, out of greed or impatience for an immediate small gain, destroys the very source of their long-term benefit. It is used when a person's short-sightedness leads to a permanent loss.

When going after what one doesn't have, even the little one had was lost.

This proverb describes a situation where greed or the pursuit of unattainable goals leads to the loss of existing resources or assets. It is used to advise someone to be content with what they have or to warn against taking excessive risks that might jeopardize their current security.

When went for food and clothes, the existing cloth also fell off.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person, in an attempt to gain more or seek additional luxuries/necessities, ends up losing even the basic things they originally possessed. It is similar to the English expression 'to go for wool and come home shorn.' It highlights greed or ill-timed ambition leading to total loss.

Like offering a dead cow to an outcast Brahman. Knock a man down, and kick him for falling. Him that falls all the world run over. (German.) All bite the bitten dog. (Portuguese.)

This expression describes a situation where one useless or ruined thing is given to someone who is already in a helpless or destitute state. It refers to a mock charity or a futile gesture where neither the giver is making a sacrifice nor the receiver is getting any benefit. It is used to mock instances where someone tries to solve a problem with a worthless solution.

A nose that falls off just by sneezing.

This expression describes something that is extremely fragile, temporary, or unstable. It is often used to criticize things that are not durable or to describe someone who gets easily offended or quits over trivial matters.

Finger millets for the porridge, and Ragi for the gruel.

In Telugu, 'Ragulu' and 'Chollu' are synonyms for the same grain (Finger Millet). This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is being redundant, making unnecessary distinctions between identical things, or pretending to offer different choices that are actually the same.

Like a cart moving over a Cissus quadrangularis (Nalleru) plant.

This expression is used to describe a process that is extremely smooth, easy, and without any obstacles. Just as a cart glides effortlessly over the soft, succulent Nalleru plant, it signifies that a task is being completed very easily.

What remains is the bank (solid ground), what is lost is the husk.

This expression is used to describe a situation where, after a loss or a filtering process, only the essential or valuable part remains while the useless or trivial part is gone. It is often used to console someone by pointing out that even if something was lost, the core strength or the most important asset is still intact.

While going for what was not there, even what was there was lost

This proverb describes a situation where someone loses their existing possessions or status while greedily pursuing something they don't have. It is used to caution against unnecessary risks or greed that leads to the loss of one's current security.