మనసు విరిగితే అతికించవచ్చుగానీ, కుండ పగిలితే అతికించలేము

manasu virigite atikinchavachchugani, kunda pagilite atikinchalemu

Translation

If a heart breaks it can be mended, but if a clay pot breaks it cannot be joined back.

Meaning

This proverb is often used in a reverse or comparative sense to highlight the permanence of certain damages. While modern variations sometimes swap the subjects, the traditional wisdom suggests that physical objects like a shattered clay pot are beyond repair, whereas human relationships and hearts (emotions) can potentially be healed through effort and time. It is used to emphasize caution in one's actions and words to avoid irreparable damage.

Related Phrases

Either Atukuru or Polepalli.

This proverb is used to describe a person who is extremely stubborn, rigid, or lives in extremes. It refers to someone who lacks flexibility and will only consider two specific, often distant or binary options, with no middle ground or compromise in between.

A lie is a word of patches

This expression suggests that telling a lie requires weaving together multiple fabricated points to make it seem believable. It implies that lies are often inconsistent or fragile, much like a cloth made of many patches that might fall apart under scrutiny.

If the heart is broken, can it be joined again?

This expression is used to describe the permanent damage done to a relationship or trust. Much like a broken piece of glass or pottery, once a person's feelings are deeply hurt or their heart is broken, the relationship can never truly return to its original state of wholeness or intimacy.

If he laps, it wont answer. If a person goes to get a wife for another, and eats in the house before the matter is arranged, it is sure to fall through.

This proverb is used to advise against greed and impatience. Just as glue or paste won't bond properly if you try to lick it or consume it before it sets, tasks or relationships fail if one tries to exploit them prematurely for selfish gain. It means that if you are overly greedy, you will end up losing the very thing you are trying to achieve.

If you lick it, it won't stick

This proverb is used to emphasize that something done greedily, shortcuts, or improper methods will not result in a lasting or quality outcome. It is often applied to work or relationships where integrity is lacking, suggesting that temporary fixes or selfish actions prevent a proper bond or success.

Either Atukuru or Datukuru.

This expression is used to describe an 'all or nothing' situation or a person with extreme, inconsistent behavior. It refers to someone who either stays completely put in one place (Atukuru) or wanders off far away (Datukuru), lacking a middle ground or moderation.

If iron be broken it may be united, but if friendship be broken it cannot be healed. Broken friendship may be soldered, but never made sound. (Spanish.)

This proverb emphasizes the fragility of human relationships and emotions. While physical objects like iron can be repaired or welded back together after breaking, the trust and affection in a relationship, once shattered, can never truly be restored to its original state. It serves as a warning to be careful with one's words and actions to avoid hurting others deeply.

A hard-hearted person's mind cannot be melted.

This expression is used to describe individuals who are emotionally cold, stubborn, or lacking in empathy. It suggests that no matter how much effort one puts into pleading, reasoning, or appealing to their emotions, such people will not change their mind or show compassion. It is often used as a cautionary advice to avoid wasting effort on those who are fundamentally unfeeling.

If you ask a beggar for charity, will he give it? He would rather die struggling.

This proverb is used to describe the futility of seeking help, money, or favors from those who have nothing themselves or from those who are extremely miserly. It emphasizes that a person without resources or a generous heart cannot provide what they don't possess, regardless of how much they are pressured.

An iron pot can be mended if it breaks, but a clay pot cannot be mended if it breaks.

This proverb highlights the difference between salvageable and irreparable damage. It is often used to compare relationships or situations: strong bonds (iron) can be repaired after a conflict, but delicate trust or certain reputations (clay) are permanently destroyed once broken.