మన్ను పట్టితే బంగారం, బంగారం పట్టితే మన్ను

mannu pattite bangaram, bangaram pattite mannu

Translation

Touching mud turns it into gold, touching gold turns it into mud

Meaning

This proverb describes the extremes of luck or fortune. It refers to a person's current 'luck streak'—when someone is highly successful, even their smallest efforts (mud) yield great results (gold). Conversely, when someone is going through a period of extreme misfortune, even their most valuable assets or best efforts fail miserably.

Related Phrases

Like breaking a ring to make a top, and then breaking the top to make a ring.

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks a clear vision or skill, resulting in wasted effort and resources. It refers to someone who repeatedly undoes their own work or destroys something useful to create something else, only to reverse the process again, ending up with nothing productive or losing the original value of the materials.

You get gold out of earth and earth out of gold. i. e. you buy land with money.

This proverb highlights the unpredictable nature of luck and timing. It suggests that when one is going through a fortunate period, even a worthless effort (mud) turns into wealth (gold), but during an unfortunate period, even a valuable investment (gold) can turn into a loss (mud). It is often used to describe the irony of success and failure.

A pearl if touched, gold if held.

This expression is used to describe someone or something of exceptional quality, value, or purity. It is often used as a compliment for a well-behaved child, a virtuous person, or a piece of work that is flawless and precious.

The decoration is proportional to the gold available.

This proverb means that the quality or extent of a result depends on the resources or effort invested. It is used to describe situations where you get exactly what you pay for, or where the outcome is limited by the budget or materials provided.

A golden knife. Said of something of intrinsic value but of no utility.

This expression is used to describe something that is beautiful or attractive but nonetheless harmful or dangerous. Just because a knife is made of gold, it doesn't mean it won't cut; it implies that one should not be deceived by outward elegance when the inherent nature is destructive.

Golden hooks do not necessarily catch golden fish.

This expression means that using expensive or high-quality tools does not always guarantee a superior or successful outcome. It highlights that merit, skill, or luck often matter more than the outward appearance or cost of the resources used. It is used to caution against the belief that money alone can buy success.

Woman is Goddess Lakshmi, man is gold

This expression highlights the traditional roles and values in a family. It suggests that a woman brings prosperity and grace (like the Goddess Lakshmi) to a home, while the man represents the wealth and strength (like gold) that provides security. It is often used to emphasize the importance of both genders in maintaining a balanced household.

If one is wealthy, do they eat gold?

This proverb highlights the essential nature of basic necessities over luxury. It implies that no matter how rich a person is, they still need food to survive just like anyone else. It is used to humble those who are arrogant about their wealth or to remind people that money cannot satisfy every human need.

Like gold turning into mud and mud turning into gold.

This expression describes the volatility of luck or fortune. It refers to a situation where a person with bad luck can turn a valuable opportunity (gold) into a failure (mud), while a person with good luck or skill can turn even a worthless thing into something precious.

Look at my finery/makeup, O golden husband!

This is a sarcastic expression used to describe a person who tries to hide their incompetence, flaws, or failures by putting on a showy exterior or focusing on superficial appearances. It originates from a folk story where a woman uses elaborate dressing as a distraction from her lack of skill or a mistake she made.