మేడలు గుడిసెలు కావడం కన్నా, గుడిసెలు మేడలు కావడం మేలు.

medalu gudiselu kavadam kanna, gudiselu medalu kavadam melu.

Translation

It is better for huts to become mansions than for mansions to become huts.

Meaning

This proverb emphasizes the importance of progress and upward mobility. It suggests that rising from poverty to wealth is a desirable journey, whereas falling from a high status to a low one is a tragedy. It is used to highlight the value of growth and the hardship of downfall.

Related Phrases

Performing holy Magha baths, but entering nomadic huts.

This proverb is used to criticize hypocrisy or double standards. It refers to someone who outwardly performs pious acts (like the ritualistic holy baths in the month of Magham) but privately engages in base, immoral, or contradictory behavior. It describes people who maintain a virtuous facade while their actions are unethical.

Does a thatched hut need a canopy bed?

This proverb is used to criticize someone who desires luxuries far beyond their means or status. It highlights the mismatch between one's basic living conditions and their extravagant demands.

Building castles in the air

This expression refers to creating unrealistic plans or daydreams that have no solid foundation. It is used to describe someone who is being impractical or overly idealistic about the future without taking any concrete action.

Performing prayers to Lord Shiva, but entering the huts of nomads.

This proverb describes hypocrisy or a lack of character. It refers to a person who outwardly performs sacred rituals or acts very pious, but privately engages in immoral, unethical, or lowly activities. It is used to call out someone whose public image contradicts their private actions.

Building mansions in the air

This expression is used to describe someone who has unrealistic plans or daydreams about things that are unlikely to happen. It is equivalent to the English idiom 'building castles in the air'.

Does a small hut in the village need a bed with a canopy?

This proverb is used to mock someone who desires or demands luxuries that are far beyond their means or status. It highlights the mismatch between a person's humble reality and their extravagant pretensions.

If the wife is of good disposition, good will accrue.

This proverb emphasizes that a family's prosperity, harmony, and reputation depend largely on the character and conduct of the woman of the house. It is used to highlight the importance of a spouse's virtues in ensuring a happy and successful life.

Doing is better than saying.

This proverb emphasizes that actions speak louder than words. It is used to suggest that practical execution or demonstrating through work is more valuable and effective than merely making promises or giving advice.

Wearing saffron robes, but entering the huts of vagabonds.

This expression describes hypocrisy, specifically regarding moral or spiritual character. It refers to someone who maintains an outward appearance of holiness or high status (symbolized by saffron robes) while secretly engaging in low, immoral, or contradictory activities (symbolized by entering huts of ill-repute). It is used to call out double standards or fake piety.

Preaching the sacred ethics of Srirangam, while entering the huts of vagabonds.

This proverb is used to describe a hypocrite who preaches high moral values and sacred principles to others but leads a dishonest, immoral, or low-standard life in private. It highlights the vast difference between a person's words and their actual deeds.