మిన్ను విరిగి మీద పడితే అరచేతితో అడ్డగలమా?

minnu virigi mida padite arachetito addagalama?

Translation

If the sky breaks and falls on you, can you stop it with your palm?

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe an overwhelming or inevitable disaster that cannot be stopped by small, insignificant efforts. It highlights human limitations in the face of massive calamities or uncontrollable destiny.

Related Phrases

For those who can reach it, the sky is in their palm.

This proverb describes people who, upon achieving success or gaining power, become overly confident or arrogant. It implies that for someone who has reached high heights, even the vast sky (ambition/power) seems small and easily manageable within their grasp. It is often used to critique those who underestimate challenges or act superior after a small success.

Like a temple coming and falling on you.

This expression is used to describe a situation where an unexpected, massive responsibility or a heavy burden suddenly falls upon someone without any prior warning or effort of their own. It is often used when an unavoidable problem or a huge task is thrust upon a person.

An unexpected calamity.

As if the sky had broken and fallen upon him. Said of any one sustaining a great shock by suddenly receiving bad news. Thunder-struck.

This expression is used to describe a sudden, overwhelming, or catastrophic event that happens unexpectedly. It conveys a sense of great shock or a situation where one feels like their entire world has collapsed instantly.

Whether the thorn falls on the banana leaf, or the banana leaf falls on the thorn, it is the leaf that suffers.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a weak or vulnerable person is always the one at a disadvantage when dealing with someone powerful or harmful, regardless of who initiated the interaction. It suggests that in certain lopsided conflicts, the outcome is inevitably damaging for the fragile party.

As if the sky broke and fell on one's head

This expression is used to describe a situation where a sudden, unexpected, and massive disaster or problem occurs. It reflects a feeling of being overwhelmed by a catastrophe that seems as if the entire world is collapsing.

Like a thunder that roared and fell upon the sacrificial fire-pan

This proverb is used to describe a situation where one person's anger or a problem originating elsewhere is unfairly diverted toward an innocent person or an unrelated object. It signifies misplaced venting of frustration or a situation where the consequences of one event unexpectedly affect something completely different.

When a grain of rice fell on his foot, he started with conceit. It is only when a man has plenty to eat that he lets a grain fall.

This expression is used to describe someone who overreacts or creates a huge fuss over a very trivial, insignificant issue. It highlights the behavior of being overly sensitive or dramatic about minor inconveniences.

Desire for the wife, but the bed is on a mat.

This expression is used to describe a person who has high desires or grand ambitions but lacks the basic resources or means to fulfill them. It highlights the gap between one's wants and their actual capabilities or reality.

Getting the hand burnt when a ladle is available

This expression is used when someone suffers unnecessary harm or puts in avoidable effort despite having the right tools or resources to complete a task safely. It highlights a lack of common sense or the failure to use available means to protect oneself.

Though a hundred [pagodas] be levied from the village, not a cash will be paid by the Karanaṁ. A cash ( కాసు ) is 1-60th of an Anna. The instrument of oppression does not himself suffer.

This proverb describes a situation where an influential person or authority figure remains unaffected by the troubles or financial burdens that plague the community they oversee. It is used to highlight systemic corruption or the cleverness of bureaucrats who ensure their own safety and wealth while others suffer losses.