మూడునాళ్ళ భాగవతానికి మూతిమీసాలు గొరిగించుకొన్నట్లు

mudunalla bhagavataniki mutimisalu goriginchukonnatlu

Translation

Like shaving off one's mustache for a three-day play.

Meaning

This expression describes someone who makes a permanent or disproportionately large sacrifice for a very temporary or short-term benefit. It is used to caution against impulsive decisions where the loss outweighs the gain of a fleeting event.

Related Phrases

Checking the auspicious time and star after shaving the head.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone takes action first and then looks for the right time or rules to follow. It refers to an act of 'closing the stable door after the horse has bolted' or doing something in an illogical order. In traditional Indian culture, one usually checks for an auspicious day (Tithi/Nakshatram) before getting a haircut; doing so after the act is completed is futile and pointless.

Like shaving off one's mustache for a single day's costume.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone takes a drastic, irreversible, or disproportionately large step for a very temporary or minor benefit. It highlights lack of foresight and the foolishness of sacrificing something permanent for a fleeting moment.

When one performs fire rituals without practice, the mustache on the face got severely burnt.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone attempts to do a task they have no experience or skill in, resulting in unexpected harm or failure. It emphasizes that undertaking complex or dangerous tasks without proper knowledge leads to self-inflicted trouble.

A three-day pleasure

This expression refers to something that is short-lived or a temporary joy. It is used to describe situations, relationships, or trends that are transient and do not last for a long time.

Shaving off one's mustache for the sake of three pennies.

This expression describes a situation where someone incurs a permanent or significant loss for a very small, trivial, or temporary gain. It highlights foolishness or lack of foresight where the cost of an action far outweighs the meager benefit received.

When he kissed the lamp belonging to his own house, all his mustaches were burnt off. Undue familiarity. Extravagant demonstration. A man may love his wecl, and no ride on the riggin o't. (Scotch. )

This proverb is used to warn that being overly familiar or careless with something potentially dangerous—just because it is 'ours' or familiar—can lead to harm. It highlights that certain things (like fire, power, or laws) maintain their inherent nature regardless of our relationship with them, and one must maintain a respectful distance or caution.

Like a mountain barber shaving.

This expression is used to describe a job that is done extremely poorly, clumsily, or incompletely. It refers to someone who lacks the necessary skill or patience, resulting in a 'patchy' or disastrous outcome, much like a barber who leaves tufts of hair everywhere.

With one day's acting, all his mustaches were burnt off. By standing too near the torches which are used to light up the figures of the performers, and on which powdered resin is thrown.

This expression refers to a situation where a single attempt or a brief encounter with a task results in an unexpected disaster or significant loss. It describes someone who, while trying to perform something grand or virtuous (like reciting the holy Bhagavatam), ends up suffering a humiliating failure or injury due to lack of experience or bad luck. It is used to caution against jumping into complex tasks without preparation.

One who feeds a hundred and shaves ( i. e. plunders ) a crore.

This expression describes a cunning or deceitful person who spends a small amount of money or effort as a bait to swindle someone out of a massive fortune. It is used to warn others about manipulative individuals who use minor favors to gain trust before committing a major fraud.

Like losing one's own hand-oil (money) to listen to the Bhagavatam.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where one has to spend their own money or incur a personal loss even for something that should have been free, a service, or a public benefit. It signifies paying out of one's pocket for an experience or task that ends up being a burden rather than a reward.