ముగ్గు వేయరానివారిని యముడు, జాంబవంతుని వెంట్రుకలు పీకమంటాడట
muggu veyaranivarini yamudu, jambavantuni ventrukalu pikamantadata
For those who don't know how to draw a muggu (kolam), Yama (God of Death) will ask them to pluck the hairs of Jambavantha.
This is a humorous and hyperbolic traditional saying used to emphasize the importance of girls/women learning the art of 'Muggu' (rangoli). It suggests that if one does not learn this domestic skill, they will be given an impossible and tedious task (plucking hair from the immortal, hairy bear-king Jambavantha) as punishment in the afterlife. It is used to mock laziness or lack of traditional skills.
Related Phrases
వెన్నలో వెంట్రుక తీసినట్టు
vennalo ventruka tisinattu
Like pulling a hair out of butter
This expression is used to describe a task or process that is performed with extreme ease, smoothness, or without any resistance. It is often used when someone handles a difficult situation effortlessly or when a resolution is reached very cleanly.
కనుక్కొన్నాడోయ్ కంబట్లో వెంట్రుకలు అన్నట్లు.
kanukkonnadoy kambatlo ventrukalu annatlu.
Like saying 'I found them! Hairs in a woolen blanket.'
This proverb is used to mock someone who claims to have made a great discovery or solved a complex mystery, when in reality, what they found was obvious, inevitable, or insignificant. Since a woolen blanket (kambali) is naturally made of fibers/hair, 'finding' hair in it is not an achievement at all.
నీకు మూతికి మీసాలుంటే నాకు ముంజేతికి వెంట్రుకలున్నవన్నదట
niku mutiki misalunte naku munjetiki ventrukalunnavannadata
If you have a mustache on your face, I have hair on my forearm, she said.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone tries to assert superiority or dominance, and the other person responds with an equally boastful or defiant retort. It signifies that one person is not inferior to the other and can match their ego or status with their own. It is often used to highlight stubbornness or a tit-for-tat attitude in an argument.
వెంట్రుకలు పెరికివేయగానే పీనుగు తేలిక అవుతుందా?
ventrukalu perikiveyagane pinugu telika avutunda?
Will a corpse become lighter just by plucking out its hair?
This proverb is used to point out that removing a tiny, insignificant part of a large problem or burden does not make the overall situation any easier. It highlights the futility of focusing on trivial details when dealing with a massive issue.
వెన్నలో వెంట్రుక తీసినట్టు
vennalo ventruka tisinattu
Like taking a hair out of butter.
This expression is used to describe a task that is performed with extreme ease, smoothness, and without any resistance or obstacles. It can also refer to resolving a delicate situation very tactfully and cleanly.
Said of a very easy business. How easily a hair gets into butter ! (Gorman.)*
కంబళిలో తింటూ వెంట్రుకలు ఏరినట్లు
kambalilo tintu ventrukalu erinatlu
Like picking hairs while eating in a woolly blanket
This expression describes a situation where someone is engaged in a task that is inherently prone to a specific problem, yet they complain or try to fix it meticulously while still being in that environment. It refers to the absurdity of expecting perfection or cleanliness in a setting that is naturally messy or unsuitable for the task at hand.
వెన్నలో వెంట్రుక తీసినట్లు
vennalo ventruka tisinatlu
Like removing a hair from butter
This expression is used to describe a task performed with extreme ease, smoothness, and without causing any disturbance or damage. It signifies a delicate operation executed so perfectly that the surroundings remain unaffected, often used to describe resolving a complex issue effortlessly.
గొంగట్లో అన్నం తింటూ వెంట్రుకలు ఏరినట్లు
gongatlo annam tintu ventrukalu erinatlu
Eating rice while sitting on a woolen blanket and picking out hairs.
This expression is used to describe a person who knowingly enters a difficult or messy situation and then complains about the obvious, inevitable problems that come with it. It suggests that one should expect certain inconveniences when choosing a specific path or environment.
ఆకాశానికి వెంట్రుక ముడివేసినట్లు
akashaniki ventruka mudivesinatlu
Like tying a hair to the sky
This expression is used to describe an impossible or extremely difficult task that requires extraordinary precision or is practically unattainable. It often refers to attempting something that has no solid foundation or trying to achieve a goal through highly improbable means.
కొండకు ఒక వెంట్రుక ముడి వేస్తే, వస్తే కొండే వస్తుంది, పోతే వెంట్రుకే పోతుంది.
kondaku oka ventruka mudi veste, vaste konde vastundi, pote ventruke potundi.
If you tie a hair to a mountain, the mountain will come or the hair only go. The possibility of great gain with the risk of little loss.
This expression is used to describe a high-reward, low-risk situation. It encourages taking a chance where the potential gain is massive and the potential loss is negligible or insignificant.