మున్నూరు కావత్తకు ముష్టికోడలు.
munnuru kavattaku mushtikodalu.
A daughter-in-law who begs for a household of three hundred aunts.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person is overwhelmed by too many superiors, advisors, or authorities. When there are too many people giving orders or interference from many sides (metaphorically 300 mother-in-laws), the person at the bottom (the daughter-in-law) is reduced to a state of helplessness or poverty of spirit, unable to satisfy anyone.
Related Phrases
ముష్టికి మూడు సంచులు
mushtiki mudu sanchulu
Does a beggar want three bags ? Applied to an ostentatious display unsuited to a man's position.
This expression is used to describe a person who has excessive or grand requirements for a very small or humble task. It highlights the irony of someone who, despite being in a position of seeking help or doing something minor, demands or carries more tools than necessary.
అన్న వస్తే ముష్టికి పోతాను అన్నట్లు
anna vaste mushtiki potanu annatlu
Like saying, 'I will go for alms once my brother arrives'
This proverb describes a person who is excessively lazy or dependent. It refers to someone who waits for someone else's arrival or help to perform even a basic task or to seek their own livelihood, showing a lack of initiative and a tendency to procrastinate.
మునగ చెట్టుకు మున్నూరు రోగాలు
munaga chettuku munnuru rogalu
The drumstick tree has three hundred diseases.
This proverb is used to describe something that, despite having many benefits, is extremely fragile or plagued with numerous problems. Just as the drumstick tree is highly nutritious but prone to pests and easily broken, this expression refers to people or situations that require constant care and are always riddled with some issue or the other.
దాష్టీకపు ముష్టి
dashtikapu mushti
Begging with arrogance / Forceful alms
This expression refers to a person who, despite being in a position of need or seeking a favor, behaves with excessive pride, arrogance, or bossiness. It describes the irony of someone asking for help (alms) while maintaining an attitude of superiority or coercion.
ముష్టిలో ముష్టి ధర్మ ముష్టి
mushtilo mushti dharma mushti
Among the fists, the fist of charity.
This expression is a play on words using 'Mushti' (which can mean both 'a fist' and 'begging/alms'). It highlights the ironic situation where someone who is already poor or a beggar themselves tries to help another beggar. It is used to describe an act of charity performed by those who have very little to give, emphasizing that even the smallest act of kindness from the poor is significant.
మూడు తరాల దరిద్రుడు ముష్టికి వచ్చినట్లు.
mudu tarala daridrudu mushtiki vachchinatlu.
Like a person who has been poor for three generations coming to beg.
This proverb is used to describe someone who, despite having long-standing experience in a state of lack or misfortune, still manages to be clumsy, greedy, or inefficient when an opportunity finally arises. It often refers to someone who doesn't know how to handle a situation even after being in it for a very long time, or someone whose deep-rooted habits make them over-eager in a way that is counterproductive.
ఆ తుష్టికీ ఈ నష్టికీ సరి.
a tushtiki i nashtiki sari.
That profit and this loss are equal.
This proverb is used when the pleasure or satisfaction derived from an action is completely offset or negated by the resulting loss or trouble. It describes a break-even situation where the gain was not worth the cost, or where the damage done balances out the enjoyment felt.
దాసరి పాటకు ముష్టి ముజరా.
dasari pataku mushti mujara.
For the song of a Dâsari an alms is the payment. All that his singing is worth. Small payment for bad work.
This expression is used to describe a situation where the reward or payment is just as poor or mediocre as the work performed. It implies that neither the service nor the compensation was of high quality, often used when one person's low-quality effort meets another's stingy response.
* Un mal chiama l'otro,
ముష్టిలో ముష్టి, ధర్మముష్టి
mushtilo mushti, dharmamushti
Alms within alms, righteous alms
This expression refers to a situation where someone who is already in a state of seeking help or living on charity decides to share a portion of what they have received with someone even more needy. It signifies an act of extreme generosity or charity performed by a person who themselves has very little.
ముష్టికిపోయి, తుష్టిలేదని పలవరించినట్లు
mushtikipoyi, tushtiledani palavarinchinatlu
Like going to beg for alms and then complaining that it wasn't satisfying.
This proverb is used to describe someone who is receiving something for free or through charity, yet complains about the quality or quantity of what they received. It highlights the irony of a person in a dependent position showing ungratefulness or having unrealistic expectations.