నామాలు పెట్టినంత మాత్రాన చావు బుద్ధులు పోతాయా?

namalu pettinanta matrana chavu buddhulu potaya?

Translation

Just because one wears sacred marks, will their wicked nature disappear?

Meaning

This expression is used to highlight that external appearances, religious symbols, or a change in attire do not change a person's inherent character or malicious intent. It is often used to criticize hypocrites who pretend to be virtuous while remaining deceptive or cruel at heart.

Related Phrases

A basketful of wisdom while listening to the Puranas, but wild/uncivilized behavior once stepped away.

This proverb describes a person's hypocrisy or fickle nature. It refers to someone who appears very pious and moral while listening to religious discourses or moral advice, but immediately reverts to their old, bad habits once they leave the environment. It is used to criticize those who do not practice what they hear or preach.

A short person has a basketful of brains.

This proverb is used to suggest that what a person lacks in physical stature or height, they often make up for with extreme cleverness, wit, or cunningness. It implies that short people are exceptionally sharp-minded.

Will the mother-in-law's mindset and the daughter-in-law's mindset ever be the same?

This proverb highlights the inherent differences in perspectives, upbringing, and priorities between two people of different roles or generations. It is typically used to explain why conflicts or misunderstandings arise between people in a relationship, suggesting that their ways of thinking are naturally distinct and unlikely to perfectly align.

A short person has a basketful of brains/wisdom.

This is a popular Telugu saying used to suggest that what a person lacks in physical stature, they make up for with extreme cleverness, wit, or cunning. It is often used playfully or as a cautionary remark about not underestimating someone based on their small height.

To put Panganâmams on your Guru. To outwit him. Panganâmam is a very large Nāmam, the sectarian mark worn on the forehead by Vaishṇavas.

This expression is used when someone cheats, deceives, or outsmarts their own mentor, teacher, or the person who helped them. It implies a betrayal of trust where the student/protege ends up causing a loss or embarrassment to their guide.

* Niemand sieht seine eigene Fehler.

If the almanac is lost, do the dates and days of the week disappear?

This proverb is used to convey that the truth or reality of a situation does not change just because the records or evidence are missing. It implies that fundamental facts remain constant regardless of whether we have the tools to measure them or if someone tries to hide the proof.

If the almanacs are lost, will the stars disappear?

This proverb is used to convey that even if the records, tools, or books describing a truth are lost, the truth itself remains unchanged. It implies that fundamental realities do not depend on the documentation or the people who track them.

Just because the lock is lost, can we not open the box?

This expression is used to convey that if the primary or conventional way of doing something fails, one can always find an alternative method to achieve the goal. It highlights resourcefulness and the idea that a single obstacle shouldn't stop progress.

Applying religious marks (deceiving) to the teacher himself.

This expression is used when a student or a subordinate tries to cheat or outsmart the very person who taught them or mentored them. It signifies an act of extreme betrayal, ingratitude, or cunning deception against a mentor.

If the amulets are gone, will the scars disappear?

This proverb suggests that external remedies or temporary protections might hide a problem, but they cannot erase the permanent consequences or history of an event. It is used to emphasize that even if a conflict is resolved or a protector is gone, the deep-seated wounds or bad reputation (scars) remain.