నవాబు తల బోడి అయితే, నా తల కూడా బోడి అని వితంతువు విర్రవీగిందట.

navabu tala bodi ayite, na tala kuda bodi ani vitantuvu virravigindata.

Translation

When the Nawab's head was bald, a widow boasted that her head was bald too.

Meaning

This proverb is used to mock someone who tries to equate their own misfortune or common condition with the status or actions of a powerful person. It highlights the foolishness of seeking pride or equality in a negative or irrelevant coincidence.

Related Phrases

When she said "O Reddi! your buffalo has calved," he replied "O Boddi! what's that to you?" The woman wanted some milk.

This proverb is used to tell people to mind their own business or to highlight that a particular piece of news or event has no relevance or benefit to the person reacting to it. It mocks those who get unnecessarily excited or involved in matters that do not concern them.

Like decorating a bald man with a jasmine garland. Boddu Malle is the Jasminum Sambac. Something being thrown away upon a person.

This expression is used to describe an attempt to decorate or improve something that lacks the necessary foundation or suitability. It refers to something that is out of place, mismatched, or a waste of effort because the underlying situation doesn't support the addition.

[Shaving] a bald head, to [propitiate] the village goddess. No other will submit to the ignominy.

This proverb describes a situation where someone is unfairly singled out as a scapegoat to resolve a larger problem or to satisfy a ritualistic requirement. It refers to a person being sacrificed or humiliated (symbolized by shaving the head) for the supposed well-being of the community, often highlighting the absurdity of the solution or the innocence of the victim.

The hen that got used to eating (getting fed) ended up crowing from the rooftop.

This proverb describes a situation where someone who is pampered or given too much freedom eventually becomes arrogant, loses their boundaries, and starts behaving inappropriately. It is used to caution against over-indulging someone to the point where they lose respect for rules or hierarchy.

Until crossing the stream, he is 'Oda Mallayya' (respected Lord), after crossing the stream, he is 'Bodi Mallayya' (bald/useless fellow).

This proverb describes opportunistic behavior and ingratitude. It is used to refer to people who show great respect or flattery toward someone as long as they need a favor, but immediately disregard or insult that person once their objective is achieved.

Their heads are clean shaven, but are their thoughts clean also ? ( See Vēmana Book III. 375. )

This proverb suggests that changing one's external appearance or adopting a religious persona (like shaving one's head to become a monk) does not automatically purify one's mind or eliminate worldly desires. It is used to critique hypocrisy or to emphasize that true transformation must happen internally, not just superficially.

When called 'flower-like maiden' (Pubodi), she replied 'Who is bald? Your mother is bald, your sister is bald'.

This proverb describes a situation where an ignorant person takes offense at a compliment or a sophisticated term because they misunderstand its meaning. 'Pubodi' is a poetic term for a beautiful woman (flower-like body), but the person in the proverb hears 'Bodi' (bald/shaven head) and reacts with insults due to their lack of vocabulary and quick temper.

Making a knot between the shaven head and the knee.

This refers to the way of trying to bring together two disparate things for a harmonious blend. When such an attempt is made, the listener understands the absurdity.

A nose ring given to a person with no nose, a seed sown that will not sprout.

This proverb is used to describe wasted effort or useless gifts. Just as a nose ring is pointless for someone who has lost their nose, and a dead seed will never grow regardless of how much it is tended to, some actions are fundamentally futile or given to those who cannot benefit from them.

When someone said the whole village is bald, she replied 'Your mother is bald, your sister is bald'.

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks common sense or the ability to understand general context. Instead of understanding that a statement refers to a collective group (including themselves), they take it as a personal insult and react defensively by insulting the speaker back.