నీ బిచ్చానికి ఒక దండము కాని, నీ కుక్కను కట్టెయ్యి

ni bichchaniki oka dandamu kani, ni kukkanu katteyyi

Translation

A salute to your alms, but please tie up your dog first.

Meaning

This proverb is used when someone offers help or a favor that comes with more trouble or danger than it is worth. It signifies that the recipient would rather forego the benefit if it means avoiding the associated harassment or headache. Historically, 'bepi' refers to a dog or a nuisance, used in the context of a beggar asking a homeowner to restrain their barking dog before they can accept charity.

Related Phrases

One for the plate, two for the bed.

This proverb describes a person who is extremely lazy and dependent. They are ready to eat alone (selfish/greedy) but need someone else's help even to move or get up from the bed. It is used to mock people who are active when it comes to consuming resources but become 'weak' or 'disabled' when it is time to work.

Should I provide a satchel for your alms too?

This expression is used to criticize someone who, after being helped, asks for even more assistance or expects the benefactor to do the work associated with the favor. It highlights the audacity of people who are not content with receiving help but demand extra effort from those helping them.

Hell has nine gates, but Heaven has only one.

This proverb suggests that there are many ways to fall into vice or make mistakes (symbolized by the nine openings of the human body and worldly distractions), whereas the path to virtue or liberation is singular and requires disciplined focus. It is used to caution someone that it is easy to go astray but difficult to find the right path.

One's wife is another's mother.

This proverb emphasizes respect and moral conduct towards women. It suggests that every woman should be treated with the same respect one gives to their own mother, highlighting that a woman who is a wife to someone is essentially a mother figure to others in society.

For the one who built, there is one house; for the one who hasn't built, there are a thousand houses.

This proverb highlights the freedom and lack of responsibility that comes with not owning property or being tied down. While a homeowner is restricted to their one house and its maintenance, a traveler or a person without a permanent home can find shelter and hospitality in many places, effectively making the whole world their home.

Curry without taste is a waste to the plate; a wife without beauty or charm is a waste to the bed.

This is a traditional proverb used to express that things lacking their essential quality or purpose are a burden or a waste. Just as tasteless food makes the act of eating from a plate useless, a marriage lacking attraction or compatibility is seen as dysfunctional in this archaic context. It is often used to emphasize that functionality and quality are vital for value.

The whole village follows one path, while the stubborn stick follows another.

This proverb describes a person who is eccentric, stubborn, or non-conformist. It is used to point out someone who deliberately goes against the majority or refuses to follow common sense and social norms, often acting in a peculiar or contrary manner.

In bad times, even a stick turns into a snake and bites.

This proverb is used to describe a period of misfortune where everything seems to go wrong. It implies that when one is going through a streak of bad luck, even harmless objects or trusted situations can unexpectedly cause harm or turn against them.

If there are no alms for me, never mind, but tie up your dog.

This proverb is used to tell someone that if they cannot help or be generous, they should at least refrain from causing harm or creating obstacles. It is typically applied when someone's interference or negative attitude is more problematic than their lack of assistance.

Said by a beggar.

A bow to you, a bow to your food. Said when offered bad food.

This expression is used when someone is fed up with another person's troublesome behavior or difficult nature. It signifies a desire to cut ties or stay away from them, implying 'I don't want your company, nor do I want to share a meal with you; just leave me alone.'