నీరులేని ఊరు, దేవుడు లేని ఊరు ఉన్నా ఒకటే లేకున్నా ఒకటే!

niruleni uru, devudu leni uru unna okate lekunna okate!

Translation

A village without water and a village without a god are the same whether they exist or not.

Meaning

This proverb emphasizes that water is as fundamental to life as faith or spiritual guidance is to a community. It suggests that a village lacking basic necessities (water) or moral/spiritual foundations (a temple/god) is effectively uninhabitable and serves no purpose, rendering its existence meaningless.

Related Phrases

When told that the people of that village won't come to this village, the people of this village said they won't go to that village either.

This expression is used to describe a situation of mutual stubbornness or reciprocal indifference. It highlights a tit-for-tat attitude where one party refuses to cooperate or show interest simply because the other party did the same first. It is often used to mock petty pride or a lack of initiative in resolving conflicts.

A guest who has lost her dignity stays the same whether she is at her mother-in-law's house or her mother's house!

This proverb describes a situation where a person has lost their respect or status to such an extent that their location or surroundings no longer matter. It is used to point out that once a person's reputation is ruined or they have become shameless, they will be treated with the same indifference or contempt everywhere.

My useless husband being in the village or being in the army is one and the same.

This proverb describes a person who is so incompetent or lazy that their presence or absence makes no difference. It is used to mock someone whose contribution to a task or society is nil, regardless of the situation they are in.

Whether a blind eye is closed or open, it is all the same.

This expression is used to describe a person or a thing that is completely useless or ineffective. It suggests that the presence or absence of certain actions/tools doesn't matter when the core functionality is missing. It is often used to refer to someone who is indifferent to what is happening around them or an effort that yields no result regardless of the approach.

Whether there are three hundred and sixty-four knots of hair or thirty-six small buns, it is all the same.

This expression is used to describe a situation where there is no real difference between the choices or outcomes presented, despite how they are counted or categorized. It implies that a large quantity of something disorganized or fragmented is ultimately equal to a smaller quantity of something similarly messy; basically saying 'it's all the same mess' or 'six of one, half a dozen of the other'.

Whether an old cow's dung is still inside it or in the shed, it is all the same.

This proverb refers to someone or something that has become so old or useless that their actions, presence, or contributions no longer make any practical difference to the situation. It is used to describe a state of total insignificance or irrelevance.

It is the same whether it is in the udder or in the pot.

This expression refers to a state of complacency or lack of urgency regarding a resource that is already secured or 'at hand'. It is used to describe a situation where one feels there is no difference between a resource being in its source (like milk in an udder) or collected (like milk in a pot), implying that since it belongs to them, they can access it whenever they want, often leading to laziness or delayed action.

Guntur tobacco is the same whether it is in the niche or in the mouth.

This proverb highlights the extremely strong and pungent nature of Guntur tobacco. It suggests that its presence is so powerful that its smell or effect is felt regardless of whether it is stored away or being consumed. In a broader sense, it refers to something or someone whose influence or reputation is so pervasive that it cannot be ignored, regardless of its position.

It's the same whether you sleep there or on the floor near the teacher!

This expression is used to describe a situation where one has no choice or where all available options lead to the same uncomfortable or mediocre outcome. It signifies that regardless of the path taken, the result remains equally unsatisfactory or unchanged.

The half articulated words [ of children ] are pleasant [ to the ear ] and half pickled vegetables to the taste.

This proverb describes the charm of imperfection or the initial stages of a process. Just as the broken, innocent babbling of a toddler is more delightful to hear than perfect speech, a pickle that is still in the process of marinating (not yet fully fermented) has a unique, appetizing flavor.