నూటి మట్టుకు నన్ను కాపాడితే, ఆ తరువాత నిన్ను కాపాడుతా

nuti mattuku nannu kapadite, a taruvata ninnu kapaduta

Translation

If you save me until I reach the shore, I will save you thereafter.

Meaning

This proverb refers to a situation where someone makes a self-centered or paradoxical promise. It describes an individual who asks for help to survive a crisis first, claiming they will be in a position to help their savior only after their own safety is secured. It is often used to highlight selfishness or the irony of a weak person promising to protect a stronger one.

Related Phrases

Having only one son is like having only one eye.

This proverb highlights the vulnerability of relying on a single source of support. Just as losing one's only eye results in total blindness, depending solely on one child or a single plan is risky because if that one fails, there is no backup or alternative support system.

Burnt earth will not adhere to unburnt. People in different positions in life cannot be very intimate.

This expression is used to describe two people or entities that are fundamentally incompatible or cannot reconcile their differences. Just as burnt clay/soil loses its binding property and cannot merge with raw, unburnt soil, people with opposing natures or those who have had a major falling out cannot be easily brought back together.

If you nurture me, I will drown you.

This expression refers to a situation where a person helps or supports someone who eventually turns against them or becomes the cause of their downfall. It is often used to describe ungrateful people or dangerous situations where the beneficiary becomes a threat to the benefactor, similar to the concept of 'nurturing a snake'.

If you look after me, I will protect you.

This is a popular Telugu saying often used in the context of money or savings (Dhanam). It suggests that if you manage your resources wisely and take care of your wealth, it will in turn protect you during difficult times or when you are in need.

Save me up to a hundred, and after that I will support you. Money's advice. Take care of the pence, the pounds will take care of themselves.

This is a popular Telugu saying regarding money or savings. It means that if you save and protect your money while it is accumulating, that wealth will eventually grow to a point where it provides financial security and protects you during your difficult times or old age.

He threw mud into the mouth of the jackal. i. e. he cheated him. Said of the surprising recovery of a sick man who had been given up, and whose body it was expected might provide food for the jackals.

This expression is used when someone unexpectedly ruins another person's opportunity or takes away something they were about to enjoy. It describes a situation where a person's expectations or efforts are suddenly thwarted by someone else's interference, leaving them disappointed.

Even if the sky breaks or an eye is lost, you will not stop doing it.

This expression is used to describe an extremely stubborn person or someone who is persistent to a fault. It suggests that regardless of major disasters or personal injury, the individual refuses to change their course of action or stop a specific behavior.

Will the one who protected [you] in the womb not protect [you] in due time?

This is an expression of faith and reassurance. It suggests that since God (or nature) protected a person during their most vulnerable stage inside the mother's womb, they will surely be looked after during difficult times in life. It is used to instill hope and patience during periods of crisis or uncertainty.

One eye is a flower eye, the other eye is a fruit eye.

This expression is used to describe partiality or double standards shown by a person. It refers to a situation where someone treats one person or side with kindness and favor (the soft flower) while treating another with harshness or severity (the hard unripe fruit).

One eye is no eye, one son is no son.

This proverb suggests that relying on a single resource or individual is risky. Just as losing one's only eye leads to total blindness, depending on an only child (or a single point of failure) leaves one vulnerable. It is used to emphasize the importance of backups, security, or having multiple supports in life.