ఒక ఊరి కాపు ఇంకొక ఊరి మాల

oka uri kapu inkoka uri mala

Translation

A village headman in one village is a commoner in another village.

Meaning

This proverb highlights that one's status, power, or influence is often local and relative. A person who is highly respected or influential in their own familiar surroundings might be treated as a complete stranger or an ordinary person elsewhere. It is used to teach humility and to remind people that their authority has geographical or social limits.

Related Phrases

One person's wealth is the cause of another person's crying.

This expression refers to the envious nature of humans, where someone else's prosperity or success causes jealousy and sorrow in others. It is used to describe the phenomenon of 'Schadenfreude' in reverse or simply pure envy regarding a neighbor's or peer's good fortune.

There are a thousand paths to one village.

This expression means that there are many ways to achieve a goal or solve a problem. It is used to suggest flexibility and that one shouldn't be discouraged if one particular method fails, as alternative approaches exist.

However far this village is from that village, that village is just as far from this village.

This proverb is used to emphasize symmetry, reciprocity, and equality in relationships or situations. It implies that logic, effort, or distance works both ways; if a rule applies to one side, it must equally apply to the other.

A king of one village is a farmer to another village.

This proverb highlights the concept of relative status and humility. It means that power, influence, or status is often local and limited to a specific context; someone who is highly respected or powerful in one place may be just an ordinary person in another environment. It is used to advise against arrogance.

A landlord in one village is a common laborer in another.

This proverb highlights the relativity of social status and power. It signifies that someone who is influential or wealthy in their own domain may hold no special status or might even be treated as an ordinary servant in an unfamiliar place. It is used to teach humility or to describe someone losing their authority outside their home territory.

The landlord of that village is a watchman for this village.

This proverb is used to describe a person who held great power or status in one place or time, but holds a very humble or subordinate position in a different context. It highlights the relativity of status and how one's influence is often limited by geography or circumstances.

Just as this village is as far from that village, that village is the same distance from this village.

This proverb is used to illustrate the concept of reciprocity or mutual equality in relationships, situations, or consequences. It suggests that logic, rules, or feelings apply equally to both parties involved, and if one side claims a certain distance or effort, the same applies to the other side.

Just as your village is a certain distance from mine, my village is the same distance from yours.

This expression is used to highlight symmetry, reciprocity, or mutual consequences in a relationship. It serves as a reminder that respect, effort, or hostility works both ways. If one person maintains a distance or an attitude, the other person is likely to do the same.

The village headman of this village is a common farmhand in the next village.

This expression highlights how status is relative and context-dependent. A person who is highly respected or powerful in their own domain might be considered insignificant or a subordinate in a different environment where they lack authority or recognition.

When a peer wore a gold border, the village woman hanged herself.

This proverb describes extreme envy and unhealthy competition. It is used to mock someone who tries to imitate others' prosperity beyond their means or feels so much jealousy toward a peer's success that they resort to self-destruction or extreme frustration.