ఒకనాడు ధారణ, ఒకనాడు పారణ

This proverb describes a lifestyle of extreme inconsistency or instability, often referring to a person's financial state or food availability. 'Dharana' refers to a ritual fast or restraint, while 'Parana' refers to breaking the fast with a meal. It is used to describe someone who is rich one day and poor the next, or a situation that fluctuates between scarcity and abundance.

This expression describes someone who claims to be an expert in everything but lacks true focus or mastery in a specific trade. It refers to a person who tries to perform multiple roles (like a village head or accountant—Karanum) such as supervising livestock, managing communications, and bookkeeping, often used to mock someone who meddles in every task without doing any properly.

This expression is used when someone who has worked hard feels insulted or undervalued when they receive the same reward or treatment as someone who did nothing but talk. It highlights the injustice of equal pay or credit for unequal effort.

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.

This expression warns about the consequences of overindulgence. It implies that if you feast excessively today, you will have to take medicine for health issues tomorrow. It is used to advise moderation in eating and lifestyle habits.

This expression describes the unpredictable nature of life, especially regarding financial or food security. 'Dharana' refers to fasting or self-restraint (often due to lack), while 'Parana' refers to the meal that breaks a fast or a feast. It is used to describe someone whose circumstances fluctuate between periods of scarcity and abundance, or simply the ups and downs of life's fortunes.

A precarious subsistence. Change of fortune is the lot of life. To-day a king, to-morrow nothing. (French.)

This is a traditional agricultural proverb. It means that rainfall occurring during the Bharani period (a specific period in the lunar calendar) is highly beneficial for crops, leading to a bountiful harvest across the land.

This proverb highlights a situation where one person's gain or pleasure results in another's suffering or loss. It is used to describe zero-sum games or exploitative situations where the benefit of the powerful inherently involves the destruction of the weak.

This proverb emphasizes the social stigma and loss of self-respect associated with a man living off his wife's wealth or dowry (Aranam). It suggests that for a man with dignity, death is preferable to the humiliation of being dependent on his in-laws' property or a dowry-based lifestyle.

This expression highlights the consequence of overindulgence. It suggests that if you indulge in a lavish feast or overeat today, you will likely end up taking medicine for health issues tomorrow. It serves as a warning for moderation in eating habits.

One day favor, one day disfavor. To-day in finery, to-morrow in filth. (German.)