పాలే చూడనా భాండాన్ని చూడనా

pale chudana bhandanni chudana

Translation

Should I look at the milk or the vessel?

Meaning

This expression describes a dilemma where one has to choose between preserving the quality of the contents (the goal) and the integrity of the container (the means/tool). It is used when a person is confused between two equally important or conflicting priorities, or when trying to handle a situation where fixing one thing might damage another.

Related Phrases

See the wonder, the ant has laid an egg; see the deception, the booraka fish has laid eggs.

This expression is used to mock people who tell tall tales or exaggerate trivial events as if they are miraculous. It highlights how minor or common occurrences are sometimes presented as extraordinary feats to deceive or impress the gullible.

A field not watched by the owner is a loss no matter how much it grows.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of personal supervision in business or any undertaking. It implies that without the owner's direct oversight, resources are likely to be wasted, mismanaged, or stolen, leading to failure despite apparent growth or potential.

A field not watched by its owner goes to ruin.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of personal supervision. It suggests that if a person does not personally oversee their own business, property, or affairs, they are bound to fail or suffer loss due to neglect or mismanagement by others.

Land donation if one lives, cow donation if one dies.

This proverb refers to someone who is in a critical, life-threatening situation where they are making desperate promises or sacrifices regardless of the outcome. It is often used to describe a 'win-win' situation for a priest or a middleman who benefits from a person's rituals whether they survive (through land offerings) or pass away (through cow offerings for the soul's journey).

One must see by traveling along or by living together in the same house.

This proverb suggests that to truly understand someone's character, personality, or habits, you must either travel with them for a long distance or live under the same roof. It emphasizes that superficial acquaintance is not enough to judge a person.

One should see a son-in-law at his mother-in-law's house and a bull in a castor field.

This proverb highlights situations where an individual feels overly comfortable and entitled. Just as a bull thrives and roams freely in a field of castor plants (which are difficult to clear), a son-in-law is often pampered, prioritized, and treated with excessive hospitality at his in-laws' place. It is used to describe someone enjoying a position of prestige or being the center of attention.

While looking and looking, the horse became a donkey.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where something that was initially perceived as high quality, valuable, or promising gradually deteriorates or reveals its true, inferior nature over time. It can also refer to a project or task that started with great ambition but ended with a poor or disappointing result due to neglect or poor management.

Should I look at the milk or the vessel?

This expression is used to describe a dilemma where one must choose between the quality of the content and the appearance of the container. It is often applied to situations where someone is stuck between focusing on the value of a person or object versus their external flaws or surroundings.

A child who doesn't see their mother's face is like a crop that doesn't see the rain.

This proverb highlights the essential nature of a mother's care and rain for survival and growth. Just as a crop cannot flourish or survive without rain, a child suffers and cannot thrive without the nurturing presence and affection of a mother. It is used to describe situations of extreme deprivation or the lack of a fundamental life-sustaining element.

Are we to look at milk or at the pot? The pot is only valued for the milk in it. The jewel is not to be valued for the cabinet.

This expression is used when someone is in a dilemma or a state of confusion between two tasks or priorities, implying that they cannot focus on one thing without worrying about the other. It describes a situation where a person is overwhelmed by multiple responsibilities.