పాలు పిండగలముగాని, తిరిగి చంటిలోకి ఎక్కించగలమా?

This proverb highlights that while external force or authority can compel a person to perform physical actions or rituals (like holding one's nose during prayer), it cannot force genuine devotion, belief, or speech from the heart. It is used to suggest that true willingness and internal conviction cannot be coerced by outside pressure.

This expression highlights the limits of control and coercion. While you can force someone to perform an external action or follow a rule, you cannot control their internal thoughts, imagination, or true desires. It is often used to emphasize that genuine inspiration or vision cannot be forced.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone has been so thoroughly deceived by another person's sweet talk or false pretenses that they have made a grave, irreversible mistake or a massive sacrifice, only to be left with nothing. It highlights the foolishness of trusting manipulative words over reality.

This expression is used to describe a person who does not understand instructions properly or takes an unnecessarily long and round-about way to do a simple task. It highlights inefficiency or foolishness in following directions.

This proverb highlights the complexity and unpredictability of human nature. While physical depths like a well can be measured or observed, it is impossible to truly know or measure what is hidden within a person's heart or thoughts. It is often used to express caution about trusting people's outward appearances or to remark on someone's surprising behavior.

This is the Telugu equivalent of the English proverb 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.' It signifies that you can provide someone with an opportunity or guidance, but you cannot force them to take action or benefit from it if they are unwilling.

This proverb is used to describe a person who has the capacity to cause destruction or ruin a plan, but lacks the skill or intention to handle the consequences or perform the task constructively. It highlights that creating a mess is easy, but managing the outcome requires a different set of abilities.

This proverb highlights that certain people are always busy. A person with a physical itch is constantly occupied scratching it, while a gardener is perpetually busy tending to plants. In a broader sense, it refers to people who either have constant problems to fix or those who are so dedicated to their work/hobbies that they never find free time.

This proverb is used to emphasize that once a word is spoken or a secret is leaked, it is impossible to take it back or undo the damage, no matter how small it was. It highlights the importance of being careful with one's speech and actions because while it is easy to release something, it is impossible to restore the original state.

This proverb suggests that success begins at home. If a person cannot manage their own domestic affairs or earn the respect of their family, they are unlikely to succeed in public life or handle community matters effectively.