పండుకున్నమ్మకు ఒకటే కూర, అడుక్కుతినే అమ్మకు ఆరు కూరలు

pandukunnammaku okate kura, adukkutine ammaku aru kuralu

Translation

The woman who sleeps has only one curry, while the woman who begs has six curries.

Meaning

This proverb highlights that laziness leads to limited options and poverty, whereas those who are active, even in humble tasks, often find more variety and abundance. It is used to mock someone who is too lazy to work for their own livelihood and contrasts them with those who are resourceful or hardworking.

Related Phrases

Like a pilgrim visiting the house of a beggar.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone who is already in a miserable or poor condition is visited by someone else who is equally or even more destitute, looking for help. It highlights the irony of seeking assistance from someone who has nothing to give.

The woman who gets startled is often sulky, and the woman with a swelling has more pain.

This proverb describes human nature and physical reality. It implies that a person with a guilty conscience or a sensitive nature is easily offended or reactive (sulky), just as a person with a physical ailment (like a boil or swelling) naturally feels more pain. It is often used to describe someone who reacts defensively or takes offense easily because they know they are in the wrong or are overly sensitive.

Age is crunchy, duck is crunchy.

This expression is used to describe the vigor and energy of youth. It implies that during one's prime age, even a tough or 'crunchy' meat like duck can be easily digested and enjoyed. It signifies that everything seems favorable and manageable when one is young and healthy.

For the mother who begs her food, there are sixty-six curries; for the mother who cooks her own, there is only one curry.

This proverb highlights how some people find it easier to depend on others' resources rather than their own hard work. It illustrates that a beggar receives variety by collecting bits from many houses, while someone who works hard and cooks for themselves might have a simpler but more dignified and certain meal. It is often used to comment on the irony of someone who doesn't work appearing to have more options or variety than a hard worker.

Will the lady who came to the village not come to the well for water?

This proverb is used to describe a situation that is inevitable or bound to happen. Just as a woman visiting a village will eventually need to go to the communal water source, a person involved in a particular situation will eventually have to face its natural consequences or perform the expected next steps.

The lady who has daughters is given a chair, but the lady who has sons has to lean against the wall.

This traditional proverb highlights the cultural observation that daughters often provide better care, comfort, and emotional support to their parents in old age compared to sons. While sons were traditionally preferred for lineage, the saying suggests that daughters ensure their mother sits comfortably (chairs), whereas sons might leave her with no place but the outside of the house (eaves).

The woman who has gives to the woman who has; the woman who has not also gives to the woman who has.

This proverb describes a social irony where resources or gifts tend to flow towards those who are already wealthy or powerful, rather than to those in need. It highlights that everyone seeks to please the rich, while the poor are often ignored or even forced to give up what little they have to those above them.

It's the same whether you sleep there or on the floor near the teacher!

This expression is used to describe a situation where one has no choice or where all available options lead to the same uncomfortable or mediocre outcome. It signifies that regardless of the path taken, the result remains equally unsatisfactory or unchanged.

Chairs and stools for the mother of daughters; wall corners for the mother of sons.

This traditional proverb highlights the observation that daughters often take better care of their aging parents with comfort and respect (represented by chairs), whereas sons may neglect them or leave them with no proper place to stay (represented by the eaves of a wall or corners of a house).

The woman who serves food is better than the woman who cooks it.

This proverb highlights that execution, presentation, or final delivery is often more recognized or appreciated than the hard work behind the scenes. In a practical sense, it means that even if someone does all the labor (cooking), the person who manages the final distribution or interaction (serving) often gets the credit or gratitude. It is used to describe situations where the person at the final stage of a process holds more influence.