పనికిమాలిన తొత్తుకు బత్తెము చేటు

panikimalina tottuku battemu chetu

Translation

Rations are a waste for a useless servant

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a situation where resources, time, or money are wasted on someone who is incompetent, lazy, or does not contribute anything of value. It implies that providing maintenance or rewards to an unproductive person is a total loss.

Related Phrases

Work that is said to be impossible is for a king; work that is said to be easy is for a servant.

This expression highlights the difference in attitude towards challenges. It suggests that a person with a noble or 'kingly' mindset takes on difficult, high-stakes tasks that others deem impossible, whereas a servant-like mindset only seeks out easy, routine tasks that require no great effort or risk. It is used to inspire someone to take on challenges or to criticize someone who only wants easy work.

The fruit depends on the tree - the harvest depends on the field.

This proverb is used to explain that the quality of an outcome or offspring depends on its origin or upbringing. Similar to 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree,' it suggests that results are proportional to the source's nature or the effort invested in the foundation.

The mistress has no blanket, but the maidservant has a crimson silk saree.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone in a subordinate or less deserving position possesses luxuries while the person in charge or the more deserving one lacks even basic necessities. It highlights irony, misplaced priorities, or a reversal of status where an undeserving person shows off more than their superior.

Destiny is written based on actions.

This expression means that one's future or fate is determined by their own deeds and conduct. It is used to emphasize personal responsibility and the law of karma, suggesting that if you do good, good things will happen to you in the future.

Market provisions and well water.

This expression refers to a situation where a person is living a temporary or transient lifestyle without a permanent home or establishment. It is often used to describe people who rely on bought food and public resources rather than a settled domestic life, or to highlight a hand-to-mouth existence where one lacks long-term security.

Wife's property is at the mercy of the mother-in-law.

This expression highlights a domestic power dynamic where, despite something belonging to the wife, the mother-in-law exercises ultimate control or authority over it. It is used to describe situations where someone else dictates how your own possessions or rights are used.

The fruit is like the tree.

This expression means that the quality or nature of something is determined by its origin or source. It is often used to describe how children inherit traits from their parents or how the outcome of a task depends on the quality of the initial effort. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree'.

The fruit depends on the tree

Like father, like son; or the quality of a product depends on its source. It is used to suggest that the nature or character of a person or thing is determined by its origin or upbringing.

A slave serving under another slave

This expression describes a situation where a person is forced to serve or obey someone who is themselves subordinate or lacks any real authority. It is used to mock a double-layered hierarchy of servitude or a situation that is particularly humiliating because the person in charge has no real power of their own.

A servant under a servant

This expression describes a situation where someone is subordinate to an individual who is themselves in a lowly or subservient position. It highlights an extreme lack of authority or a hierarchy of servitude, often used to mock someone who is at the absolute bottom of a social or organizational ladder.