పత్తిగింజలు తింటావా బసవన్నా అంటే ఆహా అన్నాడట, గింజల గంత కట్టనా బసవన్నా అంటే ఊహూ అన్నాడట

pattiginjalu tintava basavanna ante aha annadata, ginjala ganta kattana basavanna ante uhu annadata

Translation

When asked, 'Will you eat cotton seeds, Basavanna?', he said 'Aha!' (Yes); when asked, 'Shall I tie the bag of seeds to you, Basavanna?', he said 'Oohu' (No).

Meaning

This proverb describes someone who is eager to enjoy the benefits or rewards of a task but is unwilling to take on the labor or responsibility associated with it. It is used to mock people who want freebies but refuse to work for them.

Related Phrases

When asked 'Shall I tie a blindfold, Basavanna?', he said 'No', but when asked 'Will you eat boiled grains?', he said 'Yes'.

This proverb is used to describe a person who avoids hard work or responsibility but is the first one to show up for benefits or food. It highlights opportunism and laziness.

When a man expressed his trust in Râmanna, the latter promised to make him as great a man as himself. Râmanna was really a beggar though pretending to be a great man.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone's trust or reliance on another person results in them being dragged down to that person's level of misfortune or mediocrity. It warns about trusting people who are in a bad state themselves, as they might end up making your situation as bad as theirs.

When Basavanna was asked if he would eat cotton seed, he said "Âhâ"; when Basavanna was asked whether he would have on the pack saddle he said "Uhû."

This proverb describes a person who is eager to accept benefits or rewards but refuses to do the associated work or take on responsibilities. It is used to mock people who want the perks without the effort.

Basavanna is the name of a bull sacred to Siva. Bullocks are often familiarly called by this name. Âhâ is an exclamation signifying consent. Uhâ signifies refusal.

If one says 'Thoo' (spit/insult), the other said 'Bala' (excellent/good).

This proverb is used to describe a person who is shameless or lacks self-respect. It refers to someone who takes an insult or a criticism as a compliment, often due to thick-skinned behavior or a refusal to acknowledge their mistakes.

When asked 'Uncle, will you eat some owa (ajwain)?', he replied 'If there is space for a single grain of owa, wouldn't I eat a whole vada instead?'

This proverb is used to describe a person who is extremely greedy or has a very large appetite. It highlights a situation where someone is so full or overwhelmed but still looks for a way to consume more of something substantial (like a vada) rather than something small (like owa/ajwain), showing their insatiable nature.

Like a sacred bull nodding its head to whatever 'Dudu Basavanna' says.

This expression is used to describe a person who mindlessly agrees with everything someone says without thinking for themselves or questioning the logic. It refers to the 'Gangireddu' (decorated bull) tradition where the bull nods its head to its master's rhythmic commands.

Like asking Basavanna if he wants to eat horse gram and him nodding 'yes'

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is overly eager or gives an immediate, enthusiastic consent to something that is clearly to their benefit. It refers to the bull (Basavanna) who never says no to its favorite food, implying a predictable and self-serving 'yes' without any hesitation.

Like the sacred bull (Basavanna) nodding its head when the master says 'Doo Doo'.

This expression refers to a person who blindly agrees with everything someone says without thinking for themselves or showing any individuality. It describes submissiveness or 'yes-man' behavior, similar to how a decorated performing bull nods its head mechanically to its master's commands.

When I said 'I trust you, Ramanna', it's like you tried to make me just like yourself.

This expression is used when someone exploits or betrays the trust of a person who relied on them for help, often by dragging the victim down to their own miserable level or situation instead of uplifting them. It describes a situation where seeking assistance results in being burdened with the helper's own problems.

Basavanna before Veeranna, Ganesha before Gauri.

This proverb describes a situation where a child or a subordinate is always accompanying or preceding someone, much like Nandi (Basavanna) is always found before Shiva (Veeranna) and Ganesha is associated with Gauri. It is used to describe inseparable duos or when a junior member always tags along with a senior.