పేదవాడి పెళ్ళాం ఊరికంతా వదిన

pedavadi pellam urikanta vadina

Translation

A poor man's wife is a sister-in-law to the whole village.

Meaning

This proverb highlights how people tend to take liberties with those who lack social or financial standing. Just as a 'Vadina' (sister-in-law) is someone one can joke with or command in a traditional family, a poor person's family is often treated with a lack of respect or boundaries by everyone in society because they lack the power to protest.

Related Phrases

Do not follow a person in debt, nor a person wearing sandals.

This proverb warns against following people who might cause trouble or leave you behind. A debtor might flee suddenly to escape creditors, leading you into their mess, while someone with sandals can walk faster through rough terrain, potentially leaving you stranded or forcing you to keep an unsustainable pace.

The wife of a man who goes to war is destined to be a widow sooner or later.

This proverb highlights the inherent risks and inevitable consequences of certain dangerous professions or life choices. It suggests that when someone consistently involves themselves in high-risk activities (like war), a negative outcome is not a matter of 'if', but 'when'. It is used to caution people about the predictable end results of risky behavior.

Do not walk behind a debtor or someone wearing sandals.

This proverb warns against following people who are in a hurry or in trouble. A debtor is always running away from creditors, and someone with footwear can walk fast or tread on rough ground where you might not be able to keep up. It is used as a metaphor to advise staying away from people who are either fleeing their responsibilities or have an advantage that might lead you into difficult situations.

There is more love for the one who provides ornaments than for the one who provides the wedding knot.

This proverb is used to criticize people who value material wealth, gifts, or superficial displays of affection over the person who actually provides stability, commitment, and true companionship (like a husband). It highlights human greed or the tendency to favor those who offer temporary luxuries over those who fulfill lifelong responsibilities.

The wife of a forced laborer is a sister-in-law to the entire street.

This proverb describes a situation where someone who is helpless, soft-natured, or lacks social standing is taken advantage of by everyone. Just as a 'Vadina' (sister-in-law) in a traditional sense can be joked with or assigned tasks, it implies that when a person cannot defend their boundaries, the whole community feels entitled to exploit them or treat them with overly familiar authority.

Just don't call me sister-in-law at the brinjal field.

This expression is used to describe hypocritical or opportunistic behavior where someone wants to maintain a formal or respectful relationship in public, but wants to ignore those boundaries or rules when there is a personal gain involved (like stealing brinjals from the field). It highlights the irony of someone setting convenient conditions for their morality.

Each person's madness is their own joy.

This proverb suggests that everyone has their own unique eccentricities, hobbies, or obsessions that might seem irrational to others but bring great satisfaction to themselves. It is used to express that happiness is subjective and one shouldn't judge what makes another person happy, even if it seems foolish.

A madman's wife is common property. The helpless are mocked and ill-treated.

This proverb describes a situation where a person is weak, foolish, or lacks the authority to protect their own interests or family. Because the husband is a fool, the neighbors or community members do not respect his boundaries and treat his wife with over-familiarity or lack of respect, taking undue liberties. It is used to highlight how a lack of personal strength or character leads to others taking advantage of one's household.

A poor man's wife is a sister-in-law to the whole village.

This proverb illustrates how people in power or those with higher social status often take liberties with or lack respect for those who are vulnerable or lack protection. It suggests that when someone is poor or weak, everyone feels entitled to treat them with over-familiarity or disregard their dignity.

A poor man's anger is a harm to his own lip.

This proverb suggests that when a person with no power or resources gets angry, it only ends up hurting them further rather than affecting the person they are angry at. In practical terms, it means that the weak cannot afford to express anger against the strong as it only brings self-destruction or unnecessary trouble to themselves.