పూటకూళ్లమ్మ పుణ్యమెరగదు.

This expression describes a person who is extremely miserly or stingy. It refers to someone who tries to gain credit for being charitable or generous by offering something worthless (like the sour water leftover from soaking tamarind) as if it were a great sacrifice.

This proverb is used to describe a rare or highly unlikely event occurring due to someone's good fortune or virtuous speech. It suggests that when something auspicious happens, even the impossible (like a branch in the west blooming) becomes possible. It is often used to comment on unexpected positive outcomes or the power of kind words.

This proverb highlights the nature of human basic instincts. It means that when a person is consumed by greed or deep desire, they lose their sense of shame or self-respect to achieve it. Similarly, when a person is truly exhausted and needs sleep, they do not care about the quality of the bed or the comfort of the surroundings; they can sleep anywhere.

When sleep overpowers, comfort is not thought of.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person is only a temporary guest or has a limited, immediate interest in something, and therefore should not worry about long-term or large-scale complexities that do not affect them. It is often a retort to someone who is interfering in matters beyond their scope or stay.

This proverb is used to point out that people who are only temporarily involved or have a small stake in a situation should not concern themselves with large-scale or long-term complexities. It suggests that one should focus on their immediate needs or specific role rather than meddling in matters that do not affect them or are beyond their scope.

This proverb refers to someone who is constantly busy with work or a business where certain strict rules or taboos (like ritual purity in a kitchen) are practically impossible to follow. It is used to suggest that for those who serve the public or perform labor-intensive tasks, utility and necessity take precedence over minor formalities.

This proverb highlights how basic human instincts and intense emotions override physical circumstances or social norms. When one is starving, the quality of food doesn't matter; when one is exhausted, the comfort of the bed is irrelevant; and when one is in love, they disregard social embarrassment or shyness.

Hunger is the best sauce.

This expression is used to highlight that charity or hospitality should be done out of genuine kindness rather than for spiritual rewards or out of fear of sin. It suggests that one's character and overall actions matter more than a single act of giving or refusing. It is often used to tell someone not to be too proud of their charity or too judgmental of others' lack thereof.

In Telugu culture, eating on a banana leaf or a stitched leaf plate (vistari) is traditional. This expression highlights the virtue of hospitality; it means that even a small act of providing a plate or assistance to someone in need of food earns one great spiritual merit (punyam), similar to the act of providing the actual meal itself.

This proverb highlights two harsh realities: first, that intense desire or greed often blinds a person to moral or ethical wrongs (doing anything to achieve a goal); second, that a person running a business (like an innkeeper or caterer) is driven by profit and cannot afford to give away food for free or act out of pure merit/charity.