పుట్టిన ఇన్నాళ్లకు పురుషుడు యజ్ఞం చేశాడు

puttina innallaku purushudu yajnyam cheshadu

Translation

After living for so many years the man performed a sacrifice. Good luck comes at last. Fortune knocks once at least at every man's gate. Fortune is like the market, where if you bide your time, the price will fall.

Meaning

This expression is used sarcastically to describe someone who has finally completed a task or achieved something after an incredibly long delay or a lifetime of procrastination. It highlights that the action, while positive, took an unnecessarily long time to occur.

Related Phrases

Like performing a sacred ritual only to reveal one's adultery.

This proverb describes a situation where someone performs a grand, virtuous, or public act, but in the process, accidentally exposes their own hidden flaws, wrongdoings, or secrets. It is used when a person's attempt to gain fame or merit backfires by bringing their scandals to light.

Impurity (Purudu) at birth.

This phrase refers to the traditional period of ritual impurity observed by a family after a child is born. In a broader philosophical context, it is often paired with 'Chachinappudu sutakam' (ritual impurity at death) to signify that life is bookended by ceremonies and certain constraints, or to imply that every beginning has its own set of initial challenges or obligations.

If the man grows strong, the son becomes powerful.

This expression suggests that a child's success, character, and strength are often built upon the foundation, hard work, and virtues of the father. It is used to imply that the prosperity of the next generation is a direct reflection of the predecessor's efforts.

He watched [ the field ] until the harvest, and then let it go to the jackals.

This expression describes a situation where someone puts in immense hard work and care into a project or task for a long time, only to lose everything or have it wasted at the very last moment due to negligence or bad luck. It is used to express frustration over wasted effort.

If there is no Brahman within a hundred miles, I'll conduct the sacrifice. An ignorant professor gets on well in the absence of the learned.

This expression is used to describe someone who makes grand, empty promises or boasts about doing something difficult only when they are certain that the necessary conditions or resources (in this case, a priest) are unavailable. It highlights hypocrisy or a lack of genuine intent to follow through.

A man is judged by his appearance, a son is obtained by one's merit.

This proverb suggests that while a man's worth is often superficially judged by his looks or conduct, having a virtuous son is considered a result of one's past good deeds or spiritual merit (Punya). It is used to emphasize that some blessings in life are rewards for one's character and actions.

If Shiva is a man, would he be caught by women?

This expression is often used to highlight that even the most powerful or disciplined individuals (like Lord Shiva) have weaknesses or can be influenced by certain forces. In a broader context, it implies that certain outcomes are inevitable or that no one is entirely immune to nature or destiny.

A husband according to the worship [ of the wife ], a son according to the good works [ of the father ].

This proverb suggests that the quality of one's life partners and children is a result of one's past deeds, character, and spiritual merit. It is used to imply that the rewards or the caliber of people in one's life are proportionate to the effort and virtue one has cultivated.

An ox with a caught leg - a man who has lost his wife.

This proverb highlights a state of helplessness and loss of productivity. An ox with a leg injury is useless for farming, and similarly, in a traditional context, a widower is depicted as being lost or unable to manage his household and life effectively without his partner.

Among men, virtuous men are distinct.

This expression is a famous line from Yogi Vemana's poems. It signifies that while all humans may look alike on the outside, virtuous or noble people stand apart due to their character and actions, just as a swan is distinguished from a crow or a gemstone from common pebbles.