రండ ముదిరితే రంగసాని, తొండ ముదిరితే ఊసరవెల్లి

randa mudirite rangasani, tonda mudirite usaravelli

Translation

A widow becoming a courtesan as she ages is like a garden lizard becoming a chameleon as it matures.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe how people or situations can change into more cunning, complex, or undesirable forms over time or with experience. It suggests that certain negative traits or circumstances tend to evolve into more sophisticated versions of themselves rather than improving.

Related Phrases

If the aim is fixed, the character will be settled.

This expression suggests that having a clear goal or focus in life naturally leads to discipline and good character. When one is dedicated to a specific purpose, their behavior and attributes align to achieve it.

Like a garden lizard maturing into a chameleon.

This proverb describes a situation where someone's negative traits or cunning nature have worsened or intensified over time. It is used to refer to an individual who has transitioned from being a small-time troublemaker to a highly deceptive or dangerous person.

When black matures, it becomes white.

This expression is used to describe the aging process, specifically referring to how black hair eventually turns white as one gets older. It highlights the inevitability of aging and the transition into the senior stages of life.

When detachment becomes extreme, even a courtesan is equal to one's mother.

This expression refers to a state of total renunciation or disillusionment with worldly desires. It implies that when a person reaches a peak level of detachment (vairagya), they no longer view others through the lens of lust or social labels, treating everyone with the same respect or neutrality as they would their own mother. It is often used to describe someone who has completely lost interest in material or carnal pleasures.

If a fox ages/matures, it becomes a 'vadu' (cunning man); if a garden lizard ages/matures, it becomes a chameleon.

This expression is used to describe how people or situations evolve into more extreme or devious versions of themselves. It suggests that with age or experience, a person's inherent traits (especially negative ones like cunningness or fickleness) become more pronounced and refined. It is often used to mock someone who has become increasingly manipulative or prone to changing their stance.

An aging bachelor, an overripe okra, and an aging prostitute are of no use.

This is a traditional Telugu proverb used to describe things or people that lose their value, utility, or charm once they pass their prime. Just as an overripe okra becomes too fibrous to cook, certain roles or states of being become problematic or ineffective if they persist too long beyond their ideal time.

If the juice/essence deepens it becomes a melody; if the syrup matures it becomes a song.

This expression highlights that true art and beauty emerge from maturity and intensity. Just as a melody is formed when an emotion (rasam) reaches its peak, and a song becomes sweet like a thick syrup (pakam) when boiled to perfection, excellence in any field is achieved through depth and refinement over time.

If a garden lizard matures, it becomes a chameleon; if a shepherd matures, he becomes a monk.

This proverb highlights how people's nature or professional identity changes as they grow older or more experienced. It suggests that with age and experience, individuals often undergo a transformation into a more complex or refined version of themselves, similar to how a common lizard is perceived to change into a more specialized chameleon.

The dancer is the queen, and the queen is the dancer.

This expression is used to describe a situation where roles or statuses are reversed or become indistinguishable. It signifies that someone in a high position is behaving like a commoner (or vice versa), or more commonly, it refers to an environment where there is no discipline or order, and everyone acts according to their whims regardless of their actual status.

The Tonda grew old, and became an Usaravilli.

This expression is used to describe a situation where a minor problem or a simple person evolves into something much more complex, cunning, or dangerous. It often refers to someone becoming more deceptive or manipulative as they gain experience or grow older.

Tonda is a bloodsucker ( chameleon ) which when old is called Usaravilli. Vice growing with age.