రోలు కరువు ఎరుగదు

rolu karuvu erugadu

Translation

The rice mortar feels not the famine.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe something that remains busy or functional regardless of the external situation. Just as a mortar is used to grind grain even during a famine (to process whatever little food is available), certain people or systems continue their routine or extraction despite the hardships around them.

Notes

Some grain or other is always pounded in it. Said of a person who is exempted by his position from the loss which falls upon others, or of one who escapes a general misfortune.

Related Phrases

The potter lacks a pot, and the weaver lacks a cloth.

This proverb describes a paradoxical situation where a professional or skilled worker lacks the very thing they produce for others. It is used to highlight irony, such as a doctor who is always sick or a financial advisor who is broke.

Are there holes unknown to jackals, or anthills to snakes ?

This proverb is used to describe experts or experienced people who are thoroughly familiar with their field. Just as a fox knows every burrow and a cobra knows every anthill, a seasoned professional knows every trick, secret, or detail of their domain. It is often said when someone tries to hide something from an expert or when questioning if an expert could have missed a detail.

Avarice knows not shame; sleep knows not comfort.

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.

A tree knows no drought, and a merchant knows no burden.

This proverb highlights the inherent resilience or nature of certain entities. A tree provides shade and fruit regardless of external conditions, and a savvy merchant (traditionally referred to as Komati) always finds a way to manage their trade or load without feeling the 'weight' or loss. It is used to describe situations where people are naturally equipped to handle specific hardships or roles.

Like the mortar going to the drum to complain about its woes

This expression is used when a person who is already suffering seeks help or sympathy from someone who is suffering even more. While a mortar (rolu) is hit on one side, a drum (maddela) is beaten on both sides, implying that the person being approached has more troubles than the one complaining.

Hunger knows not taste, sleep knows not comfort, lust knows not shame.

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.

The Guruvinda seed knows its redness, but not the blackness of its lower part. A man values himself highly, but does not know his own defects. No one sees his own faults. (German.)

This proverb is used to describe a person who is quick to point out faults in others while being completely oblivious to their own flaws. The Gurivinda seed (Rosary Pea) is bright red and beautiful, but has a distinct black spot at its bottom which it cannot 'see'. It serves as a metaphor for hypocrisy and lack of self-awareness.

A man who has become a Dâsari in middle age, is not punc- tual in his duties. Business habits must be learnt in youth.

This proverb describes a person who has recently acquired wealth, power, or a new status and behaves excessively or without moderation. Just as a new convert might be overly zealous or perform rituals at inappropriate times due to lack of experience, this expression is used to critique someone whose sudden arrogance or behavior is a result of their new, unaccustomed position.

Although the eye does not see, the belly finds. A man's want leads him to seek and find a livelihood. A hungry man sees far. A hungry man discovers more than a hundred lawyers. (Spanish.)

This proverb is used to describe the instinctual bond between a mother and her child. It implies that even if a mother cannot see her child's suffering or needs with her eyes, she can feel them intuitively in her gut or heart. It is often used to emphasize maternal intuition and the deep, invisible connection of parenthood.

Borrowing during a famine

This expression describes a situation where one is forced to seek a loan or credit during a time of extreme scarcity or crisis. It signifies an act of desperation or a burden upon an already struggling person, as borrowing during a famine is difficult to repay and even harder to obtain.