రూపం చేత స్త్రీలు, పరాక్రమంచేత పురుషులు రాణింతురు.

rupam cheta strilu, parakramancheta purushulu raninturu.

Translation

Women shine through their beauty, while men shine through their valor.

Meaning

This proverb highlights traditional perceptions of excellence where a woman's grace or beauty and a man's courage or strength are considered their defining qualities. It is used to describe how different virtues bring recognition and success to individuals depending on their nature.

Related Phrases

Light shines better because of darkness

This expression emphasizes that the value of something good is truly appreciated only in the presence or aftermath of something bad. Just as light is most visible and beautiful in the dark, happiness is better understood after experiencing sorrow, or success after failure.

What you do with this hand, you will experience with the other hand.

This expression is similar to 'As you sow, so shall you reap.' It implies that the consequences of one's actions—whether good or bad—will inevitably catch up to them, often sooner than expected. It is used to remind people that their current deeds determine their future outcomes.

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 Mahabharata as large as a winnowing basket.

This expression is used to describe a story, explanation, or document that is unnecessarily long, tedious, or excessively detailed. It compares a small or simple matter to the epic Mahabharata, implying that someone is stretching a simple point into a never-ending saga.

Doing with this hand, and receiving the reward with that. Said of the certain result of either a good or bad deed. As you sow you shall reap. As you make your bed, so you must lie on it.

This proverb refers to the concept of 'Instant Karma'. It describes a situation where the consequences of one's actions (good or bad) follow almost immediately, without much delay. It implies that justice or results are delivered within the same lifetime or very quickly.

In one hand turmeric, in the other hand a hood. Turmeric is much used on auspicious occasions such as marriages. Every woman, except she be a widow, also rubs it daily on her body before bathing. Musuku is the skirt of a woman's cloth thrown over the head ( by widows ) as a hood.

This expression is used to describe an extremely critical or dangerous situation where life and death are equally possible. It is often used in the context of high-risk medical procedures, difficult childbirths, or precarious battles, signifying that while one hand prepares for a celebration or recovery (turmeric), the other prepares for a funeral (shroud).

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.

Women shine through beauty; men shine through valor.

This proverb describes traditional societal attributes associated with excellence in genders, suggesting that a woman's grace or beauty and a man's courage or bravery are their defining strengths.

In Puducherry, the streets are straight but the minds are crooked; A flower is fragrant as soon as it is born.

This is a combination of two distinct expressions. The first part refers to a satirical observation that external order (like straight streets) does not guarantee internal integrity. The second part is a popular proverb used to describe a person whose innate talent or character is evident from childhood or from the very beginning of an endeavor.

Turmeric in one hand, a veil in the other.

This proverb describes a person who displays contradictory behavior or is prepared for two completely opposite situations at once (like a wedding and a funeral). It is used to mock hypocritical behavior or to describe someone who is being extremely cautious or deceptive by keeping both a 'cure' and a 'cover' ready.