సదా కపటమతి దొరంగు మహికాంతులకేడ పరోపకారముల్.

sada kapatamati dorangu mahikantulakeda paropakaramul.

Translation

How can kings who always possess a deceitful mind ever perform acts of charity for others?

Meaning

This expression is used to describe hypocritical leaders or individuals in power who lack genuine empathy. It suggests that those who are fundamentally dishonest or selfishly motivated are incapable of selfless service or helping society, even if they pretend to do so.

Related Phrases

[Where] the servant [is] without pay the master [must be] without anger.

This proverb highlights a situation that is ideal but often unrealistic or ineffective. It suggests that a servant working for free and a boss who never gets angry are both rarities that may lack the necessary discipline or structure required for a formal relationship. It can also imply that certain roles require specific traits to be functional.

Like harm following a gesture of help

This proverb is used when a person's attempt to do a good deed or help someone results in unexpected negative consequences or trouble for themselves. It describes situations where kindness is met with ingratitude or accidental misfortune.

Anger is a cause of sin.

This expression highlights that anger often leads people to commit wrongful or sinful acts that they might later regret. It is used as a piece of advice to encourage self-control and emotional regulation, suggesting that one should stay calm to avoid negative consequences.

Anger is a sworn enemy. Anger is the fever and frenzy of the soul.

The pot goes 'tangu-tangu', the brass vessel goes 'kangu-kangu'

This expression uses onomatopoeia to highlight the difference in value, sound, and durability between objects or people. While a clay pot (cheap/fragile) makes a dull sound, a metal vessel (expensive/strong) makes a resonant, clear sound. It is used to compare the quality or character of two different things, suggesting that true value or merit makes its presence known clearly.

Immediately after doing good, I received an ill return. Base ingratitude.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone's attempt to help or do a good deed backfires, resulting in trouble or an ungrateful response from the recipient. It is similar to the English saying 'No good deed goes unpunished.'

If I had even that much, wouldn't I live with stacks of pots?

This proverb is used to point out a lack of basic resources or means. It implies that if the speaker had even a small amount of what is being discussed, they would have managed to live a much better or settled life. It is often used as a sarcastic retort when someone suggests a solution that requires resources the person simply does not possess.

The fasting of a python

This expression refers to a state of forced or involuntary fasting where one stays in one place without making an effort to find food, waiting for it to come to them. It is used to describe extreme laziness or a situation where someone remains inactive while waiting for resources or opportunities to arrive by chance, much like a python that stays still for long periods.

Like receiving harm when going to do a favor.

This expression is used when a person's good intentions or helpful actions result in an unexpected negative outcome or trouble for themselves. It describes a situation where someone tries to help others but ends up being blamed, criticized, or harmed in return.

If I had so much, would I not live with piles of pots?

This expression is used to highlight a lack of basic resources. It implies that if a person had even a small amount of wealth or the necessary means, they would have lived much better or managed things more efficiently. It is often a sarcastic or defensive reply when someone asks why a person isn't doing more with their life or home.

Like a great monkey wandering from tree to tree

This expression describes a person who is restless, fickle, or constantly shifting from one thing to another without focus. It is often used to characterize someone who lacks stability in their thoughts or actions, much like a monkey that cannot stay on one branch for long.