సముద్రం చంకలో పెట్టుకుని, చెలమకు చేయి చాచినట్లు.

samudram chankalo pettukuni, chelamaku cheyi chachinatlu.

Translation

Like having the ocean under one's arm, yet stretching out a hand for a small puddle.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a person who possesses vast resources or great wealth but still begs or seeks help for something insignificant. It highlights the irony of not realizing or utilizing one's own immense potential and instead looking for petty external assistance.

Related Phrases

Swati carries the ocean under her armpit

This proverb is used to describe a person who is extremely efficient, resourceful, or capable of achieving seemingly impossible tasks with ease. It highlights extraordinary skill or the power of specific timing (referring to the Swati Nakshatram/star) where a small effort leads to a massive result.

Like birds flocking to a small pool of water.

This expression is used to describe a situation where people naturally gravitate towards a source of profit, help, or abundance. Just as birds gather at a 'chelama' (a small pit of water dug in a dried-up riverbed) during dry times, people flock to those who have wealth or resources.

Like entering a village while carrying a monitor lizard under one's arm.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone intentionally brings a source of trouble, misfortune, or a nuisance into their own environment or home. It refers to a person who creates their own problems by associating with something or someone inherently problematic.

Like going to a wedding while carrying water (neeyi) in one's armpit.

This expression is used to describe a person who carries unnecessary baggage or clings to something burdensome while going to an important or celebratory event. It highlights the absurdity of holding onto something that hinders one's enjoyment or ease during a significant occasion.

Like searching the whole village for a goat kid while holding it under one's arm.

This expression describes a situation where someone is searching frantically for something that is already in their possession or right in front of them. It is used to mock absent-mindedness or the irony of looking far and wide for a solution that is close at hand.

Like carrying a cat under the arm while going to a wedding

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone brings along an unnecessary burden or an unlucky distraction that ruins an important or auspicious occasion. It highlights the foolishness of creating complications for oneself when things should be simple and celebratory.

Is the sea near to a frog in a well ? Applied to a clumsy fellow.

This proverb is used to describe a person with a narrow perspective or limited knowledge who thinks their small world is everything. It highlights how someone with restricted experience cannot comprehend the vastness or complexity of the real world, much like a frog that believes its well is the entire universe.

Like entering a village while carrying a monitor lizard under one's arm.

This proverb is used to describe someone who knowingly or unknowingly brings a source of misfortune, bad luck, or a huge problem into their own home or community. In Telugu folklore, carrying a monitor lizard (udumu) is traditionally considered a bad omen that brings ruin to the place it enters.

Like rain falling into the ocean

This expression is used to describe an action that is redundant, useless, or has no significant impact because it is being added to something that is already vast or abundant. Just as rain does not change the level of the sea, a small contribution or help given to someone who already has everything is considered pointless.

He stretches out his legs towards the cemetery, and stretches out his hand for food. Greedy to the last.

This proverb describes an elderly or frail person who is very close to death (one foot in the grave) but still possesses a strong desire for worldly pleasures or food. It is used to highlight the irony of human greed or the will to live even in the final stages of life.