శంకినీ జాతి పాతివ్రత్యం

This proverb describes setting an impossible or rigged task as a test of someone's character or ability. An unbaked clay pot (pachikunda) will naturally dissolve or leak when water is poured into it, regardless of the person's virtue. It is used when someone is being unfairly tested or when the failure of a task is inevitable due to the tools provided.

This proverb is used to describe highly contradictory or impossible situations. It highlights the hypocrisy of someone claiming to possess a virtue or a lifestyle that is completely inconsistent with their environment or profession. Just as one cannot maintain a private, peaceful family life in the middle of a noisy, public market, it is considered ironic for a sex worker to claim the traditional virtues of a 'pativrata' (a chaste, devoted wife).

This expression emphasizes that just as dietary restrictions (pathyam) are essential for medicine to be effective, honesty and truthfulness are essential for words to have value and credibility. It is used to highlight the importance of integrity in communication.

According to ancient classifications of women (Shastra), a Padmini represents the highest ideal of grace and virtue, while a Shankhini represents a harsh or argumentative nature. This expression is used to question how someone with a naturally difficult or inferior character could suddenly exhibit noble or sophisticated traits. It is often used sarcastically to point out that one's true nature cannot be easily hidden or changed.

This is a sarcastic or idiomatic expression used to describe someone who pretends to be extremely virtuous, modest, or disciplined on the outside but lacks those qualities in reality. It is often used to mock hypocritical behavior or someone putting on an act of excessive righteousness.

This expression is used to describe a person who appears physically large, strong, or imposing (like the 'Hastini' category of women in classical literature) but possesses a petty, narrow-minded, or troublesome character (associated with the 'Sankhini' category). It highlights the irony of a person's behavior not matching their outward stature or noble birth.

This proverb is used to describe a person who claims to be virtuous or disciplined only because they no longer have the capacity or opportunity to be otherwise. It suggests that some people's 'goodness' is merely a result of their circumstances or age, rather than a genuine choice. It is often used sarcastically to call out hypocrisy in those who act righteous after their prime years of mischief.

This expression emphasizes that truth always triumphs in the end, providing strength and confidence, whereas lies lead to constant anxiety and the fear of being caught. It is used to encourage honesty as a path to a fearless life.

This proverb is used to mock someone who suddenly adopts moral values or strict discipline in their old age after having lived an irresponsible or immoral life in their youth. It describes hypocrisy or a late-life conversion to virtue that lacks true merit because the person no longer has the opportunity or strength to commit the sins they once did.

This proverb is used to describe someone who takes personal credit for an outcome that was actually a result of pure luck or external circumstances. It mocks people who boast about their greatness or 'powers' when they have done something foolish or risky and happened to succeed by chance.