సోమరిపోతుకు సోకు చేస్తే సంతను ఇంటికి రమ్మన్నట్లు

somaripotuku soku cheste santanu intiki rammannatlu

Translation

If you groom a lazy person, it is like asking the entire market to come to your house.

Meaning

This proverb describes the consequences of encouraging or pampering a lazy individual. When you provide luxuries or extra attention to a person who refuses to work, their demands will escalate until it feels as overwhelming as managing a whole marketplace at home. It is used to caution against enabling laziness.

Related Phrases

When a man expressed his trust in Râmanna, the latter promised to make him as great a man as himself. Râmanna was really a beggar though pretending to be a great man.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone's trust or reliance on another person results in them being dragged down to that person's level of misfortune or mediocrity. It warns about trusting people who are in a bad state themselves, as they might end up making your situation as bad as theirs.

One should not trust a person who invites you to a house that has changed (or a person whose nature has changed).

This proverb serves as a warning against trusting people who are inconsistent or who have suddenly changed their behavior or circumstances without a clear reason. It suggests that one should be cautious when someone with a dubious past or an unstable nature suddenly shows unexpected hospitality or friendliness.

Perhaps they'll ask you to dine with Timmanna.

This expression is used sarcastically or humorously when someone receives an unexpected or formal invitation to a place where they expect to be treated with great respect or served a grand meal. It is often used to describe situations where one anticipates being the center of attention or expects a reward for their presence.

Timmanna is a jocose term for a monkey. The boisterous fun at the time of investing a Brahmachâr with the sacerdotal thread is called in joke Timmannabanti, the monkey feast.

The hardship of a lonely person does not reach home.

This expression means that the labor or efforts of a person without a family or support system are often wasted or unacknowledged. In a broader sense, it highlights that when one works only for themselves without anyone to share the benefits or the burden, the true value of that work is lost.

Like saying 'I was invited to Thimmanna's feast'

This expression is used to describe a person who behaves with excessive entitlement or self-importance at an event just because they were invited. It highlights the irony of someone acting like they are the guest of honor or the owner of the place when they are just one of many invitees.

As if possessed by an evil spirit or celestial influence

This expression is used to describe a person who is acting strangely, stubbornly, or behaving in an irrational and unpredictable manner. In traditional belief, 'Gaamu' refers to a malefic planetary influence or a spirit. It is commonly used to critique someone's sudden negative change in behavior or their persistent bad mood.

The progeny of Kuchela

This expression is used to describe a very large number of children in a single family. It refers to the mythological figure Kuchela (Sudama), a childhood friend of Lord Krishna, who was famously poor and lived with his wife and twenty-seven children.

Partnership with a washerman or a barber results in no seed coming home.

This proverb highlights that partnering with people who are constantly wandering from house to house or who do not have a stake in agricultural production leads to a lack of savings or harvest. It is used to suggest that one should choose business partners whose interests and professional habits align with the goal of the venture, otherwise, the resources will be squandered or mismanaged.

A lazy person has many vanities.

This proverb is used to describe a person who avoids hard work but spends a lot of time and effort on their appearance, fashion, or external luxuries. It highlights the irony of someone lacking productivity while being overly concerned with style or comfort.

As though possessed of a devil.

This expression is used to describe a person who is acting strangely, sitting silently/moodily, or behaving as if they are possessed or under a dark spell. It refers to the astrological or superstitious belief that a negative influence (Gamu/Graha) has affected someone's behavior.