సూడిద బూడిద పాలు, ఇల్లాలు ఇతరుల పాలు.

sudida budida palu, illalu itarula palu.

Translation

The pregnancy gift goes to the ashes, and the housewife goes to others.

Meaning

This proverb describes a situation of extreme misfortune or poor management where one's efforts and assets are completely wasted or lost. It specifically refers to a scenario where the customary gifts given during pregnancy (sudida) are squandered or ruined, and the mistress of the house is neglected or ends up serving others. It is used to highlight total domestic ruin or the irony of losing everything due to negligence.

Related Phrases

When someone took up asceticism because family life was bad, the ash bag and the water gourd became a burden on the donkey.

This proverb describes a situation where someone tries to escape their current problems by switching to a different lifestyle or job, only to find that the new path brings its own set of even more difficult burdens. It is used to highlight that running away from responsibilities often leads to new complications.

His religious rites go to the water, and his Mantras to the Pariahs. Said of a great formalist. Most of the religious rites of the Brahmans are performed with water. The sacred formulas ( Mantras ) ought according to the Śāstras to be pronounced in a low voice, inaudible to the people.

This expression describes a situation where all the hard work, discipline, or ritualistic effort put into a task goes to waste due to a small mistake or lack of focus. It is used when someone meticulously follows a process but fails at the final stage, rendering the entire effort useless.

Like a dog lying in the warm ashes. Keeping quiet for a while, but soon returning to mischief.

This expression is used to describe a person who settles into a comfortable or lazy situation and refuses to move or take up responsibilities. Just as a dog finds warmth in a pit of warm ashes and remains there stubbornly, it refers to someone who is stagnant and indifferent to their surroundings or progress.

A hard field and donkey's milk

This proverb is used to describe a situation that is completely useless or yields no benefit despite hard work. Just as a hard, barren field produces no crop and a donkey's milk is generally not consumed, it refers to a wasted effort or a lost cause where the resources and results are both worthless.

The share given by the earth is better than that given by the government. Free lands are better when fertile, than shares of grain allotted by government.

This proverb emphasizes self-reliance and the bounty of nature over patronage from the powerful. It suggests that what one earns through honest labor on their own land is superior and more sustainable than gifts or favors received from those in power, which often come with conditions or strings attached.

The wealth of kings goes to stones and harlots. Kings addicted to debauchery spent their wealth in constructing houses, temples, &c. and also lavished much on their concubines instead of spend- ing their Revenue for the good of people they governed.

This proverb highlights how ill-managed or excessive wealth is often squandered on unproductive vanity projects (like grand stone monuments/forts) or hedonistic pleasures. It is used to caution against the misuse of resources and the inevitable waste that occurs when power and money are not directed toward the welfare of the people.

Perfume thrown into ash.

A fruitless effort is one that does not achieve what one sets out for.

Ash is the medicine for a donkey's wound

This expression is used to describe a simple, crude, or inexpensive solution for an unworthy or trivial problem. It implies that a high-quality or expensive remedy is not needed for something of low value or for someone who doesn't appreciate it.

The father belongs to the villagers, and the mother belongs to the farmworkers.

This proverb describes a situation where both parents are constantly busy with outside work or social obligations, leaving no time for their own family or household. It is used to critique parents who neglect their responsibilities at home while being overly active in community affairs.

The words of a deceitful person are not worth even ash.

This expression is used to describe a person who is a chronic liar or manipulator. It signifies that the promises or statements made by such a person have zero value and cannot be trusted, just as ash has no utility in most contexts. It is applied when someone consistently fails to keep their word or speaks only to deceive others.