తండ్రి సేద్యం, కొడుకు వైద్యం, కూడు మధ్యం

tandri sedyam, koduku vaidyam, kudu madhyam

Translation

Father's farming, son's medical practice, and food in the middle.

Meaning

This proverb highlights a traditional ideal for a prosperous and stable family. It suggests that if the father takes care of agriculture (ensuring food security) and the son becomes a doctor (ensuring health and income), the family will always have 'koodu' (food/sustenance) right in the middle or in abundance. It is used to describe a perfectly balanced and self-sufficient household.

Related Phrases

The ox said it would farm for six years if the field was in front of the village, the yoke was made of Maddi wood, and the rope was made of bamboo strips.

This proverb describes someone who sets ideal or impossible conditions before committing to a task. It highlights the tendency to blame external factors or demand perfect resources to justify one's willingness to work, implying that with such perfect comforts, anyone would be willing to do the job.

Medical treatment from a maternal uncle for a sore on the buttocks

This expression refers to an extremely embarrassing or awkward situation where one is forced to seek help from a close relative for a private or shameful problem. It highlights the discomfort and loss of dignity involved when personal matters cannot be kept secret due to necessity.

Farming in a distant village and medicine in one's own village.

This proverb highlights the importance of proximity in different professions. It suggests that farming is best done in a fertile village (even if it's far), but medical help should be available in the village where one resides for immediate access during emergencies. It is used to discuss the strategic location of services based on necessity and convenience.

Chronic disease and garden farming.

This proverb is used to describe tasks or situations that require constant attention, effort, and resources. Just as a chronic illness needs continuous care and a garden requires daily maintenance to prevent it from withering, certain responsibilities or businesses demand unending vigilance to stay viable.

His father and my father are real males. An answer given to an impertinent question regarding relationship.

This is a sarcastic expression or proverb used to mock someone who tries to establish a non-existent or irrelevant relationship between two people. It highlights that the connection being mentioned is so obvious or general (like both being men) that it isn't a real relationship at all. It is used to dismiss someone's attempt to claim kinship or closeness where none exists.

Father's farming, son's medicine, and food (like) alcohol.

This proverb highlights a recipe for complete ruin or waste. It suggests that if a father is a farmer and his son is a doctor, they might survive, but if they consume alcohol (or waste resources), everything they earn will be lost. It is often used to warn against addictive habits that destroy family legacies regardless of how hard the previous generation worked.

If it rains during Magha and Pubba stars, your brother's farming and my farming will both turn to dust.

This is an agricultural proverb related to the lunar asterisms (Kartelu). It suggests that heavy rains during the Magha and Pubba periods are detrimental to crops. It implies that regardless of who is farming or how hard they work, the yield will be ruined (turned to dust/mud) if it rains excessively during this specific time of the season.

Is he not the son of that father?

This rhetorical question is used to imply that a son naturally inherits the qualities, character, or reputation of his father. It is typically used when someone displays a trait (either good or bad) that is very similar to their father's known behavior, essentially meaning 'Like father, like son'.

An ulcer on the buttock and the maternal uncle is the doctor; an ulcer on the private part and the father-in-law is the doctor.

This proverb describes a situation of extreme embarrassment and awkwardness where one is forced to discuss or show a private, shameful problem to a relative with whom such intimacy is culturally inappropriate or taboo. It is used to highlight situations involving great hesitation and the inability to seek help due to the delicate nature of the relationship.

Farming without fertilizer is like playing music for the Goddess of Famine.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of using fertilizers or manure in agriculture. It suggests that if a farmer neglects to enrich the soil, the crop will inevitably fail, leading to poverty and hunger. It is used to highlight that success requires the right inputs and preparation.