తేలు మంత్రం రాకపోయినా పాము పడగపై చేయి వేసినట్లు

telu mantram rakapoyina pamu padagapai cheyi vesinatlu

Translation

Like placing a hand on a cobra's hood without even knowing the spell for a scorpion sting.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks even basic skills or knowledge but attempts to handle a much more dangerous or complex situation. It highlights the foolishness of overestimating one's abilities and taking unnecessary risks.

Related Phrases

Running away in fear of a scorpion, only to fall upon a snake.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone, in an attempt to escape a small or manageable problem, ends up in a much more dangerous or severe predicament. It is equivalent to the English idiom 'out of the frying pan and into the fire'.

Without being asked even a mother will not give.

Without asking, help wouldn’t be forthcoming, even from well-wishers.

As if one is pure, and as if the bamboo screen is secure.

This proverb is used to mock someone who pretends to be virtuous or meticulous while their actions or surroundings are clearly flawed. It describes a situation where a person claims to be 'pure' (chokkam) while relying on a flimsy 'bamboo screen' (tadaka) for protection or privacy, highlighting hypocrisy or a false sense of security.

Like breaking into the house of the person who fed you.

This expression describes extreme ingratitude or betrayal. It refers to a person who harms their benefactor or someone who has helped them in their time of need. It is used to condemn the act of biting the hand that feeds you.

Camel below will not stay, and the pot on top will not stay.

This proverb is used to describe a highly unstable, mismatched, or precarious situation. It refers to an impossible arrangement where both the foundation (the camel) and the burden (the pot) are restless or ill-suited, leading to inevitable collapse or failure. It is often applied to people who are constantly moving or situations that lack any sense of permanence.

He said, 'You look as big as a buffalo, yet you don't know the scorpion charm?'

This is a sarcastic expression used to mock someone who possesses great physical size or strength but lacks basic common sense or a specific simple skill. It highlights the irony of having a large stature without the expected mental capability or practical knowledge to handle a small problem.

You are as big as an ox, don't you even know a scorpion spell?

This expression is used to mock someone who is physically large or grown-up but lacks basic common sense or simple skills. It highlights the irony of having a big stature while being incompetent in trivial matters.

The woman who cannot jump to the hanging basket says she will fly to heaven.

This proverb is used to mock someone who fails at a simple, basic task but makes grand claims about achieving something much more difficult or impossible. It highlights the gap between one's actual abilities and their unrealistic ambitions.

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

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.

Like teaching the sacred mantra to the teacher.

This expression is used when someone tries to teach or advise an expert or a mentor in their own field of expertise. It describes a situation where an amateur or a student attempts to lecture someone who is far more knowledgeable or experienced than themselves.