ఊరంతా ఉత్తరం చూస్తే, దాసరి పుల్లయ్య దక్షిణం చూచెనట.

uranta uttaram chuste, dasari pullayya dakshinam chuchenata.

Translation

When the whole village looked North, Dasari Pullayya looked South.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a person who is contrarian or eccentric, always acting or thinking in direct opposition to the consensus or common sense. It highlights stubbornness or a lack of conformity in a way that is often seen as illogical or unhelpful.

Related Phrases

Even if you don't give charity, at least pay the ritual fee.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone who is unable or unwilling to perform a large act of generosity is still expected to fulfill basic obligations or show minimal courtesy. It highlights that even if a significant favor isn't possible, one should not neglect the essential duties or formalities.

Don't leave your home seeing Vishakha; pack your basket seeing Uttara.

This is a traditional agricultural proverb related to the monsoon season and lunar mansions (Nakshatras). It means that one shouldn't lose hope or abandon their home if it doesn't rain during the Vishakha season, but if it rains during the Uttara season, it is a sign of a bountiful harvest, and one should get their baskets ready to collect the produce. It is used to advise patience and readiness based on seasonal changes.

Will they build a fort just by looking at a clock?

This proverb is used to criticize people who make big plans or talk about massive undertakings while focusing only on the timing or superficial details without putting in the actual labor or having the resources. It highlights that planning (watching the clock) is useless without the actual execution (building the fort).

The whole village faces one way, while the Dasari faces the palm trees.

This proverb is used to describe a person who is eccentric or stubborn and refuses to conform to the group. When everyone is heading in one direction or agreeing on a common path, this person intentionally chooses a different, often illogical, direction or opinion.

A priest who got used to comforts forgot his hymns.

This proverb describes a situation where someone becomes so accustomed to a life of luxury or ease that they forget their original duties, core responsibilities, or the hard work that defined them. It is used to criticize people who neglect their roots or professions after attaining comfort.

Like Pullayya going to Vemaram and coming back

This expression is used to describe a person who goes on a long journey or takes up a task but returns immediately without achieving anything or even starting the intended work. It highlights a futile, purposeless, or unproductive effort.

When told that circumambulations result in children, she checked her belly after every single round

This proverb mocks extreme impatience or the expectation of immediate results for a long-term process. It describes a person who expects an instant reward the moment they start a task, failing to understand that certain goals require time, patience, and consistent effort.

Pullayya's Vemavaram

This expression refers to a situation where someone gives an irrelevant or unrelated answer to a specific question. It is often used to describe a person who is absent-minded or dodging a point by talking about something completely different, similar to the English phrase 'talking at cross-purposes'.

Like circumambulating the sacred fig tree and immediately checking the belly for pregnancy.

This expression is used to describe a person who expects immediate results for their actions, even when the process naturally takes time. Just as one cannot expect to become pregnant instantly after performing a religious ritual at a tree, one shouldn't be impatient for results that require time and patience.

When she looked at her husband with the eye which had beheld the king, she had a mind to thump him.

This proverb describes a situation where a person, after witnessing someone of great power, beauty, or wealth, starts to find their own humble circumstances or partner inferior. It is used to caution against comparing one's own blessings with extraordinary exceptions, which leads to unnecessary discontentment or disdain for what one already has.