ఊరి ముందరి సేద్యం, మద్ది కాడి, బద్దెల పలుపు ఉంటే, ఆరేండ్లు సేద్యం చేస్తానన్నదట ఎద్దు

uri mundari sedyam, maddi kadi, baddela palupu unte, arendlu sedyam chestanannadata eddu

Translation

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.

Meaning

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.

Related Phrases

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.

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

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.

One who has ten people behind him can do farming even if he is a coward.

This proverb emphasizes the power of teamwork and support. It suggests that even an incompetent or timid person can achieve great tasks, like agriculture, if they have a large family or a strong team to support and guide them. Success often depends more on collective strength than individual ability.

A house where the wife is unhappy, and a farm where the ox is fallen, will not progress.

This proverb emphasizes that peace and health are foundational for success. If the woman of the house (the 'Aalu') is suffering or unhappy, the household cannot thrive. Similarly, if the ox used for plowing is weak or collapsed, the farming cannot move forward. It is used to highlight the importance of the well-being of those who anchor the home and profession.

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.

If you are farming with donkeys, how can you be afraid of their kicks?

This expression is used when someone chooses to do a difficult or messy job but complains about the inevitable risks or hardships that come with it. It suggests that if you undertake a task involving certain known troubles, you must be prepared to face them rather than being afraid or surprised.

The papatam (weeding harrow) is equivalent to ten rounds of plowing.

This is an agricultural proverb highlighting the importance of weeding and inter-cultivation. It suggests that removing weeds with a 'papatam' (a specific farm tool) benefits the soil and crop growth as much as plowing the field ten times, as it loosens the soil and eliminates competition for nutrients.

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.

If the seed sprouts, it is said one should farm without stopping for seven years.

This proverb emphasizes perseverance and long-term commitment. It suggests that once an initial effort shows signs of success (the seed sprouts), one should double down and work consistently for a long period to reap the full benefits and establish stability, rather than quitting early or being inconsistent.