వాదులేక ప్రాణం, దాదిలేక రాణి పోరు.

vaduleka pranam, dadileka rani poru.

Translation

A life without an opponent, and a queen without a maid, go to waste.

Meaning

This proverb highlights that life lacks vitality or challenge without a competitor or an adversary (vadu). Similarly, a queen's status or influence feels diminished if she doesn't have a maid (dadi) to serve or interact with. It is used to express that certain roles or situations require a counterpart to be meaningful or lively.

Related Phrases

It is not about the dog being unable to cross, but the struggle of not being able to pull itself out.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is not struggling with the primary obstacle itself, but rather with the consequences or the difficult cleanup required after taking a certain action. It highlights that sometimes the aftermath of a task is more burdensome than the task itself.

Even if there are no villages left to rule, will there be no villages left to beg or steal from?

This expression is used to describe a person who has lost their high status, power, or wealth but remains resourceful (often in a shameless or opportunistic way) to survive. It suggests that even if one cannot be a leader or a ruler anymore, they can still find a way to make a living by other, perhaps less dignified, means.

No harassment from the mother-in-law, no harassment from the father-in-law, but the blind man's harassment in the hut.

This proverb describes a situation where one is free from major or expected problems but is constantly troubled by a small, persistent, or unexpected nuisance. It is used when someone complains about a minor but irritating issue that ruins an otherwise peaceful situation.

When honor has gone, why life ?

This expression emphasizes the supreme value of dignity and self-respect over physical life. It is used to convey that for a person of principles, living with disgrace or humiliation is worse than death.

Take away my good name, and take away my life. Either live or die wi' honour.

Will hunger be satisfied by eating curry without rice?

This proverb is used to illustrate that secondary or supplemental things cannot replace the essential ones. Just as a side dish (curry) cannot satisfy hunger without the main staple (rice), accessories or minor improvements cannot compensate for the lack of a fundamental requirement.

Unable to ask them to stay, one creates a suffocating stench; unable to ask them to leave, one uses smoke.

This proverb describes a passive-aggressive way of getting rid of someone. Instead of directly asking a person to leave, someone creates such uncomfortable or unbearable conditions that the person is forced to leave on their own. It is used in situations where social etiquette prevents directness, leading to subtle or harsh discouragement.

Can there be a boundary without a village?

This expression is used to highlight that basic or primary things must exist for secondary or peripheral things to be relevant. It emphasizes that a foundation or a source is necessary for its results or boundaries to exist; for example, a result cannot exist without a cause, or a reputation cannot exist without an individual's actions.

While the one who has nothing cries because he lacks, the one who has everything suffers because he cannot eat it.

This proverb highlights that both poverty and wealth come with their own sets of problems. While a poor person suffers from deprivation, a rich person may suffer from health issues, greed, or the inability to enjoy their abundance. It is often used to describe situations where everyone has a grievance, regardless of their status.

While the poor man cried because he had nothing, the rich man cried because he couldn't eat.

This proverb highlights the irony of human suffering. While one person suffers from lack of resources, another suffers from excess or health problems that prevent them from enjoying what they have. It is often used to comment on how everyone has their own set of unique problems regardless of their status.

It's not that there are no donors, it's that we don't have the fate written for it.

This proverb is used to express that even when help or resources are available, one may not receive them due to their own poor luck or destiny. It highlights the belief that one's fate (vratha) is the ultimate decider of what they receive, regardless of the generosity of others.