వంగతోటలో గ్రుడ్డివాని భాగవతం వలె

vangatotalo gruddivani bhagavatam vale

Translation

Like a blind man's performance of Bhagavatam in a brinjal patch.

Meaning

This expression describes a situation where someone performs an action in an entirely inappropriate or damaging environment, resulting in unintended destruction. In the proverb, a blind person performing a dance or play (Bhagavatam) in a field of brittle brinjal (eggplant) plants would inadvertently crush the crop. It is used to mock someone who acts without considering their surroundings or someone whose clumsy efforts cause more harm than good.

Related Phrases

A Bhagavatam performance that is a waste of oil

This expression is used to describe an activity, project, or performance that is so poorly executed or ineffective that it doesn't even justify the basic cost of the resources consumed (like the oil used in lamps for light during an old-time play). It signifies a complete waste of time, effort, and resources.

The brinjal gardener is blind, though he sees; the betel gardener is deaf, though he hears. In the first case, the gardener on being asked to give brinjals pretends he cannot find any; in the second case, the gardener when called to by some one outside the garden for betel pretends he cannot hear.—(Brah- mans and some high caste Sûdras are forbidden by their Sâstras to enter a betel garden). None so deaf as he that won't hear. (French.)

This proverb describes professional biases and intentional ignorance. A brinjal gardener ignores the ripeness or pests they see to suit their convenience, and a betel leaf gardener (who needs silence for the delicate plants) pretends not to hear others. It is used when someone deliberately ignores obvious facts or calls to action for their own benefit.

* Panadera erades antes, aunque ahora traeis guantes. † Il n'est pire sourd que celui qui ne veut pas entendre.

Like saying, 'Only in the brinjal field, don't call me sister-in-law.'

This proverb describes a person's hypocritical or opportunistic behavior. It refers to a situation where someone wants to maintain a formal or distant relationship in public or during a specific task to avoid sharing benefits or to hide a relationship, while being friendly elsewhere. It is often used to mock someone who pretends not to know someone else when it is convenient for them.

The eggplant gardener is blind, the betel leaf gardener is deaf.

This proverb describes the behavior of sellers who selectively ignore customers to get a better price. An eggplant gardener pretends not to see the customer to avoid bargaining, while a betel leaf gardener pretends not to hear them for the same reason. It is used to describe people who feign disability or ignorance for their own profit or convenience.

Just don't call me sister-in-law at the brinjal field.

This expression is used to describe hypocritical or opportunistic behavior where someone wants to maintain a formal or respectful relationship in public, but wants to ignore those boundaries or rules when there is a personal gain involved (like stealing brinjals from the field). It highlights the irony of someone setting convenient conditions for their morality.

Like a blind man under a jujube tree.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is hit with many problems or questions simultaneously from all directions. Just as a blind man standing under a thorny jujube tree gets poked from every side no matter which way he turns, this refers to someone being overwhelmed by unavoidable difficulties.

Like the delirium of a wealthy man

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone who possesses great wealth or power behaves in an irrational, arrogant, or unpredictable manner, similar to a patient suffering from 'sannipatam' (a state of high fever or delirium). It suggests that the pride and ego resulting from excessive wealth can cloud a person's judgment and cause them to act nonsensically or recklessly.

The oil on the hand being spent

This expression is used when someone has to spend their own hard-earned money or bear a significant personal expense for something, often unexpectedly or as a penalty. It signifies a personal financial loss or 'burning a hole in one's pocket.'

Money goes to the performers, while abuses go to the washerman and the barber.

This proverb describes a situation where the rewards or profits are taken by the main actors or high-status people, while the hard work, blame, or insults are faced by the support staff or laborers. It highlights social or professional inequality where credit and cash go to one party, but the headache and criticism go to another.

Call me brother-in-law anywhere, but do not call me brother-in-law in the brinjal garden

This proverb highlights hypocrisy or situational convenience. It refers to someone who wants to maintain a relationship or friendship in public but refuses to acknowledge it when there is work to be done or when their personal interests (like guarding a harvest) are at stake. It is used to describe people who are friendly only when it doesn't cost them anything.