వెంపలి చెట్టుకు దోట్లు వేసినట్లు

vempali chettuku dotlu vesinatlu

Translation

Like using a pole to harvest fruit from a Vempali bush.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe an act of overkill or using excessive efforts for a trivial task. The Vempali (Wild Indigo) is a very small shrub, so using a long pole (dotlu) to reach its fruit is unnecessary and absurd.

Related Phrases

Like measuring a cubit with a stump of a hand.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone attempts to do something impossible or lacks the necessary tools/means to complete a task. It highlights the futility or inaccuracy of an action when the essential component required for success is missing.

Like tying an ox and a male buffalo together.

This proverb is used to describe a mismatch or an incompatible pairing. Just as an ox and a buffalo have different temperaments, strengths, and speeds, making it impossible for them to plow a field effectively together, it refers to situations where two very different people or things are forced to work together, leading to chaos or inefficiency.

Like tying leaf plates back onto the tree

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone attempts to fix or undo something that is already broken, finished, or irreversibly changed in a way that is unnatural or futile. It refers to the impossible task of making a cut leaf part of the living tree again.

Like placing a turban in the fort

This expression is used to describe a significant achievement, a grand success, or the act of establishing one's authority or presence in a difficult-to-reach place. Historically, placing one's turban in an enemy's fort symbolized victory and conquest. In modern context, it refers to reaching a milestone or securing a strong position in a competitive field.

Like trying to lean a ladder against Vempali plants.

The Vempali (Wild Indigo) is a small, weak-stemmed shrub that cannot support any weight. This expression is used to describe a futile effort or an impossible task where someone tries to rely on something that lacks the necessary strength or foundation. It signifies misplaced effort or depending on an unreliable source.

The crop that grows by using Vempali (wild indigo) as manure.

This proverb highlights the benefits of organic farming, specifically the use of 'Vempali' (Tephrosia purpurea) as green manure. It suggests that natural fertilization leads to the best crop growth. Metaphorically, it can mean that things built on a strong, natural foundation yield the best results.

Whether you apply blooming Tangedu or fruiting Vempali (as manure), the paddy crop says it will yield a bountiful harvest.

This proverb highlights the traditional agricultural wisdom of using green leaf manure. Tangedu (Tanner's Cassia) and Vempali (Wild Indigo) are excellent natural fertilizers. The saying emphasizes that if the soil is nourished with these specific organic materials, a high-quality rice yield is guaranteed regardless of other challenges.

Like killing crows to feed eagles

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone takes from the poor or weak to give to the rich or powerful. It highlights an act of injustice or a futile redistribution of resources that benefits those who are already strong at the expense of those who are vulnerable.

Like placing a ladder against a Vempali plant.

The Vempali (Wild Indigo) is a very small, thin shrub that grows only a few feet high. Placing a ladder against it is absurd and impossible. This proverb is used to describe someone attempting a completely unnecessary or disproportionately large effort for a tiny task, or trying to do something that is logically impossible due to the nature of the object involved.

In a place where there are no trees, even a Wild Indigo bush is a great tree

This proverb describes a situation where an ordinary or mediocre person is considered great simply because there are no better alternatives available. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.'