వేములో తీపుండదు అత్తరికంలో ప్రేమ ఉండదు

This expression is used to describe how someone in love often overlooks or fails to see the faults, flaws, or negative traits of the person they love. It suggests that emotion can cloud one's rational judgment.

This proverb contrasts the deep affection shown toward someone brought into the family by choice (an adopted child) with the deep-seated rivalry and animosity often felt toward close relatives or cousins (dayadi) due to property or inheritance disputes. It highlights how people can be more loving to outsiders than their own blood relatives.

This expression is used to signify that one cannot extract something valuable or useful from a source that inherently lacks it. It serves as a metaphor for futility, advising against wasting effort on people or situations that do not possess the qualities or resources one is looking for.

This rhetorical question or proverb highlights the natural bias or difference in affection often found in families. It implies that a mother's innate love for her biological daughter is rarely matched by her feelings for her daughter-in-law. It is used to describe situations where there is perceived partiality or to acknowledge that certain bonds are naturally deeper than others.

This expression means that genuine affection or love cannot be forced or manufactured if it doesn't exist naturally. It is used when someone's display of care feels fake or when emphasizing that true feelings must come from within.

This expression is used to describe someone or something that is caught in the middle and is useless for either of two intended purposes. It refers to the preparation of a betel leaf (pan), where one fails to get both the leaf and the areca nut, rendering the effort futile. It is often applied to people who are indecisive or situations that lack clear direction and utility.

This expression emphasizes the priceless and selfless nature of true love. It suggests that love cannot be treated as a commodity or a transaction; its only true value or exchange is the return of affection and devotion.

A crude but humorous folk saying used to describe a simple, base, or immediate physical relief that feels superior to any imaginary spiritual bliss. It is often used to remark on how people prioritize small, personal comforts over abstract or lofty goals.

This is a traditional proverb used to describe situations or people that are inherently difficult or bitter by nature. Just as the neem leaf is naturally bitter and cannot be made sweet, the proverb suggests that the relationship with a mother-in-law is traditionally fraught with friction and cannot be expected to be perfectly smooth or 'sweet'.

Vēmu is the Azadirachta Indica. She is well married who has neither mother-in-law nor sister-in-law. (Spanish.)*

This proverb highlights how short the days are during the winter month of Karthika. It suggests that the daylight hours pass so quickly that even the most basic chores feel rushed or impossible to complete before sunset, regardless of one's social status.