వేయి వరహాలు వెట్టి ఏనుగుకొనేవాడు అరవీసం పెట్టి అంకుశం కొనడానికి పాలుమాలతాడా?

veyi varahalu vetti enugukonevadu aravisam petti ankusham konadaniki palumalatada?

Translation

Will a person who buys an elephant for a thousand gold coins hesitate to buy a goad for a fraction of a penny?

Meaning

This proverb is used to point out the absurdity of someone who invests a massive amount of effort or money into a major project but then neglects a small, essential detail required to make it functional. It highlights that once a significant commitment is made, one should not be stingy or lazy about the minor necessities.

Related Phrases

Buying an elephant for a thousand rupees, but neglecting to buy the small goad (ankush) for a penny.

This proverb describes a person who spends a large amount of money or effort on a major project but fails or becomes stingy over a very small, essential detail required to manage it. It is used to critique someone who is 'penny wise and pound foolish,' showing how neglect of minor necessities can render a huge investment useless.

Giving away an elephant but hiding its goad.

This proverb describes a situation where someone performs a major act of generosity or makes a massive investment but gets stingy or hesitant over a trivial, minor detail required to make it functional. It is used when someone completes a huge task but stops short of finishing the small final touch.

Can you go hunting by catching a mad dog?

This proverb is used to illustrate that you cannot achieve a successful or noble outcome by relying on incompetent, unreliable, or unstable people. Just as a rabid or mad dog is unpredictable and cannot be trained for the discipline of hunting, an unfit person cannot be trusted to perform a specific task effectively.

A corpse for work, an elephant for food

This expression is used to describe a lazy person who shows no energy or interest when it comes to doing work (acting like a lifeless corpse), but displays immense appetite and enthusiasm when it is time to eat (acting like a hungry elephant).

He who gives poison to a person who is already dying by eating bran is a fool.

This expression is used to describe a redundant or unnecessary action. If someone is already facing ruin due to their own poor choices or circumstances, there is no need to actively work against them or waste resources to cause their downfall. It highlights the foolishness of over-exerting oneself to harm someone who is already self-destructing.

Like buying a buffalo for three hundred rupees but failing to buy a rope for three annas.

This proverb is used to describe a person who spends a large sum of money on an expensive asset or project but refuses to spend a tiny additional amount on a necessary accessory or maintenance tool required to make it functional. It highlights the foolishness of being 'penny wise and pound foolish.'

Should one buy an elephant for a thousand pagodas, and grudge half a Visam for a hook to drive him with ? Visam ( No. 876 ) is here used for an anna.

This proverb describes a situation where someone spends a huge amount of money or effort on a major project but fails or neglects to spend a very small, essential amount to make it functional. It highlights the foolishness of 'penny-wise, pound-foolish' behavior or being negligent about small but critical details after completing a massive task.

A touch of the sari's edge is worth ten million gold coins.

This expression is used to describe a person who is extremely stingy or protective of their wealth. It implies that the person is so miserly that even a slight accidental contact with them or their clothing is treated as a major loss or a demand for a fortune. It can also sarcastically describe someone who thinks too highly of their own value or status.

A man who sets fire to the whole heap and begins to eat parched grain. The work of a fool.

This expression describes a person who causes a massive loss to someone else or to society for a very small, trivial personal gain. It highlights extreme selfishness and a lack of proportion.

Will the one who gave the mouth not provide the fodder?

This is a popular Telugu proverb used to express faith in divine providence or nature. It implies that the creator who gave life to a creature will also provide the necessary means for its sustenance. It is often said to reassure someone who is worried about their future or survival, suggesting that basic needs will inevitably be met.