వినకు, అనకు, కనకు
vinaku, anaku, kanaku
Do not hear, do not say, do not see.
This is the Telugu equivalent of the 'Three Wise Monkeys' principle. It serves as a moral guideline to avoid evil: do not listen to evil, do not speak evil, and do not see evil. It is used to encourage people to maintain purity of mind and avoid participating in gossip or negativity.
Related Phrases
కద్దు అనడానికీ లేదు అనడానికీ దీనికే అధికారమా?
kaddu anadaniki ledu anadaniki dinike adhikarama?
Has she a right to say "there is" or "there is not"? A beggar once asked alms from a daughter-in-law when her mother-in- law was out. She told him there was nothing for him. As he went he met the mother-in-law who enquired whether he had received alms at the house. On being told by the beggar that he had been sent away, she brought him back to the house and after chastising her daughter-in-law said to the man "Now you may go, has she any authority to say there are alms for you or there are not?" Told as an illustration of the fact that a daughter-in-law has no anthority whatever in the house.
This expression is used to mock someone who constantly contradicts themselves or claims absolute authority over both sides of an argument. It highlights the absurdity of one person or entity claiming the right to validate and invalidate the same thing whenever it suits them.
ఆచారానికి అంతమూ లేదు, అనాచారానికి ఆదీ లేదు
acharaniki antamu ledu, anacharaniki adi ledu
There is no limit to purity, nor any beginning to impurity. Man is sinful from his birth, and never attains to perfect purity.
This proverb highlights that tradition and custom (Achara) can be endlessly elaborate with no final limit, while deviations or lack of tradition (Anachara) have no specific origin or defined structure. It is often used to suggest that one can get lost in the complexities of rituals or that improper conduct has existed forever without a clear starting point.
చెడు అనకు, చెడు వినకు, చెడు కనకు
chedu anaku, chedu vinaku, chedu kanaku
Speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil
This is the Telugu version of the famous 'Three Wise Monkeys' principle. It serves as an ethical maxim advising people to lead a virtuous life by avoiding participation in, or exposure to, bad influences, gossip, and negativity.
చక్కదనానికి లొటిపిట, సంగీతానికి గాడిదె
chakkadananiki lotipita, sangitaniki gadide
For beauty, a camel; for singing, an ass.
This sarcastic proverb is used to describe someone who claims to excel at something but is actually the worst possible example of it. Just as a camel is not known for aesthetic beauty and a donkey's braying is the opposite of melody, this phrase mocks people who have misplaced confidence or are completely unsuited for the roles they are performing.
తనకు కానిది గూడులంజ.
tanaku kanidi gudulanja.
[ He called ] the woman whom he could not get [as a wife] a harlot. Sour grapes as the fox said when he could not reach them. What you can't have, abuse, (Italian.)
This proverb is used to describe a person's lack of care, respect, or responsibility for something that doesn't belong to them. It highlights how people often neglect, misuse, or treat things poorly when they have no personal stake or ownership in them.
* Quel che non puoi aver, biasima,
తనకు కానిది కూసు ముండ
tanaku kanidi kusu munda
One that is not useful to oneself is a sitting widow
This expression is used to describe a person's tendency to devalue or speak ill of something simply because they cannot have it or it is of no use to them. It is similar to the 'sour grapes' metaphor, where an individual criticizes or belittles an object or opportunity out of spite or envy when it is beyond their reach.
రుచికి పుల్లకూర వాసనకు కరివేపాకు
ruchiki pullakura vasanaku karivepaku
Sour leaf curry for taste and curry leaves for aroma.
This expression describes something that is complete and perfect because it has the right ingredients in the right proportions. It is often used to refer to a situation or a person that possesses all the necessary qualities to be effective or satisfying, much like how a dish needs both taste and aroma to be considered excellent.
రాగానకు నేను, అందానకు మా అక్క.
raganaku nenu, andanaku ma akka.
I for singing, my eldest sister for beauty. Said by an ass of itself and the camel by way of praise. Applied to a braggart. Did you ever before hear an ass play upon a lute ?
This expression is used sarcastically to describe people who boast about their own non-existent talents or qualities. It often refers to a situation where two individuals claim to be experts in something they are actually quite bad at, highlighting their shared delusions or incompetence.
కానకుండా కట్టెడిచ్చేను కానీ వినకుండా వీరణాలు వాయించేవా?
kanakunda kattedichchenu kani vinakunda viranalu vayincheva?
I will give you a bundle of grain without any one else see- ing me, but will you play on the double drum without any one else hearing it? A silly request made by a female, who was not allowed to indulge her taste for music.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone tries to hide a major event or a blatant truth, but it is impossible to keep it secret because the 'noise' or consequences of that action are obvious to everyone. It highlights that while one sense or perspective can be blocked, the reality will eventually manifest in another undeniable way.
ఔషధానికి పథ్యానికి చెల్లు, రోగం పైపెచ్చు
aushadhaniki pathyaniki chellu, rogam paipechchu
[ The benefit derived from ] the medicine is to be deducted from [ the harm done by ] carelessness in diet, and the balance remaining is an increase of the disease. Diet cures more than the lancet. The best physicians are Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet, and Dr. Merryman. శ.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where the efforts or resources spent to solve a problem (medicine) were neutralized by mistakes or poor management (lack of dietary discipline), resulting in the original problem getting even worse. It highlights how wasted effort leads to a worse outcome than before.