విత్తనం మర్రివృక్షానికెంత

This proverb highlights that one can only exercise authority or manage affairs if they possess the necessary resources or capital. In an agricultural context, it means without seeds to sow, there is no farm to manage; in a broader sense, it implies that financial stability is the foundation of influence and leadership.

This expression describes a person who is fickle-minded or highly unpredictable. It refers to someone whose thoughts, decisions, or moods change instantly, making it impossible to rely on their word or state of mind for more than a moment.

This proverb implies that if a problem or corruption starts at the very foundation or source of an entity, it will eventually destroy the entire structure. It is used to warn that internal flaws or moral decay at the core of a family, organization, or project are more dangerous than external threats.

This expression is used to describe how a very dominant or famous personality can overshadow others around them, preventing them from developing their own identity or achieving success. Just as a large tree blocks sunlight and nutrients from smaller plants, a great person's influence might inadvertently stifle the growth of those in their immediate shadow.

This proverb is used to convey that one's destiny or fate is inescapable and unavoidable, no matter where one goes. It implies that what is meant to happen will happen, as if pre-determined by a higher power or cosmic law.

A certain king consulting on one occasion an astrologer was told that he would in two years be hanged as a thief on the western bough of the Banyan tree at Villûru. The king laughed at this but the astrologer only replied " Your fate is under the Banyan tree at Villûru." The king afterwards believing his predictions, went far away to the Himâlayas and there having caused himself to be maimed so that he could not walk, practised penance. At the expiration of the two years, Yama the god of death suddenly came and mounted the unfortunate king on a horse which flew with him through the air, and threw him under the Banyan tree at Villûru. The same night a band of robbers having plundered a Râja's palace brought their booty and divided it under the Banyan tree. The doomed king enquired from them where he was, and having learnt to his dismay that he was at Villûru, and on the western side of the tree, he crawled round with difficulty to the eastern side. There he was found by the Raja's men, and beside him a jewel which the robbers had accidentally left behind them. In vain he pleaded innocence. The Raja was informed that one of the robbers had been found, the jewel was identified, and the unfortunate king was hanged on the eastern bough. Immediately this was done the tree turned round and the astrologer's prediction was fulfilled. This story is told as a wonderful instance of the power of fate. He that is born to be hanged shall never be drowned. What will be, will be. ( Italian. )*

This expression is used when someone is being excessively scrutinized or tested for no valid reason, or when an expert's skills are questioned over trivial matters. It originates from a story where a king tries to test a scholar's wisdom by asking about the properties of his simple copper water pot, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.

This expression describes the unpredictable and fickle nature of the human mind or behavior. It is used to describe a person who changes their thoughts, opinions, or decisions very quickly, or to illustrate how quickly situations can shift from clarity to confusion.

This proverb means that the quality or nature of the outcome is directly determined by its origin or source. It is used to describe how children often inherit the traits of their parents, or how the quality of a product depends on the quality of the raw materials used.

This expression means that a small flaw or a lapse in character can turn a virtue into a vice. It is used to caution people that maintaining one's good reputation or quality requires consistency, as even a minor deviation can lead to being perceived negatively.

There is a pun here on the word Lakshanam which as a noun signifies the ' rules of classic composition,' and as an adjective ' handsome.'—Ava- lakshanam means ' ugly,' ' deformed.'

This expression refers to the humble beginnings of something that eventually becomes grand or vast. It is used to signify that great results often arise from very small origins, emphasizing that size at the start does not determine final potential.