యముడు ఒక్కణ్ణి చంపితే, ఏతాము ముగ్గురిని చంపుతుంది.
yamudu okkanni champite, etamu muggurini champutundi.
If Yama kills one person, the water-lift (Etamu) kills three.
This proverb highlights the extreme physical exhaustion and danger associated with primitive labor-intensive farming tools like the 'Etamu' (a traditional counterpoise water-lift). While Yama, the God of Death, takes lives one by one, the grueling toil of using such equipment is said to destroy the health and lives of several people simultaneously due to the sheer strain.
Related Phrases
ముగ్గురిని కూర్చెరా మూల దేవుడు
muggurini kurchera mula devudu
Alas! God has collected three of us. Said by one of a number of helpless people.
This expression refers to the divine trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) or more commonly in a social context, it refers to the destiny or 'unavoidable union' of people or events. It is often used to signify that certain relationships, groups, or life situations are orchestrated by a higher power or fate and cannot be easily undone.
ఒకరిని ఇద్దరిని చంపితేనేగాని, వైద్యుడు కాడు.
okarini iddarini champitenegani, vaidyudu kadu.
A man is no Doctor until he has killed one or two [patients.]
This proverb is used to highlight that expertise comes from experience, often involving costly mistakes or failures along the way. In a more cynical sense, it suggests that beginners in any profession may inadvertently cause harm while they are still learning their craft.
Said to a bungling tyro. If the doctor cures, the sun sees it ; if he kills, the earth hides it.
బలిస్తే గోకి చంపుతారు, చిక్కితే నాకి చంపుతారు
baliste goki champutaru, chikkite naki champutaru
If you are fat, they kill you by scratching; if you are thin, they kill you by licking.
This expression refers to people who are never satisfied and will find a way to exploit or bother you regardless of your status or condition. It is often used to describe toxic environments or manipulative individuals who harass others whether they are doing well (prosperous/fat) or struggling (weak/thin).
లోభిని చంపవలెనంటే, డబ్బు అడిగితే చాలును.
lobhini champavalenante, dabbu adigite chalunu.
If you wish to kill a miser, to ask him for a Dabb is sufficient. A Dabbu is one-third of an Anâ (anna), and is equivalent to a half-penny.
This proverb is used to describe the extreme stinginess of a person. It suggests that for a greedy or miserly person, giving away money is as painful as death itself. It is used to highlight someone's excessive attachment to their wealth.
నీ వగలమాటలకు నా మొగుణ్ణి చంపుకుంటి
ni vagalamatalaku na mogunni champukunti
For your cunning/seductive words, I killed my own husband.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone has been so thoroughly deceived by another person's sweet talk or false pretenses that they have made a grave, irreversible mistake or a massive sacrifice, only to be left with nothing. It highlights the foolishness of trusting manipulative words over reality.
గుడ్డిది నీళ్ళకుపోతే ముగ్గురికి చేటు
guddidi nillakupote mugguriki chetu
If a blind woman goes to fetch water, it causes harm to three people.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where an incompetent person attempts a task they cannot handle, resulting in multiple casualties or problems. The 'three' usually refers to the woman herself (who might fall), the pot (which might break), and the person waiting for the water (who remains thirsty).
పిల్లిని చంపిన పాపం నీది, బెల్లం తిన్న పాపం నాది
pillini champina papam nidi, bellam tinna papam nadi
You take the sin of killing the cat, I'll take the sin of eating your molasses. Said by a stingy Kômati to a Brahman priest to whom he had presented tha cheapest possible offering that would expiate the sin he had committed by killing a cat, viz., a little image of a cat made of molasses, which he afterwards was greedy enough to take back again and swallow.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone hypocritically tries to equate a major transgression with a minor or harmless act. It highlights a person's clever but unfair way of shifting blame or normalizing their own small gains while others face the consequences of serious mistakes. It is often used to mock someone who tries to share 'blame' in a way that actually benefits them.
కుక్కను చంపిన పాపం గుడి కట్టినా పోదు
kukkanu champina papam gudi kattina podu
The sin of killing a dog cannot be expiated even by building a temple.
This expression is used to emphasize that certain misdeeds or cruel acts are so grave that no amount of subsequent good deeds, charity, or religious penance can atone for them. It highlights that the consequences of a fundamental wrong cannot be easily erased by superficial acts of virtue.
ముగ్గురికి తెలిస్తే మూడు లోకాలకు ప్రాకుతుంది
mugguriki teliste mudu lokalaku prakutundi
If three people know, it spreads to the three worlds
This expression is used to emphasize that a secret or a piece of information cannot be kept hidden once it is shared with even a few people. It suggests that news travels fast and will soon become public knowledge if shared beyond a single person.
రాతి ముగ్గు కోతి ముగ్గు
rati muggu koti muggu
A stone design and a monkey's design
This expression refers to something that is messy, disorganized, or poorly executed. It compares a drawing or task to a pattern made by a monkey or on rough stone, implying it lacks clarity, beauty, or skill. It is often used to describe bad handwriting or a chaotic situation.