બેઠક Bethak

હંસા બગલા એક રંગ, માન સરોવર માંહી; બગલા ઠુંઠે માછલી, હંસા મોતી ચાહી.

haṁsā bagalā ēka raṁga, māna sarōvara māṁhī; bagalā ṭhuṁṭhē māchalī, haṁsā mōtī cāhī.

Literally
The swan and the crane are of one color in Lake Mansarovar; the crane searches for fish, while the swan desires pearls.
What it means
People may look identical on the outside, but their true nature and desires reveal their inner worth.

Also said as

  • હંસ શ્વેત બગ શ્વેત છે, પણ બેમાં છે ફેર;
  • હંસ ભક્ષ મોતી કરે, બગ મીન મેંડક વેર.
ગુજરાતી કહેવતસંગ્રહ (Gujarati Kahevat Sangrah) (1923) · read from the scan by machine — the Gujarati itself is unchecked · English is machine-made and nobody has checked it yet

Heard it differently, or know we've got the sense wrong? Tell us — that is exactly the kind of correction this needs.

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