ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
വിരൽ ചുട്ടു കവിൾ തുളെക്കരുതു”
— English Translation:
Do not burn your own finger to brand a hole in your own cheek. (Self-inflicted spite; never incur personal harm and pain merely to enact a petty, self-destructive point.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വാലല്ലാത്തതെല്ലാം അളയിലായി(പുനത്തിലായി)”
— English Translation:
Everything except the tip of the tail has already slipped into the hole. (The matter is almost wholly lost or irrevocably trapped, leaving only a tiny trace before complete disappearance.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വിരൽ വീങ്ങിയാൽ ഉരൽ ആമൊ”
— English Translation:
Even if a finger swells up, will it ever become a wooden mortar? (Artificial inflation or puffed-up vanity cannot transform a petty person into a monumental figure.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വാളെടുക്കാത്തവൻ വാളെടുത്താൽ വാളെല്ലാം ചിലമീനു നാറും”
— English Translation:
If one unaccustomed to the sword takes up the blade, the whole weapon reeks of cheap fish. (When an incompetent amateur meddles in an elevated craft, they degrade and vulgarize the discipline through clumsy execution.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വിരൽ വെപ്പാനിടം കൊടുത്താൽ പിന്നവിടെ ഉരൽ വെക്കും”
— English Translation:
If you yield room to rest a finger, they will soon place a heavy mortar there. (Granting even the slightest foothold to an intrusive person invites them to take over your entire space.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വാഴനനെക്കുമ്പോൾ ചീരയും നനയും”
— English Translation:
When you water the plantain tree, the amaranth beside it gets watered too. (Dependents, neighbors, and modest associates naturally benefit from the abundance showered upon their primary patron.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വിരണ്ടവൻ കണ്ണിനു ഇരുണ്ടതെല്ലാം പേയ്”
— English Translation:
To the eyes of one who is spooked, every dark shadow is a demon. (A paranoid, fearful mind projects danger, conspiracy, and horror onto every harmless circumstance.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വാളെടുത്തവനൊക്കെ വെളിച്ചപ്പാടൊ”
— English Translation:
Is everyone who brandishes a ritual sword a true temple oracle? (Donning outward vestments, titles, or props does not confer genuine spiritual authority, wisdom, or competence.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വിലയിൽ പത്തുപിടിച്ചും കൊണ്ടുകൂടെ പത്തുകൊടുക്കുന്നതു എന്തിനു”
— English Translation:
Why dock ten coins from the price only to pay ten extra coins alongside it? (Convoluted, self-canceling transactions; making an elaborate show of bargaining that nets zero real difference.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വാശിപിടിച്ചാൽ നാശം ചെയ്യും”
— English Translation:
Obstinate stubbornness breeds ruin. (Clinging blindly to petty pride, spite, and unyielding obstinacy guarantees self-destruction.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വിശക്കാൻ തക്കതുണ്ണണം, മറക്കാൻ തക്കതു പറയണം”
— English Translation:
Eat only enough to feel hunger again, and speak only words that can be readily forgiven and forgotten. (Practice moderation in all things: eat sparingly to preserve health and appetite, and speak measured words to avoid leaving permanent, bitter wounds.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വിടക്കുതലയും വടക്കുവെക്കരുതു”
— English Translation:
Even a cursed head should not be laid facing north. (Certain inviolable traditions, hygiene rules, and universal taboos must be observed even toward the lowest and most degraded.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വില്ലിന്റെ ബലം പോലെ അമ്പിന്റെ പാച്ചിൽ”
— English Translation:
The flight of the arrow is governed by the strength of the bow. (The momentum, reach, and success of an undertaking directly reflect the caliber, power, and foundation driving it.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വാഴുന്നോർക്കു വഴിപ്പെടുക”
— English Translation:
Bow and yield to the reigning ruler. (Prudence demands adapting and submitting to currently established authority rather than courting needless rebellion.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വിൽക്കാമാട്ടിനു കൊള്ളാവില”
— English Translation:
For cattle not meant for sale, an exorbitant price is quoted. (When one has no intention of parting with an asset, one names an impossible valuation to turn buyers away.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
വിത്തിട്ടു വേലികെട്ടല്ല”
— English Translation:
Do not build the protective fence after the seeds have already been sown. (Establish security and safeguards before risking precious capital; preventative defense must precede exposure.)