ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
മുക്കിന്മേൽ ഇരുന്നു വായിൽ കാഷ്ടിക്കരുതു”
— English Translation:
Perched upon someone's nose, do not defecate into their mouth. (Never abuse tolerance by heaping insolent, outrageous disrespect upon a host or patron who has already yielded you proximity.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മുലകൊടുത്ത അമ്മയേക്കാൾ വലുതൊ മുത്തം കൊടുത്ത ഭാര്യ”
— English Translation:
Is the wife who gave kisses greater than the mother who gave her own milk? (A traditional rebuke against those who abandon lifelong filial devotion for recent infatuations.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മൂക്കില്ലാത്ത നാട്ടിൽ മുറിമൂക്ക൯ മുപ്പ൯ (ചമ്പ൯, രാജാവ്)”
— English Translation:
In a land of noseless people, the half-nosed man is the chieftain (or king). (In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king; among utter incompetents, even a flawed person passes for a supreme leader.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മുലക്കണ്ണു കടിക്കുമ്പോൾ കവിൾക്കുമിടിക്കേണം”
— English Translation:
If the nursing infant bites the nipple, tap its cheek. (Administer prompt, gentle correction the moment a dependent crosses boundaries and causes harm.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മൂക്കുതൊടുവാ൯ നാവു നീളംപോരാ”
— English Translation:
The tongue is not long enough to reach up and touch the nose. (Natural limitations cannot be stretched beyond their bounds, no matter how desperately one strains.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മുലവീണാൽ മാറുതന്നെ താങ്ങണം”
— English Translation:
When the breast droops, the chest itself must bear the weight. (One's own core resources and family must bear the natural infirmities and declines that come with age.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മൂക്കില്ലാ നാട്ടിൽ കസ്തൂരി എന്തിനു”
— English Translation:
Why carry fragrant musk to a country where people have no noses? (Casting pearls before swine; offering sublime art, virtue, or treasures to those who completely lack the senses to appreciate them.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മുല്ലപ്പുവിന്റെ ഗുണത്താലേ വാഴനാരിനും മോക്ഷം”
— English Translation:
By virtue of the jasmine blossom, even the coarse plantain fiber attains grace. (Association with noble, fragrant company elevates and dignifies even the humblest companion.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മൂക്കുമുങ്ങിയാല് മുവാളൊ നാലാളൊ (മൂവാൾക്കായാലെന്തു മുപ്പതിററാൾക്കായാലെന്ത്)”
— English Translation:
Once the water rises above the nose, what does it matter if it is three fathoms or four (or thirty fathoms)? (In for a penny, in for a pound; once you are in over your head and drowning, the additional depth of the disaster ceases to matter.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മുളയാകമ്പോൾ നഖംകൊണ്ടും നുളളാം, പിന്നെ മഴുവിട്ടു മുറിച്ചാലും നീങ്ങാ”
— English Translation:
As a tender sprout it can be pinched off with a fingernail, but once mature, even an axe cannot fell it. (Nip trouble in the bud; vices and problems must be checked early before they become impossible to eradicate.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മുക്രാഞ്ചന്റെ തുമ്മൽ പോലേ”
— English Translation:
Like the explosive sneeze of a fussy blusterer. (A startling, comical outburst that creates immense noise and drama out of a basic, trivial reflex.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മുളനാഴിക്കു മുറിച്ചപന്തിയിൽ”
— English Translation:
In a dining line partitioned off for a meager bamboo cup. (Being segregated or relegated to inferior, second-class treatment at a shared gathering.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മൂത്തതു നന്നെങ്കിൽ മൂന്നും നന്നു”
— English Translation:
If the eldest is upright and capable, all three will turn out well. (The tone set by the firstborn, pioneer, or leader determines the discipline and success of the followers who come behind.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മുളയി൯ അറിയാം വിള (മുളക്കരുത്തു)”
— English Translation:
The harvest (or the plant's vigor) is known right at the sprout. (Coming events cast their shadows before; early signs and foundational beginnings reveal future promise and capability.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മൂത്തെടത്തോളമെ കാതൽ ഉണ്ടാകൂ”
— English Translation:
Solid heartwood forms only to the depth that the tree has matured. (True wisdom, integrity, and emotional depth come only through seasoned age and lived experience; you cannot force premature maturity.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മുള്ളിന്മേൽ ഇലവീണാലും ഇലമേൽ മുളളുവീണാലും നാശം ഇലെക്കു”
— English Translation:
Whether the leaf falls upon the thorn or the thorn falls upon the leaf, the injury is always to the leaf. (The fragile and defenseless always bear the damage when clashing with sharp, ruthless power, regardless of who initiated the contact.)