ProverbPedia

“”
— English Translation:
One who is hard of hearing is better than one who is completely deaf. (Half a loaf is better than none; having partial faculty or modest capability is far better than total deficiency.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഭിക്ഷെക്കു വന്നവൻ പെണ്ടിക്കുമാപ്പിള”
— English Translation:
The beggar who came asking for alms ended up as the husband of the mistress. (Give an inch and they will take a mile; an interloper who gradually usurps the master's place.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ബന്ധനഭ്രഷ്ടൊ ഗൃഹകപൊതശ്ചില്ലംയാ മുഖെപതിതഃ”
— English Translation:
The domestic pigeon escaped its cage only to drop straight into the kite's beak. (Out of the frying pan into the fire; fleeing a minor captivity only to meet immediate, lethal peril.)

“”
— English Translation:
Isn't he the one who staked his foundation upon sheer infatuation? (Relying foolishly on fleeting illusions and vanity rather than solid, grounded reality.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ബന്ധു ആറു കരയുന്നതിനെക്കാളും ഉടയവനൊന്നുകരഞ്ഞാൽ മതി”
— English Translation:
Better that the rightful owner weep once than six distant kinfolk wail together. (The genuine grief and direct stake of the actual owner outweigh all the superficial lamentations of outside onlookers.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഭോജനമില്ലാഞ്ഞാൽ ഭാജനം വേണമൊ”
— English Translation:
If there is no food to eat, why do you need a serving dish? (Why fuss over elaborate instruments, titles, or vessels when the essential core substance is completely missing?)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ബാലർ പടെക്കാകാ, ഇളന്തേങ്ങ കറിക്കാകാ”
— English Translation:
Children will not do for war, just as tender coconut will not do for curry. (Immature, fragile elements cannot bear the rigors of heavy responsibility; tasks must be assigned according to maturity and suited nature.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഭേകം മുഴങ്ങിയാൽ ഇടിയായിവരുമൊ”
— English Translation:
Will the croaking of a frog ever turn into thunder? (The hollow clamor of the weak and insignificant can never match the formidable roar of true power.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ബ്രഹ്മാവു വിചാരിച്ചാൽ ആയുസ്സിനു പഞ്ഞമൊ”
— English Translation:
If Lord Brahma wills it, can there ever be a scarcity of lifespan? (When divine providence and destiny decree protection, no earthly peril can cut short your days.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഭോഷനോർത്തു ആമയാണെന്നു”
— English Translation:
The fool fancied it was a turtle. (Mistaking a dangerous or useless object for a prize out of sheer ignorance and gullibility.)

“”
— English Translation:
The curse of an innocent child and the curse of an aggrieved woman cannot be averted. (The heartfelt anguish and tears of the vulnerable bring inescapable moral retribution upon their tormentors.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഭോഷെന്റെ ലക്ഷണം പൊണ്ണത്വവാക്കു”
— English Translation:
The hallmark of a fool is bloated, empty talk. (Empty vessels make the most noise; grandiloquent boasting is the unmistakable symptom of shallow minds.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ബ്രാഹ്മണനും പശുവിനും പത്തുദിവസം പുല”
— English Translation:
For a Brahmin and a sacred cow, ten days of ritual pollution. (A traditional ritual custom equating observances according to orthodox religious canons.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഭോഷരുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ പാത്രംമാറാം”
— English Translation:
As long as fools exist in the market, one can swap bad vessels for good. (Swindlers and charlatans thrive solely because there are gullible fools willing to be exploited.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ബ്രാഹ്മണരിൽ കറുത്തവനെയും പറയരിൽ വെളുത്തവനെയും വിശ്വസിച്ചുകൂടാ”
— English Translation:
Distrust a dark-complexioned Brahmin and a fair-complexioned laborer. (An ancient, stereotypical folk prejudice cautioning against individuals whose physical appearance deviates markedly from traditional social expectations.)

“”
— English Translation:
A woman born under Makam, a man born under Pooradam. (Traditional astrological lore denoting individuals destined for supreme commanding authority, regal dignity, and boundless fortune.)