ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
പൂച്ചകുരുടിയാണെന്നു എലി അറിയുമൊ”
— English Translation:
Does the mouse ever know that the cat is blind? (The weak remain in awe and dread of established authority even when that power has secretly become incapacitated.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പുരവലിപ്പാൻ പറഞ്ഞാൽ ഇറയേവലിക്കാവൂ”
— English Translation:
Even if ordered to tear down the house, pull down only the eaves. (Exercise restraint and mercy; minimize destruction even when pressured by severe or harsh commands.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പുരയില്ലാത്തവനുണ്ടോ തീപ്പേടി”
— English Translation:
Does he who has no house have any dread of fire? (A person who possesses nothing has nothing to lose; absolute destitution brings immunity from worldly anxieties.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിള്ളചിത്തം പീനകീറും; നായിചിത്തം തുണികീറും”
— English Translation:
A child's whim tears the wrapper; a dog's whim shreds the cloth. (Immature or unreflective natures inflict senseless damage out of sheer caprice, unaware of the value destroyed.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പുരക്കുമീതെ വെള്ളം പൊങ്ങിയാൽ അതുക്കുമീതെ തോണി”
— English Translation:
If the floodwaters rise above the roof of the house, launch a boat above it. (Invincible adaptability; when adversity overwhelms all normal boundaries, rise above it with higher countermeasures.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിള്ളമനസ്സിൽ കള്ളമില്ല”
— English Translation:
In a child's heart, there is no deceit. (The unblemished purity, sincerity, and innocence of children, free from worldly guile.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പുരെക്കു തീപിടിക്കുമ്പോഴെ വാഴ വെട്ടാനൊക്കത്തുള്ളൂ”
— English Translation:
Can one harvest plantain trees only when the house catches fire? (Cynically exploiting a disaster to plunder goods, or waiting for a life-threatening crisis before attending to basic chores.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിള്ളപ്പണി തീപ്പണി; തള്ളെക്കുരണ്ടാം‌പണി”
— English Translation:
A child's work is fire-work (a calamitous mess); it only gives the mother double the labor. (Incompetent assistance from the untrained creates chaos that requires the master to redo the entire job from scratch.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പുരെക്കൊരു മുത്തി(തീത്തി); അരെക്കൊരു കത്തി”
— English Translation:
An old scold at home, and a sharp dagger at the waist. (A life of constant friction and strife; enduring domestic nagging within while remaining armed and wary without.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിള്ളരെകൂടെ കളിച്ചാൽ വീറുകെടും”
— English Translation:
If you join in playing with children, your dignity is lost. (Engaging in frivolous squabbles or familiar games with social or intellectual inferiors undermines your authority.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പൂതൽ = ചെതുക്ക്”
— English Translation:
[Linguistic gloss from source text: Clarifies that "Poothal" means decaying, rotten, or brittle spongy wood ("chethukku"), glossing proverb #1873.]

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിള്ളരെമോഹം പറഞ്ഞാൽതീരും; മൂരിമോഹം മൂളിയാൽ തീരും”
— English Translation:
A child's craving ends once spoken; a bullock's craving ends once it grunts. (Fleeting, superficial desires that pass away harmlessly the moment they find a simple outlet.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പുലർന്നകുറുക്കനെ പോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like a fox trapped by the break of dawn. (Caught red-handed in the open light; trapped and bewildered with all cover stripped away.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പിള്ളേരല്ലെ, ചക്കരയല്ലെ”
— English Translation:
Are they not children? Are they not sweet jaggery? (Pleading for affectionate indulgence toward the young; children are precious treasures whose blunders should be forgiven.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പുലയനെ വെട്ടിയവാൾ കളയാറുണ്ടൊ”
— English Translation:
Does anyone throw away a fine sword simply because it struck an outcaste? (A valuable, sharp instrument is not discarded merely because it was employed in an unpleasant or base task.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പഴമേൽ‌പിഴയില്ല; മഴമേൽ മുഴയില്ല”
— English Translation:
In ancient traditional wisdom there is no error; upon falling rain there is no ridge. (Time-tested proverbs and natural laws are flawless and level; truth accommodates no dispute.)