ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
നഗരത്തിൽ ഇരുമ്പാലും നരകഭയം വിടാ”
— English Translation:
Even while dwelling in a royal capital, the dread of hell does not depart. (Material luxuries and urban splendor cannot silence a guilty conscience or ease spiritual dread.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദൂരത്തെവഴിക്കു നേരത്തെപോകണം”
— English Translation:
For a long, distant journey, set out early. (Ambitious, long-range undertakings demand prompt initiative and early preparation.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നഞ്ചുവേണമൊ നാനാഴി”
— English Translation:
Does one need four full measures of deadly poison? (A single drop of venom is enough to kill; a tiny flaw, slander, or toxic element is sufficient to cause total ruin.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദൂരംവിട്ടാൽ ഖേദംവിട്ടു”
— English Translation:
Once the distance is crossed, the anxiety is gone. (Dread vanishes the moment you face the ordeal and put the difficult road behind you.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നഞ്ഞേറ്റമീൻപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like a fish that has swallowed toxic bait. (Stunned, disoriented, and helplessly drifting toward imminent capture or destruction.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദൈവം ഉള്ള നാൾ മറക്കുമൊ”
— English Translation:
So long as God exists, will He ever forget His creation? (Have faith in providence; divine care never abandons the living.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നടക്കുമ്പോൾ രണ്ടു ഏറെവെട്ടിയാൽ കിടക്കുമ്പോൾ രണ്ടു ഏറെ വലിക്കാം”
— English Translation:
Take two extra strides while walking, and you can stretch your legs two spans longer while resting. (Exerting extra effort during work hours earns deeper peace and comfort when the labor is done.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദെവരുടെ ആന, കാട്ടിലെ മരം, വലിയെടാ വലി”
— English Translation:
The temple deity's elephant, timber from the wild common forest—haul away with all your might! (Recklessly exploiting public or institutional resources because none of the expense or wear comes from one's own pocket.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നടന്നകന്നാൽ ഇടറും, ഇരുന്നകാൽ ഇടറുകയില്ല”
— English Translation:
The foot that walks and wanders may stumble, but the foot that stays seated never stumbles. (Those who take initiative and venture out will inevitably face mistakes, while those who risk nothing avoid error but accomplish nothing.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദൈവം തുണയുള്ളപ്പോൾ പലരും തുണയുണ്ട്”
— English Translation:
When God's favor is with you, many worldly companions will rally to your side. (When fortune smiles upon you, friends and allies multiply naturally.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ധനത്തിനു വേലി ധർമ്മം തന്നെ”
— English Translation:
Righteousness itself is the only true protective hedge around wealth. (Ethical conduct, fair dealing, and generous charity preserve and shield an estate from eventual ruin.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ധനമില്ലാത്ത പുരുഷനും മണമില്ലാത്ത പുഷ്പവും ശരി”
— English Translation:
A man without wealth is like a blossom without fragrance. (Without practical substance, generosity, or resources, mere outward presence commands little regard in the world.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ധനാശി പാടിപ്പൊയി”
— English Translation:
The final raga Dhanashri has already been sung. (The show is over; the enterprise has reached its definite end; the curtain has fallen.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ധർമ്മടം പിടിച്ചതു കോയ അറിഞ്ഞില്ല”
— English Translation:
The capture of the isle of Dharmadam went completely unnoticed by the Koya merchant. (Completely oblivious to monumental historical events and political shifts taking place right in one's own neighborhood.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദിവ്യനെന്നാകിലും ഭാഗ്യനെന്നാകിലും ദ്രവ്യമില്ലായ്കയിൽ തരംകെടുംനിശ്ചയം”
— English Translation:
Be he divine or exceptionally fortunate, without material wealth his stature will surely fall. (In the cynical eyes of the world, neither noble birth nor high intellect can preserve social respect without financial means.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ധർമ്മദൈവവും തലമുടിയും തനിക്കുനാശം”
— English Translation:
One's own ancestral guardian deity and one's own long hair become the cause of one's undoing. (When the very things meant for protection and ornament turn into instruments of destruction and entanglement.)