ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
തളപ്പിട്ട കാലിന്മേൽ ചെരുപ്പിട്ടാൽ എങ്ങനെയാണ്”
— English Translation:
How can one wear travel sandals upon feet already bound in climbing thongs? (You cannot pursue free, outward progress while still shackled by crippling entanglements or obligations.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തളികയിലുണ്ടാലും തേക്കും”
— English Translation:
Even if dining from a silver platter, one will still belch. (Vast wealth and royal luxury do not exempt anyone from the common physiological realities and frailties of human nature.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തള്ളക്കോഴി ചവുട്ടീട്ട് കുഞ്ഞൻകോഴി ചാകയില്ല”
— English Translation:
A chick does not perish from being stepped on by the mother hen. (Parental discipline and loving correction, though stern, are never intended to destroy the child.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തലയുള്ളന്നും മൂക്കിലെവെള്ളം വറ്റുകയില്ല”
— English Translation:
As long as the head remains, the drip from the nose will never dry up. (As long as mortal life continues, minor troubles, expenses, and annoyances are unavoidable.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തള്ള ചവുട്ടിയാൽ പിള്ളയ്ക്കു കേടില്ല”
— English Translation:
If the mother treads upon the child, no harm comes of it. (Discipline administered by genuine maternal affection leaves no lasting trauma or injury.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തലയുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ നാലുവാക്കിനും കെട്ടാം”
— English Translation:
As long as the head is intact, you can tie your turban in any of four styles. (As long as life and core foundations endure, forms and fortunes can always be rebuilt.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തള്ള ചൊല്ലാ വാവൽ കിഴുക്കനാം ജാതി”
— English Translation:
The bat that ignored its mother's counsel ended up hanging upside down forever. (Defying parental wisdom and wise elder guidance leads straight to an inverted, troubled existence.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തല വലിയവന്നു പൊത്തിൽ പൊയ്ക്കൂടാ”
— English Translation:
One with a massive head cannot crawl into a narrow burrow. (A person of high stature, great size, or immense fame cannot hide in petty, secretive corners.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തള്ള തടിവഴിയെങ്കിൽ പിള്ള എലച്ചിൽ വഴി”
— English Translation:
If the mother runs along the trunk, the offspring scuttles along the slender twigs. (The younger generation often exceeds the older in daring, reckless, or volatile ways.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തൽക്കാലവും സദൃശവും ഒരുപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Present circumstance and an apt analogy carry equal weight. (Timely presence of mind and the right fitting response are equally powerful in resolving matters.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തള്ള വഴി പിള്ള, താണവഴി വെള്ളം”
— English Translation:
The child follows the mother's path, just as water flows down the lowest slope. (Children naturally emulate the habits and character of their parents along the path of least resistance.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തവള തുടിച്ചാൽ വെള്ളം പൊങ്ങുമോ”
— English Translation:
Will the water level rise just because a frog thrashes about? (The frantic agitation or self-importance of an insignificant weakling has zero impact on the larger world.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തള്ളയ്ക്കുചുടുമ്പോൾ കുട്ടിയെ ഇട്ടു ചവിട്ടും (അച്ചിക്കുപൊള്ളുന്നേരം കുട്ടിയെപിടിച്ചു ചന്തിക്കു വയ്ക്കും)”
— English Translation:
When the embers scorch the mother's feet, she steps upon her child (when the mistress burns, she places the child beneath her seat). (In moments of extreme, agonizing desperation, raw survival instinct can override natural affection, turning dependents into shields.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തല്ലുകൊള്ളുവാൻ ചെണ്ട, പണം വാങ്ങുവാൻ മാരാർ”
— English Translation:
The drum takes all the blows, while the drummer collects all the money. (The working laborer absorbs all the bruising toil, while the master pockets all the profit and praise.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തള്ളേ നോക്കി പിള്ളേ വാങ്ങണം”
— English Translation:
Examine the mother before taking the daughter in marriage (or buying the calf). (Judge the future character, temperament, and health of offspring by observing the parent.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തല്ലുന്ന കയ്യേ തഴുകത്തുള്ളൂ”
— English Translation:
Only the hand that strikes in discipline will stroke in true affection. (Genuine love and constructive correction come from the same caring authority; firm boundaries and true tenderness go together.)