ProverbPedia

“ ഒരുതൂണുണ്ടെങ്കിലെ ഒരുമുറം ചാരിക്കൂടു”
English Translation:
Only if a pillar stands firm can you lean a winnowing basket against it. (Even the humblest dependence requires a solid, upright foundation to lean upon.)

— Malayalam

Related Mantras

“ ഓട്ടക്കാരനു പാട്ടം ചേരുകയില്ല”
English Translation:
A tenancy lease does not suit a roving wanderer. (Steady farming and stable institutions require rooted discipline, not erratic roaming.)

“ തന്നൂർ പേയും അയലൂർ വെള്ളവും പേടി”
English Translation:
Dread the ghost from your own village, and fear the floodwaters from the neighboring land. (Local adversaries know your intimate vulnerabilities, while outside crises strike without warning; be wary of both domestic spite and foreign peril.)

“ കെട്ടവിളക്കിൽ വെളിച്ചെണ്ണ പകർന്നാൽ കത്തുമൊ”
English Translation:
If you pour coconut oil into an extinguished lamp, will it flare up without a flame? (Pouring capital or resources into an enterprise is futile unless the spark of initiative and competence is alive.)