ProverbPedia

“ നീരായാലും മോരെ പേയായാലും തായെ”
English Translation:
Be it plain water, call it rich buttermilk; be she a harsh spirit, she is still your mother. (Contentment with humble fare and steadfast filial reverence toward parents, regardless of their temper.)

— Malayalam

Related Mantras

“ പൊന്നരുവാ, നെരടിയമ്മി, വെച്ചാലൊട്ടു കൊടുക്കയും വേണ്ടാ”
English Translation:
A golden sickle and an uneven grinding stone—neither kept with ease nor readily given away. (A white elephant; an awkward possession that is too impractical to use, yet too valuable or troublesome to part with.)

“ കയ്യാലപുറത്തെ തേങ്ങാപോലെ”
English Translation:
Like a coconut balanced on top of a mud wall. (Perched in precarious uncertainty, liable to tumble to either side at any moment; sitting on the fence.)

“ നെയികൂട്ടിയാൽ നെഞ്ഞറിയും”
English Translation:
If clarified butter is added, the heart and chest recognize it immediately. (Real substance, nourishing quality, and true generosity cannot be concealed; their benefits are felt at once.)