ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
മനാരിക്ക = ശൗചിക്ക”
— English Translation:
[Linguistic gloss from source text: "Manarikkuka" means to cleanse oneself or perform ablutions after defecating.]

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആർക്കാനും വേണ്ടീട്ടോക്കാനിക്ക”
— English Translation:
Why retch and vomit for someone else's sake? (Do not take on unnecessary suffering or grief over problems that belong to others.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആലത്തുരലും വീട്ടിഉലക്കയും ചീനത്തമ്മിയും വീട്ടിൽഒരുത്തിയും”
— English Translation:
An ironwood mortar, a rosewood pestle, a granite grinding slab, and a capable mistress in the house. (The four enduring pillars of a sturdy, prosperous, and well-managed home.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആരാൻമാരാൻ ചക്കകട്ടിട്ടു, ശങ്കരന്റെ കുണ്ടിക്ക് വെളഞ്ഞില്”
— English Translation:
Someone stole the jackfruit, but sticky gum was found on Shankaran's rear. (An innocent bystander taking the fall and getting caught with suspicious evidence for someone else's misdeed.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആരുമകൻ പല്ലക്കേറിയാലും എന്മകൻ ചുമക്കണം”
— English Translation:
Whoever's son rides high in the palanquin, my son is the one who must carry the poles. (The unchanging burden of the working class; rulers and beneficiaries rotate, but the laborer's toil endures.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആരാനെ ആറ്റാണ്ടു പോറ്റിയാലും ആരാൻ ആരാൻ തന്നെ”
— English Translation:
Even if you foster a stranger for six years, a stranger remains a stranger. (Blood is thicker than water; outsiders rarely become true kin no matter how much you care for them.)

“”
— English Translation:
When there is no one else, turn to the priest; when all else fails, depend solely on yourself. (When every external prop and alternative collapses, self-reliance is the only answer.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആരാന്റെ അപരാധം വാരിയന്റെ ഊരമേൽ”
— English Translation:
Someone else committed the crime, but the penalty landed on the temple attendant's back. (Bearing the brunt of punishment for another's fault; made into a scapegoat.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആറിയ കഞ്ഞി പഴങ്കഞ്ഞി”
— English Translation:
Porridge that has gone cold is nothing more than stale porridge. (What has lost its passion, timeliness, and momentum loses its worth; a delayed deed loses its vitality.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആരാന്റെ അപരാധത്തിനു വാരിയന്റെ പുരമകൾ എടുത്തു”
— English Translation:
For another's wrongdoing, the thatch of the temple attendant's house was torn down. (Misdirected vengeance that unfairly harms a vulnerable, innocent party.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആറുകർണ്ണങ്ങൾ പുക്കാൽ മന്ത്രവും ഭേദിച്ചീടും”
— English Translation:
Once it enters six ears, even a sacred confidential incantation is broken. (A secret shared among three people will inevitably leak to the world.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആരാന്റെ കണ്ണേ നമ്മുടെ കുറ്റം കാണൂ”
— English Translation:
Only through another person's eyes can our own blemishes be seen. (We are naturally blind to our own flaws; outside perspective reveals what we hide from ourselves.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആറുകവിഞ്ഞെ തോട്ടിൽ പായ്യൂ”
— English Translation:
Only when the main river overflows does water rush into the small canal. (Subordinates and dependents receive their share of prosperity only when the primary provider enjoys great abundance.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആരാന്റെ കുട്ടിയെ ആയിരം മുത്തിയാലും ഒന്നു പൊത്തിക്കൂടാ”
— English Translation:
You may shower another's child with a thousand kisses, but you can never shield or discipline them as your own. (Borrowed affection can never replace the legitimate rights and responsibilities of real parenthood.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആരാന്റെ പല്ലിനെക്കാൾ തന്റെ ഊനു(നൊണ്ണു) നല്ലത്”
— English Translation:
One's own toothless gums are better than someone else's row of fine teeth. (Your own modest resources, however humble, are far more dependable than borrowing the advantages of others.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ആരാന്റെ തലയ്ക്കു ഭ്രാന്ത് പിടിച്ചാൽ കാണുന്ന തലക്ക് നല്ല ചേല്”
— English Translation:
When another person goes mad, it is grand entertainment for onlookers. (People find cruel amusement in the misfortunes and unraveling of others.)