ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
മല്ലൻപിടിച്ചെടം മർമ്മം”
— English Translation:
Wherever the master wrestler grabs is declared a vital pressure point. (Might makes right; the dominant power dictates terms, and wherever authority strikes is deemed decisive.)

“”
— English Translation:
For a wooden toy musket, a clay pellet. (Matching a counterfeit or harmless tool with an equally futile component; a completely ineffective setup.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മലിഞ്ഞാമണ്ണ്, കുറഞ്ഞാൽ പൊന്ന്”
— English Translation:
In surplus it is dirt; in scarcity it is gold. (Scarcity creates value; what is rare is treasured, while what is overly abundant is treated as worthless.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മരമില്ലാ നാട്ടിൽ ആവണക്കു മഹാമരം”
— English Translation:
In a land without trees, the castor shrub is hailed as a mighty timber tree. (In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king; among mediocre people, even minimal talent passes for profound genius.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മഴനനയാതെ പുഴയിൽ ചാടുക”
— English Translation:
Leaping into the roaring river to avoid getting wet in the rain. (Out of the frying pan into the fire; taking a disastrous, extreme step to escape a minor, passing inconvenience.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മരിക്കാതിരിപ്പാൻ ജനിക്കാതിരിക്കണം”
— English Translation:
To avoid dying, one must never be born. (Mortality is the unavoidable condition of existence; accepting life means accepting the reality of death.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മഴയത്തുള്ള എരുമയെപ്പോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like a water buffalo standing placidly in torrential rain. (Utterly indifferent, unbothered, and thick-skinned in the face of harsh conditions or surrounding panic.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മരിങ്ങിയ പണം മരിച്ചാലും എടുക്കുകയില്ല”
— English Translation:
Wealth hoarded away in secret cannot be taken along when death arrives. (You can't take it with you; hoarded riches remain behind uselessly once life departs.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മണ്ണുതിന്നെങ്കിലും മണ്ണേൽ കിടക്കണം”
— English Translation:
Even if reduced to eating dirt, sleep upon your own land. (The paramount value of landed independence; enduring extreme poverty on one's own property is better than living comfortably in servitude.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മനോരമ്യം രമ്യം (രസം രസം രഞ്ജനരഞ്ജന) എങ്കിൽ ചാണകപ്പാട്ടയും (കുന്തിയും) സമ്മന്തി”
— English Translation:
If it charms the heart, even a cow-dung bucket is accepted as fine companion. (When infatuation or genuine delight takes hold, even the coarsest, lowliest object is cherished; beauty lies in the eyes of the pleased beholder.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മണ്ണുമൂത്താൽ വെട്ടിവാഴും, പെണ്ണൂമൂത്താൽ കെട്ടിവാഴും”
— English Translation:
When land matures it is cleared and ruled; when a maiden matures she is wed and manages the home. (The natural order of life; land and individuals achieve their true purpose and dignity in their season of maturity.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മന്തുകാലൻറെ കാത്തളപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like an ornamental anklet worn upon a leg swollen with elephantiasis. (A clumsy, grotesque adornment that only draws attention to a deformity rather than beautifying it.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മതിയുള്ളവൻ രാജാവു”
— English Translation:
He who possesses wisdom and contentment is the true king. (True sovereignty is an inner state governed by intellect and peace of mind, not worldly crowns.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മന്തുകാലൻറെ തൊഴിപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like the kick from a man afflicted with elephantiasis. (A blow that is heavy, slow, and clumsy, yet leaves a dull, crushing impact when it lands.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മതൃത്തപാലിന്നില്ലാത്തതൊ പുളിച്ചമോറ്റിനു”
— English Translation:
What was missing in sweet, rich milk, will it be found in sour buttermilk? (If an asset failed to deliver value at the peak of its excellence, its degraded residue certainly will not.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
മന്ത്രിക്കൊത്തപടി”
— English Translation:
A measure suited to the counselor's station. (Acting in strict accordance with one's rank and office, taking steps proportioned to the counsel received.)