ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
പട്ടനൂലും വാഴനാരും പോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like pairing fine silk thread with coarse plantain fiber. (An absurd mismatch between delicate refinement and rough, coarse utility.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പടിക്കൽ പാറയൊന്നായാൽ ദെവനുപാതി”
— English Translation:
If a rock lies right at the doorstep, half the share belongs to the guardian deity. (When a formidable obstacle stands at the entrance, a tribute or concession must be paid to ensure safe passage.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പട്ടുംവളയും പണിക്കർക്ക്; വെട്ടും കുത്തും പലിശക്കു”
— English Translation:
The honorary silk and gold bangles go to the master tutor, while the cuts and slashes fall on the warrior's shield. (High honors, titles, and rewards are enjoyed by safe superiors, while frontline fighters bear the blood, wounds, and mortal danger.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പടുമുളെക്കു വളം വേണ്ടാ”
— English Translation:
A vigorous wild shoot needs no manure. (Natural genius and robust inborn vitality flourish on their own without requiring artificial boosting.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പഠിക്കും മുമ്പേ പണിക്കരാകരുതു”
— English Translation:
Do not pose as a master craftsman before you have even learned the trade. (Master the fundamentals through humble apprenticeship before presuming to act with authority.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പടെക്കു പോകുമ്പോൾ കുട പിടിപ്പിക്ക”
— English Translation:
Having an umbrella held over you while marching into battle. (Comical, effeminate vanity in the face of lethal danger; inappropriate softness in a brutal arena.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പഠിക്കാൻ കാലം പഴതാകില്ല”
— English Translation:
Time is never too old for learning. (It is never too late to learn; the pursuit of wisdom knows no age limit.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പടെക്കും അടെക്കും കുടെക്കും ചളിക്കും നടുനല്ലു”
— English Translation:
In battle, behind barricades, under an umbrella, and through mire, the middle position is best. (The wisdom of the golden mean; positioning oneself in the center offers the greatest protection from extreme hazards.)

“”
— English Translation:
An educated fool is the biggest fool of all. (A fool armed with book knowledge but devoid of common sense is far more dangerous and absurd than an ordinary illiterate fool.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പട്ടണം ചുട്ടു പകലിറങ്ങി ഇനി എന്തിനാ മകളെ മുട്ടാക്കു”
— English Translation:
The town is burned to ash and broad daylight has broken; why bother with a veil now, daughter? (When total catastrophe has occurred and everything is exposed, clinging to bashful pretenses is pointless.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പണക്കാരൻ ഈറ്റയൻ എന്നും അഭ്യാസി കുടിലൻ എന്നും കരുതരുതു”
— English Translation:
Do not assume that every rich man is a miser, or that every martial expert is treacherous. (Avoid hasty prejudices; material wealth does not guarantee stinginess, nor does physical power imply malice.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പട്ടരു പുലിയെ കണ്ടതു പോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like the timid priest catching sight of a tiger. (Frozen in petrified, breathless terror before an overwhelming, lethal threat.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പണംകൊണ്ടറിഞ്ഞെങ്കിലെ പണത്തേൽകൊള്ളൂ”
— English Translation:
Only if one has learned the hard way through money will one truly value wealth. (Only through personal handling, managing losses, and financial struggle does one truly grasp the value of money.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പട്ടർക്കുണ്ടൊ പടയും വിനയും പൊട്ടർക്കുണ്ടോ വാക്കും പോക്കും”
— English Translation:
Does a scholar-priest engage in war and feud, or does a deaf-mute engage in speech and travel? (People are bound by their innate callings and limits; do not expect martial fury from intellectuals or eloquence from the mute.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പണത്തിനുമീതെ പരുന്തും പറക്കയില്ല”
— English Translation:
Even an eagle will not fly above money. (Money reigns supreme over all worldly affairs; no power or height is beyond the sway of wealth.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
പട്ടർക്കെന്താ പടയിൽ കാർയ്യം”
— English Translation:
What business does a priest have on a battlefield? (One should not meddle in arenas where one's background, training, and temperament have no place.)