ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
നഞ്ചുവേണമൊ നാനാഴി”
— English Translation:
Does one need four full measures of deadly poison? (A single drop of venom is enough to kill; a tiny flaw, slander, or toxic element is sufficient to cause total ruin.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദൂരംവിട്ടാൽ ഖേദംവിട്ടു”
— English Translation:
Once the distance is crossed, the anxiety is gone. (Dread vanishes the moment you face the ordeal and put the difficult road behind you.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നഞ്ഞേറ്റമീൻപോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like a fish that has swallowed toxic bait. (Stunned, disoriented, and helplessly drifting toward imminent capture or destruction.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദൈവം ഉള്ള നാൾ മറക്കുമൊ”
— English Translation:
So long as God exists, will He ever forget His creation? (Have faith in providence; divine care never abandons the living.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നടക്കുമ്പോൾ രണ്ടു ഏറെവെട്ടിയാൽ കിടക്കുമ്പോൾ രണ്ടു ഏറെ വലിക്കാം”
— English Translation:
Take two extra strides while walking, and you can stretch your legs two spans longer while resting. (Exerting extra effort during work hours earns deeper peace and comfort when the labor is done.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദെവരുടെ ആന, കാട്ടിലെ മരം, വലിയെടാ വലി”
— English Translation:
The temple deity's elephant, timber from the wild common forest—haul away with all your might! (Recklessly exploiting public or institutional resources because none of the expense or wear comes from one's own pocket.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
നടന്നകന്നാൽ ഇടറും, ഇരുന്നകാൽ ഇടറുകയില്ല”
— English Translation:
The foot that walks and wanders may stumble, but the foot that stays seated never stumbles. (Those who take initiative and venture out will inevitably face mistakes, while those who risk nothing avoid error but accomplish nothing.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദൈവം തുണയുള്ളപ്പോൾ പലരും തുണയുണ്ട്”
— English Translation:
When God's favor is with you, many worldly companions will rally to your side. (When fortune smiles upon you, friends and allies multiply naturally.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ധനത്തിനു വേലി ധർമ്മം തന്നെ”
— English Translation:
Righteousness itself is the only true protective hedge around wealth. (Ethical conduct, fair dealing, and generous charity preserve and shield an estate from eventual ruin.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ധനമില്ലാത്ത പുരുഷനും മണമില്ലാത്ത പുഷ്പവും ശരി”
— English Translation:
A man without wealth is like a blossom without fragrance. (Without practical substance, generosity, or resources, mere outward presence commands little regard in the world.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തൊട്ടിലിൽശീലം ചുടയിലെ മാറു”
— English Translation:
Habits formed in the cradle will change only at the cremation pyre. (Early childhood conditioning and foundational habits endure for a lifetime; what is bred in the bone never leaves.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദശയറുതി മരണം, വാവറുതി ഗ്രഹണം”
— English Translation:
The end of an astrological life-period brings death, just as the end of the lunar fortnight brings an eclipse. (The inexorable law of cycles; every cosmic phase and mortal tenure must reach its natural conclusion.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തൊമ്മനു തൊപ്പിപ്പാളപോയി, ചാണ്ടിക്കു കഴുക്കോൽ പോയി, മുതലാളിക്കു പണമടിശ്ശീലപോയി”
— English Translation:
Thomman lost his areca-leaf hat, Chandy lost his rafter-pole, and the master lost his money pouch. (A collective calamity strikes everyone according to their scale: the poor lose humble trifles, while the wealthy lose their fortune.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ദാനംകിട്ടിയ പശുവിന്റെവായിൽ പല്ലുണ്ടൊഎന്നു നോക്കരുതു”
— English Translation:
Never pry open the mouth of a gifted cow to count its teeth. (Never look a gift horse in the mouth; accept generosity with gratitude rather than critically inspecting its imperfections.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തൊമ്മനയയുമ്പൊൾ ചാണ്ടിമുറുകും, ചാണ്ടിയയയുമ്പൊൾ തൊമ്മൻ മുറുകും”
— English Translation:
When Thomman slackens, Chandy tightens; when Chandy slackens, Thomman tightens. (A persistent, intractable feud where two obstinate parties alternate flare-ups, preventing any peaceful settlement.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തെവിയാൻ = നീർക്കോലി”
— English Translation:
[Linguistic gloss from source text: Clarifies that "Theviyan" refers to a common water snake (Neerkkoli), glossing proverb #1512.]