ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
തന്നിഷ്ട്ടത്തിനു മരുന്നില്ല”
— English Translation:
There is no medicine for willful obstinacy. (Stubborn, self-willed arrogance is an incurable affliction that rejects all remedy and reason.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തന്നിഷ്ട്ടം പൊന്നിഷ്ട്ടം, ആരാന്റെയിഷ്ട്ടം വിമ്മിഷ്ട്ടം”
— English Translation:
One's own desire is golden delight; another's desire is sheer nuisance. (Selfish double standards; we indulge our own whims as precious while finding the wishes of others intolerable.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തന്നൂർ പേയും അയലൂർ വെള്ളവും പേടി”
— English Translation:
Dread the ghost from your own village, and fear the floodwaters from the neighboring land. (Local adversaries know your intimate vulnerabilities, while outside crises strike without warning; be wary of both domestic spite and foreign peril.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തന്നെക്കൊല്ലുവാൻ വന്ന പശുവിനെ കൊന്നാൽ ദോഷമില്ല”
— English Translation:
There is no sin in slaying even a sacred cow if it charges to murder you. (Self-defense overrides traditional taboos; saving your own life against a mortal threat is the paramount moral law.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തന്നമ്പലം നന്നെങ്കിൽ പൊന്നമ്പലം ആടെണ്ടാ”
— English Translation:
If your local temple is sacred and serene, you need not go dance at the golden shrine of Sabarimala. (If fulfillment, peace, and harmony are present in your own home, there is no need to wander afar seeking foreign wonders.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തന്നാലെ താൻ കെട്ടാൽ അണ്ണാവി എന്തു ചെയ്യും”
— English Translation:
If someone ruins himself through his own willful folly, what can the master do? (No teacher, mentor, or advisor can save a person who is stubbornly hell-bent on self-destruction.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തന്നാൽ തന്നതും തിന്നതും കാണിക്കണം”
— English Translation:
If resources are entrusted, one must show clearly both what was received and what was spent. (Strict accountability and transparency; always maintain an honest record of incoming funds and expenditures.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തനിക്കു ചുടുമ്പോൾ കുട്ടി അടിയിൽ”
— English Translation:
When the embers burn one's own feet, one puts the child underneath to stand on. (Extreme, ruthless selfishness; in moments of desperate self-preservation, human nature can push even dependents into harm's way.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തനിക്കുതാനും പുരക്കു തൂണും”
— English Translation:
Self-reliance for oneself, and a central pillar for the house. (Just as a sturdy pillar supports the entire roof, unwavering self-reliance is the sole dependable foundation for an individual.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തനിക്കു വേണ്ടുകിൽ എളിയതും ചെയ്യാം”
— English Translation:
When driven by personal necessity, one will gladly perform even the humblest task. (Necessity knows no pride; when real need arises, one stoops to the lowliest work without shame.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തനിപ്പൊന്നിനു തീപ്പെടിയില്ല”
— English Translation:
Pure gold has no fear of the roaring furnace. (Unblemished truth, clear conscience, and true integrity never fear testing, trial, or intense scrutiny.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തനിക്കൊരു മുറമുണ്ടെങ്കിലെ തവിട്ടിന്റെ ഗുണമറിയൂ”
— English Translation:
Only if you possess your own winnowing basket do you appreciate the value of rice bran. (Only when you hold the proper tools and practical responsibility do you understand the worth of modest resources.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തൻ കാണം തൻകൈയിൽ അല്ലാത്തൊനു ചൊട്ടൊന്നു”
— English Translation:
He whose property is not in his own keeping receives a rap on the knuckles. (When your wealth is tied up in the hands of others, you are rendered helpless, dependent, and vulnerable to humiliation.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തൻ കയ്യിൽ കാണം മറുകയ്യിൽ പോയാൽ അക്കാണം വക്കാണം”
— English Translation:
When the money in your hand passes into another's hand, that wealth turns into a bitter brawl. (Money lent easily to friends or associates turns into contentious, hostile dispute when you seek its return.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തന്ത പരക്കഴി തള്ള പരക്കഴി അക്കുടിമക്കൾ ഒക്കെപ്പരക്കഴി”
— English Translation:
The father a dissolute rogue, the mother a vagabond, and every child of that house a complete scoundrel. (A thoroughly corrupt lineage where bad character and degeneracy run through every single member.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തൻ ബലം കണ്ടെ അമ്പലം കെട്ടാവു”
— English Translation:
Gauge your own strength before setting out to construct a temple. (Assess your resources, stamina, and capital before committing to monumental, costly enterprises.)