ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചോറുണ്ടാകുമ്പോൾ ചാറില്ല, ചാറുണ്ടാകുമ്പോൾ ചോറില്ല, രണ്ടും ഉണ്ടാകുമ്പോൾ ഞാനില്ല”
— English Translation:
When there is rice, there is no broth; when there is broth, there is no rice; and when both are ready, I am not there. (The tragicomedy of chronic bad timing; complementary elements never align when one is present to enjoy them.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തകൃതിപ്പലിശ തടവിന്നാകാ”
— English Translation:
Runaway compound interest cannot be recovered when the borrower is broken or behind bars. (Pushing demands and extortion to unreasonable extremes guarantees that you recover nothing at all.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചോറിൽകിടക്കുന്ന കല്ലെടുത്തു മാറ്റാൻ വയ്യ, ഗോപുരംകെട്ടാൻ കല്ലു ചുമക്കാം പോലും”
— English Translation:
Unable to remove a tiny pebble from a bowl of rice, yet boasting of hauling stones to erect a temple tower. (Incapable of performing the simplest practical tasks, yet bragging of tackling colossal, heroic feats.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തക്കം എങ്കിൽ തക്കം; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വെക്കം”
— English Translation:
If the opportune moment is here, seize it; otherwise act with swift dispatch. (Strike while the iron is hot; either wait patiently for the ideal opportunity or act immediately without lingering indecision.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഛർദ്ദിക്കുംപിള്ള വർദ്ധിക്കും”
— English Translation:
The infant that throws up frequently will grow strong and thrive. (Minor setbacks, purges, and teething pains in the beginning are natural precursors to healthy long-term growth.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തക്കവർക്കു തക്കവണ്ണം പറകൊല്ല”
— English Translation:
Do not speak inappropriately to people of true standing. (Treat people of stature, competence, and dignity with the respect and decorum appropriate to them.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഛർദ്ദിച്ചാൽ ഭക്ഷിക്കരുതു”
— English Translation:
What has once been vomited out must never be consumed again. (Never return to vices, associations, or repudiated errors that you have deliberately renounced.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
തംകുലം വറട്ടി ധർമ്മം ചെയ്യരുതു”
— English Translation:
Never perform acts of charity by starving your own household. (Charity begins at home; do not ruin your own family to put on an outward show of philanthropy for outsiders.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ഛിദ്രേഷ്വനർത്ഥം ബഹുലീഭവന്തി”
— English Translation:
In cracks and internal divisions, misfortunes multiply. (Adversity and enemies swarm where internal disunity, weakness, or rifts exist.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ജനിച്ചാൽ മരിക്കാതിരിക്കയില്ല”
— English Translation:
Whoever is born cannot escape death. (Mortality is an absolute, immutable law of existence; everything that begins must end.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ജലരേഖ പോലെ”
— English Translation:
Like a line drawn upon water. (Fleeting, impermanent, and vanishing without a trace the moment it is made.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ജളനെ വളരെ ആശ്രയിക്ക, ജന്മിയെ കൈവിടാതെയും ഇരിക്ക”
— English Translation:
Rely cautiously upon the simpleton, while taking care never to sever ties with the landed lord. (Prudent worldly management: handle unpredictable folk with care while keeping your lifeline to substantial authority intact.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ജാത്യാലുള്ളതു തൂത്താൽ പോകുമൊ”
— English Translation:
Can that which is inborn in one's very nature ever be swept away with a broom? (Inborn character traits, instincts, and constitutional flaws cannot be eradicated by cosmetic polishing.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ജീരകത്താലിക്കു കുഴവെക്കുകയാണൊ”
— English Translation:
Are you fixing a heavy tubular socket onto a dainty cumin-seed wedding pendant? (Crafting a clumsy, disproportionate attachment for an exquisitely delicate object; gross structural mismatch.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ജ്ഞാനി എല്ലായിടത്തും ജ്ഞാനി; രാജാവു രാജ്യത്തിൽ മാത്രം രാജാവു”
— English Translation:
A sage is revered everywhere; a king is a monarch only within his own borders. (True wisdom commands universal respect across the world, whereas worldly dominion is strictly confined to its territory.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
ചൊല്ലിക്കൊടു, നുള്ളിക്കൊടു, തല്ലിക്കൊടു, തള്ളിക്കള”
— English Translation:
First instruct with words, then pinch to correct, then strike to discipline, and if all fails, cast away. (The natural escalation of corrective guidance: counsel, mild warning, firm discipline, and finally complete severance.)