ProverbPedia

“Malayalam Proverb:
കോയിലരികെ കടിവാഴുകയില്ല”
— English Translation:
A biting parasite cannot endure right beside the temple shrine (or royal hall). (Petty nuisances and corrupt rogues cannot survive under the immediate, piercing scrutiny of supreme authority.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കോരിയാൽ വറ്റുമൊ സമുദ്രം”
— English Translation:
Will the ocean run dry if you scoop water with a ladle? (Boundless abundance cannot be depleted by trivial, small-scale draws.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊമ്പന്റെ മുമ്പാകെ; വമ്പന്റെ പിമ്പാകെ”
— English Translation:
Never stand before a charging tusker; never walk behind an arrogant bully. (Prudent rules of survival: an elephant attacks directly from the front, while a treacherous bully strikes from behind.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കോടി ഉടുത്തു കുളങ്ങരെചെന്നാൽ കൊണ്ടതിൽ പാതിവില”
— English Translation:
Wear brand-new cloth to the pond's edge, and it loses half its value instantly. (Exposing fine, pristine assets to coarse environments quickly ruins their worth.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊമ്പിനുപോയകഴുത കാതറ്റുപോന്നു”
— English Translation:
The donkey that went out seeking horns came back with its ears cut off. (Venturing out in greed to gain unnecessary vanities, only to forfeit the basic assets one already had.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കോടി,കോടി,കോടിക്കൊടുത്താൽ കാണികൊടുത്ത ഫലം,കോടാതെ ഒരു കാണികൊടുത്താൽ കോടികൊടുത്തഫലം”
— English Translation:
Giving crores upon crores with a crooked mind earns only the merit of a fraction, but giving a mere fraction with an uncrooked heart yields the reward of crores. (The moral worth of charity lies in purity of intention and sincerity, not the material magnitude of the gift.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊമ്പുതോറുംനനക്കേണ്ടാ മുരട്ടു നനച്ചാൽമതി”
— English Translation:
You don't need to water every single branch; watering the roots is enough. (Address the root cause and foundation of a matter rather than wasting labor on superficial branches.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊയ്ത്തോളം കാത്തിട്ടു, കൊയ്യാറാകുമ്പോൾ ഉറങ്ങരുതു”
— English Translation:
Having waited patiently until the harvest, do not fall asleep just as the reaping begins. (Never give in to fatigue and slacken vigilance at the decisive moment when fruits are ready to be gathered.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊല്ലക്കുടിയിൽ (കൊല്ലന്റെ ആലയിൽ) സൂചിവില്പാൻ വരുന്നൊ”
— English Translation:
Coming to sell needles at the blacksmith’s forge? (Carrying coals to Newcastle; attempting to teach or sell basic craft tools to the master manufacturer.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊറ്റുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ കുറുന്തടിയും വേലചെയ്യും”
— English Translation:
If food is provided, even a short stump will do work. (Proper nourishment and fair compensation motivate even the humblest worker to perform.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊല്ലത്തു കോശിമാപ്പിളയുടെ മുതലിനു കൊടുങ്ങല്ലൂർകൊല്ലനു അവകാശം”
— English Translation:
The blacksmith in Kodungallur claiming rights over the estate of Koshi Mappila in Kollam. (An absurd, groundless claim of entitlement over someone else's distant fortune.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊതിക്കു കോയ്മയില്ലാ”
— English Translation:
Appetite acknowledges no sovereign. (Raw craving and biological hunger recognize no shame, law, or royal authority.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊല്ലത്തെപ്പെരുവഴി ഇല്ലത്തെ (തള്ളക്കു) സ്ത്രീധനമൊ”
— English Translation:
Is the public highway of Kollam the private dowry of your mother's estate? (A sharp rebuke to someone acting domineering, entitled, and obstructive on shared public property.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊതിയനിലെക്കുപോയി, ഇനിക്കു നിലത്തുതാ”
— English Translation:
"Serve the greedy man's portion on a banana leaf, but pour mine right on the floor." (Feigning deep humility while shamelessly competing for the exact same handouts.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊല്ലൻ കുശവന്റെ പണിക്കു പോകരുതു”
— English Translation:
A blacksmith should not undertake the work of a potter. (Stick to your own trade and expertise; do not meddle in a craft that demands opposite sensibilities.)

“Malayalam Proverb:
കൊതുപോകുന്നതറിയും, ആനപോകുന്നതറികയില്ല”
— English Translation:
Noticing a tiny mosquito passing by, yet failing to see an elephant walking through. (Straining at a gnat while swallowing a camel; obsessing over minor trivia while blind to massive realities.)