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Indian proverbs
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Quotes
, (Hindi) Transliteration: Sau sunar ki, ek lauhar ki. Translation: A single blow of a blacksmith is equal to a hundred blows of a goldsmith. Meaning: Generally used to demonstrate the power of a strong person to a weak one. Source: John Christian (1891). Behar proverbs. K. Paul, Trench, Trbner & co., limited. p. 131. / Transliteration: Veluthathellam Paal alla. Translation: All the things that are white are not milk. English Equivalent: All that white is not milk. Kannada Equivalent: "bellage irodella halalla" ( .) (Tamil)

(Hindi) Transliteration: Jaan hai to Jahan Hai. Translation: (If) there's life, then there's the world. Meaning: Only if you are alive, things matter. Source: Vihrilla Mitra (1998). The Yoga-Vsiha of Vlmki. Parimal Publications. p. 294. ? (Hindi) Transliteration: Jangal main mor nacha, kisne dekha? Translation: Who saw a peacock dance in the woods? Meaning: Even a very good thing will have to be made public, to be acclaimed by people. Source: India Today Volume 25. Thomson Living Media India Ltd.. 2000. p. viii. (Hindi) Transliteration: Jis ki lathi usi ki bhains. Meaning: Whoever owns the lathi (a huge cane/stick) eventually owns the buffalo. English equivalent: Might is right. Source: S. W. Fallon; Sir Richard Carnac Temple; Faqir Chand (Lala.) (1998). A dictionary of Hindustani proverbs. Asian Educational Services. p. 119. ISBN 978-81-206-0663-0.

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Transliteration: Jananee janmabhoomischa swargaadapi gareeyasi. (Sanskrit) Translation: One's mother and homeland are greater than even heaven. Source: Ramayana (when Ravana's brother Bibhisan asks Rama to take charge of Lanka after defeating Ravana, Rama says the above words, indicating his willingess to return to his own kingdom) (Hindi) Transliteration: Ghar ka bhedi lanka dhayey. Translation: The insider who knows all the secrets can bring down Lanka (a very prosperous city in Hindu mythology) Meaning: Beware of the insider, for he can bring down the biggest setup (because of his insider knowledge). Bengali equivalent: Source: Sanjay Chadha (2004). Mantras Of Success. Ocean Books (P) Ltd.. p. 89. ISBN 978-81-88322-49-7. (Hindi) Transliteration: Bandar kya jaane adark ka swaad. Translation: What does a monkey know of the taste of ginger? Meaning: Someone who can't understand can't appreciate (or) Someone without refined tastes cannot appreciate a fine thing. English equivalent: Laying pearls before swine. Bengali equivalent: Chasa ki jane karpurer gun Kannada equivalent: Kattheg enu gotthu Kasthuri parimala (A donkey would not know the scent of Kasthuri) Malayalam equivalent: Nallathe ariyo nayike (Does the dog know whats good )

Marathi equivalent: Gaadhavala gulaachi chav kay (A donkey cannot appreciate the taste of jaggery) Tamil equivalent: ? - Kazhudaikku theriyuma karpoora vaasanai? (What does Donkey know about the odor of Camphor?) Telugu equivalent: Gadida kemi thelusu Gandapu vasana (or) Pandi kemi thelusu panneru vasana. ? ( ) ?

Source: Henk W. Wagenaar; S. S. Parikh; D. F. Plukker (1993). Allied Chambers transliterated Hindi-Hindi-English dictionary. Allied Publishers. p. 79. ISBN 978-81-86062-10-4. (Hindi) Transliteration: Ab pachhtaaye hote kya, jab chidiya chug gayi khet? Translation: What is the use of crying when the birds ate the whole farm? Meaning: There is no use crying over something that has already finished/happened. English equivalent: There is no use crying over spillt milk. Telugu equivalent: Chethulu kalaka akulu pattukunnattu

Sanskrit equivalent: ( ) Source: Shyam Bahadur Varma, ed (2006). Encyclopaedia of Quotations. Prabhat Prakashan. p. 96.

(Hindi) Transliteration: Nau sau chuhe khake billi haj ko chali.

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Translation: After eating 900 hundred rats, the cat goes to Hajj. Source: (2007)"[1] (http://books.google.com/books?id=z3pLAQAAIAAJ& q=sau+chuhe+khake&dq=sau+chuhe+khake&hl=en& sa=X&ei=tKkpT4aOD6iSiQK728DkCg&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA) ". Indian Literature 51 (240-242). Retrieved on 2012-02-01.</ref> , aaru kaasina saMbaLa aadarU, aramaneya kelasa maaDu Literal: Even if the salary is worth six penny be employed in the palace Meaning: Always do a respecteable job, although there is less monetary benefit. aalasyaat aMrutaM viShaM Literal: By delay nectar is (=turns into) poison. Meaning: Opportunity unavailed becomes harmful. One should not delay. Equivalent: Idleness is the root of all evil aaruva dIpakke kaaMti heccu Literal: a dying out flame dazzles more Meaning: This suggests subtly the final glow or false promise before the approaching end. , appana maatu, aaneya bala Literal: father's approval [provides one with] the strength of an elephant [morally]. aNNa tammana bEre maaDa bEDa Literal: don't part two brothers.

aarOgyavE bhaagya Literal: Health is wealth. Meaning: In ones life, health is more essential than material wealth and so it should not be neglected. alpanige aishwarya baMdare ardha raatrIli koDe hiDisikoMDa Literal: if an inferior gets riches, he demands an umbrella to be held over his head at midnight Meaning: this is indirect way of saying a person should be poised and should maintain his emotional balance, when fortune smiles on him. Equivalent: No pride like that of a enriched begger aLivudE kaaya uLivudE kIrti Literal: the body dies, the fame lives. Meaning: the acquired name and fame of a person lives longer than the self. aLiya alla magaLa gaMDa Literal: [he is] not my Son-in-law, but my daughter's husband. Meaning: The fact does not change by saying it in a different way. aaDidare aragiNi kaaDidare naagara kaaTa Literal: if you act out you are a royal parrot, if annoyed, you bother like a cobra Meaning: when things are fine you are excellent companion, the moment it goes wrong you are like a serpent aLO gaMD'sannu nagO heMg'sannu naMbabaaradu Literal: never believe a man who is cry-prone nor a female who is smile-prone Meaning: Do not believe a man who cries for everthing and similarly a lady who smiles things away. ! ayyO paapa aMdre ardha aayassu Literal: if you pity [on somebody], [you have] half life. Meaning: show pity on someone your lifespan will be cut short i.e., you spend half your life worrying about it. Meaning: Don't be kind to one and everyone, some times people take you for a ride aaDuvava aaDidre nODuvavage siggu Literal: If an actor enacts [indecently/without inhibitions], the spectator is ashamed Meaning: an actor may perform to the embarrassment of the spectator aMjidavana mEle kappe haaridaMge Literal: Its like frog jumping on a person who is already afraid (of it).

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. allada kanasu kaMDare eddu kuMDru Literal: if you see a negative dream, get up and sit. Meaning: wake up to the alaraming calls aDDa gODeya mEle dIpa iTTa hAge Literal: It is like placing a lamp atop a partitioning wall. Equivalent: He is as undecided as an orphan: if he does not wash his hands, he is called dirty, if he does, he is wasting water. Usage: This is said of people who refuse to take sides (/ take a stand). Sometimes, it is used in the negative sense to chide people who are indecisive. , aaru koTTare atte kaDe, mUru koTTare sose kaDe Literal: Give him six denominations he sides with mother-in law (backs her up), give him three denominations he sides with daughter-in-law (backs her up). aDikege hOda maana aane koTTarU baradu Literal: The reputation lost on a betelnut won't comeback though you donate an elephant. Meaning: The reputation lost on trivial things cannot be regained by donating big alms. Equivalent: A wounded reputation is seldom cured , ajjige ariveya chinte, mommagaLige kajjaayada chinte Literal: Grandma is worried about her worn out dress; the Granddaughter worried about having a sweet dish. Meaning: This is said of irresponsible youngsters who expect a lot from parents who struggle to make ends meet. Used to stress the importance of prioritizing. Equivalent: Every heart has its own ache , akkiya mEle aase, neMTara mEle prIti Literal: She has desire for rice(likes saving it) and has love for her relatives too. Equivalent: you cannot have a cake and eat it too. Equivalent: I love you well but touch not my pocket aMbali kuDiyuvavanige mIse tikkuvanobba Literal: For the one who drinks porridge, [there is] a person to hold moustache. Meaning: The one who subsists on porridge, has got an attender to trim his moustache. Usage: This is said of people who live beyond their means. Equivalent: Nothing agrees worse than a proud mind and a begger's purse Equivalent: Little roast great boast . aMtU iMtu kuMti makkaLige eMtU rajyavilla Literal: somehow Kunti's sons have got no state [to rule]. Usage: This proverb is reserved for unlucky ones who never make it however they struggle. history: The Pandavas, sons of Kunti, spent their childhood and youth in exile. After they finally won the great battle of Mahabharata there was nothing to rule but a ghost kingdom. ; attegondu kaala; sosegondu kaala Literal: [There is] a time for motherin-law and a time for daughter-in-law. Usage: The image of the mother-in-law who ruled the roost in joint families with a vengeance to make up for the indignities suffered during her daughter-in-law days is evident here. Equivalent: Every dog has his day aaseyE duHKakke mUla Literal: greed is the rootcause of sorrow.

aaL mEl aaL biddu gONu baridaaytu (= , ) ( = ; = , ) Literal: [each] servant turn(fell) on [the other] servant and the shoulder/s [which were supposed to share owner's burden] cleared out! Meaning: This is said referring to a group of individuals.[When occassion called for taking up the responsibility,] Each individual passed the buck to the other individual and there was none left to shoulder the responsibility. ariyade maaDida paapa aritandu parihaara Literal: a sin did without realizing is cured when you realize it. Meaning: a sin commited out of mistake could be rectified when you look back on it. Equivalent: a fault confessed is half redressed akkareyiddalli duHKavunTu Literal: where there is love, there is grief. Meaning: love accompanies grief.
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(= ) akkana cinnavAdrU akkasAli ToNeyade(=kadiyade) biDa Literal: Though the gold belogs to his own sister, a goldsmith wouldn't let it without swindling Equivalent: I would cheat my own father at cards. aaya-kaTTu illadavanige aaru-kaTTu vibhUti Literal: a person with no physique/vitality/propriety has six packs of holy-ash [i.e., he would resort to a consecreted ointment to ward off any harm/danger to himself] Meaning: no fighting spirit would would make a man [pseudo] religious , ? avanu sagaNi tiMtaane, nInU tiMtIyaa? Literal: He eats dung, would you eat it too? Meaning: Don't follow others blindly. aDige biddarU mUgu mEle Literal: though he fell to the feet, his nose is above the feet [i.e., his nose is not touching the feet] Equivalent: Though vanquished, he could still argue. Retrieved from "http://en.wikiquote.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_proverbs&oldid=1512663" Categories: Pages with inadequate citations Theme cleanup Proverbs

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