Indian proverbs Quotes and Quotation

• अंधो के बीचमें काना राजा (andhon ke beech mein kaana raaja) (Hindi)
  • Translation: In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

• A thief thinks everybody steals.(Translation)

• aDDa gODeya mEle dIpa iTTa hAge (Kannada)
  • (It is like placing a lamp on the wall in the middle).
  • This is said of people who refuse to take sides and try to be in the middle.

• aDikege hOda mAna Ane koTru barolla (Kannada)
  • (The reputation lost for a betel nut cannot be regained by donating an elephant).

• ajjige arive chinte, magaLige ganDana chinte (Kannada)
  • (Grandma is worried about a piece of cloth to wear; the daughter is worried about her lover).
  • This is said of irresponsible youngsters who expect a lot from parents who struggle to make ends meet.

• akki mEle Ase, nenTara mEle prIti (Kannada)
  • (There is love for rice and love for relatives too).
  • The implication is that you cannot have a cake and eat it too.

• alpanige aishwarya bandre ardha rAthrili koDe hiDisikonDa (Kannada)
  • (When a poor fellow got rich, he had an umbrella over his head in midnight).
  • A symbol of richness in olden times was to have a servant hold an umbrella while the rich man rode in the sun. The new rich would flaunt by doing it at night when there is no need for it.

• ambali kuDiyuvavanige mIse tikkuvanobba (Kannada)
  • (For one who drinks swill there is one to trim his mostache).
  • This is said of people who live beyond their means.

• antu intu kunti makkaLige entU rajyavilla (Kannada)
  • (After this, that and the other, the sons of Kunti did not rule).
  • This proverb is reserved for unlucky ones who never make it however they struggle.

• അരിയെത്ര? പയറഞ്ഞാഴി.(Ariyethra? Payar anjaazhi.)[Malayalam]
  • How much rice you have? I have enough beans.

• attegondu kAla; sosegondu kAla (Kannada)
  • (There is a time for mother-in-law and a time for daughter-in-law).
  • This proverb is similar to "Every dog has his day." However 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.

B

• bekku kaNNu muchchikonDu hAlu kuDidante (Kannada)
  • (It is like a cat drinking milk with eyes closed).
  • Meaning that others can see though a misdeed despite pretensions.

• bEline eddu hola mEyithanthe (Kannada)
  • (The fence itself grazed through the field).
  • A fence is meant to stop cattle from grazing. What if the fence itself is a culprit? This proverb comes from a skepticism of those who break laws they are supposed to uphold.

• bhangi dEvarige henDaguDuka pUjari (Kannada)
  • (For the God who is on dope you need a priest who is a drunk).
  • The underlings are usually quite a match for the rogues in power whom they serve.

C

• chELige pArupatya koTTa hAge (Kannada)
  • (It is like giving authority to a scorpion).
  • If the mean people get into positions of authority they cause a great damage like a scorpion, which needs no reason to sting, would work overtime if asked to do so.

• chinte illadavanige santeyallU nidde (Kannada)
  • (One without worries can doze off in a market place).

D

• dEvaru vara koTTarU pUjari vara koDa (Kannada)
  • (The God may grant the boon but the priest will not).
  • Once again this is a dig at the underlings who are worse than the bureaucrats they serve.

• dharmakke daTTi koTTare hittalige hOgi moLa hAkidaru (Kannada)
  • (When a cloth is given for charity it was measured in the backyard).i.e. looking a gift horse in the mouth.

• dUrada beTTa kaNNige nuNNage (Kannada)
  • (The hill at a distance is smooth to the eye).

• Elaimayil kalvi, silaiyil ezhuthu (Tamil)
  • Translation: Education in your childhood is like the letters in a sculpture
  • Meaning: What you study during your childhood will never be forgotten

• ettu ErigeLeyitu, kONa nIrigeLeyitu. (Kannada)
  • (The ox pulled to the shore, the buffalo pulled to the water).

• ettu Iyitu andare koTTigege kaTTu endarante (Kannada)
  • (“The ox has delivered”, “Tie up the calf in the pen.”)
  • Those who agree to everything without using their brains are made fun of in this way.

G

• ganDa henDira jagaLa unDu malago thanaka (Kannada)
  • The quarrel between a husband and wife is till they eat and go to bed).
  • i.e. disagreements between people in love is forgotten easily.

• gaNEshanannu mADalu hOgi avara appanannu mADidante (Kannada)
  • (It is like trying to make an idol of Ganesh and ending up with his father).
  • A warning for the bunglers who create more trouble than fixing them.

• geddettina bAla hiDida hAge (Kannada)
  • (It is like holding the tail of the winning ox).
  • i.e. Success has many fathers but failure is an orphan.

• giDavAgi baggaddu maravAgi baggIthe? (Kannada)
  • (If it does not bend as a sapling, will it when it is a tree?)
  • Those who have trouble following rules as young will get worse when they get older.

• gubbi mEle bramhAstravE? (Kannada)
  • (A nuclear weapon on a sparrow?)
  • This is said of actions beyond proportion taken on helpless people.
  • Incidentally, Brahmastra is the ultimate weapon of destruction with nothing to counter it except another Brahmastra.

• Ghar ka Jogi jogna, Aan gaon ka Sidh (Hindi)
  • (A wise man to the rest of the world, but a nobody at home.)

H

• halliddAga kaDle illa; kaDle iddAga hallilla (Kannada)
  • (There are no nuts when one has teeth and there are no teeth when there are nuts).
  • Munching nuts is a sign of prosperity. It is frustrating that one is poor when the youth to enjoy the riches is abundant whereas when one finally gets rich the faculties to enjoy are gone.

• hALUrige uLidavanE GouDa (Kannada)
  • (One remaining in a ruined village is its chairman).
  • A dig at people in power at weak institutions.

• hanigUDidare haLLa; tenegUDidare batha (Kannada)
  • (Drops join to make a stream; ears combine to make a crop).
  • i.e. Little drops of water make a mighty ocean.

• hADidde hADO kisubAyi dAsA (Kannada)
  • (Sing the same song again, grin-mouthed beggar).
  • A rude putdown of those who keep repeating the same argument.

• hAsige iddashTu kAlu chAchu (Kannada)
  • (Stretch your legs as far as the bed is)
  • This is a warning to live within one’s means.

• hettorige hegNa muddu, kUDidorige kOdaga muddu (Kannada)
  • (A bandicoot is lovely to his parents; a mule is pretty to its mate).
  • This is a wacky statement of the somber truth: Love is blind.

• hiriyakkana chALi mane makkaLigellA (Kannada)
  • (The big sister’s habits are for all the kids in the family).

• hithala giDa maddalla (Kannada)
  • (The plant in the backyard is not a medicinal herb).
  • Familiarity breeds contempt.

• hoLe nIrige doNenAykana appaNe Eke? (Kannada)
  • (Who needs the approval of a city official for the water from a stream?)
  • This is a rudimentary opposition to taxation and control of things taken for granted in a village life.

• hosataralli agasa gONi etti etti ogeda. (Kannada)
  • (When he was new, the washerman beat the jute bag repeatedly).
  • People who are new on the job work eagerly and enthusiastically until they find their way and slack off.Clothes were washed in villages by Dhobis who took them to a lake, soaked them and bet the hell out of them on a rock to rid of the dirt. The amount of beating was inversely proportional to the value of the cloth. A jute bag hardly deserved attention except by one who was new to the job.

• hosa vaidyanigintha haLe rOgine mElu (Kannada)
  • (An old patient is better than a new doctor).
  • This stems from a suspicion of inexperienced and untested people with education vis a vis wise, familiar and old fellows of dubious qualifications.

• hoTTege hiTTilladiddarU juTTige mallige hUvu (Kannada)
  • (There is no food to eat but there is jasmine in the crown).
  • Wearing jasmine in the hair is considered elegant for women, especially on their way to a temple or a wedding party. Dressing beyond one’s means is frowned upon as a sign of false pride.

• huTTisida dEvaru hullu mEyisuttaneye? (Kannada)
  • (Will the God who brought us to the world make us graze on grass).
  • This proverb mouths faith and optimism in the face of adversity.

• huchhu munDe maduveyalli unDavanE jaNa (Kannada)
  • (In the wedding of the mad widow one who has a meal is the clever one).
  • This earthy saying implies that one who manages to get by in a wild and chaotic situation deserves compliments.

• hUvina jote nAru svarga sErithu. (Kannada)
  • (The string used to tie the flowers also reached heaven).
  • Those who are in the company of the noble will reap the benefits by association.

I

• It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children.(Translation)

• iddaddu idda hAge hELidre, siddappanige siDilu hoDeyitu. (Kannada)
  • (When facts are said as they are it was like the striking of lightning for Siddappa).
  • This is a dig on those who cannot take criticism and throw tantrums.

D

• Do not blame God for having created the tiger, but thank him for not having given it wings (Translation)

J

• jal mein rehkar magar se bair karna theek nahin (Hindi)
  • Translation: Living in water and being an enemy of the crocodile is not good.
  • English Equivalent: It is hard to live in Rome and strive against the Pope.

• jo garajte hain woh baraste nahi
  • Translation: Clouds that thunder seldom rain
  • Meaning: Those who make the most threats seldom do anything
  • English Equivalent: Barking dogs seldom bite

• jana maruLO jAtre maruLO (Kannada)
  • (Are people stupid or the crowd stupid?)
  • This proverb bemoans the irrational behavior of normal people in large crowds.

• jaTTi biddarU mIse maNNAgalilla(Kannada)
  • (The wrestler fell but his moustache did not get soiled).
  • Moustache is a sign of pride. One who manages not to lose face despite defeat gets such compliment.

K

• Kal irandhAzh, nai yilleh. Nai irandhAzh, kal yilleh. (Tamil)
  • (When you have a rock in hand, usually there won't be a dog to hit nearby. When there is a dog nearby, you usually won't have the rock to hit it with.)
  • When it takes 2 items to do an action, when you have one you will have most likely misplaced the second item. Once you finally find the second item, you will have lost the first.

L

• Life is a bridge. Cross over it, but build no house on it. (Translation)

M

• maduve mADi nODu, mane katti nODu. (Kannada)
  • (Perform a wedding and see, build a house and see).
  • When worthwhile but difficult acts are done, it is gratifying in the end.

• maduveyAgO gunDa endare nInE nanna henDathi anda. (Kannada)
  • (I said “Get married, Gunda”. He said :”then you are my wife.”)
  • This is a warning about fellows who latch on to well meaning people and abuse their help.

• mADOdu durAchAra, mane munde brindAvana.(Kannada)
  • (What they do is evil but they have holy herbs in the front garden).
  • This is said of people whose outward behavior is impeccable but actions are despicable. Having a little garden of the Thulasi plant in front of a house was considered a sign of piety and goodness.

• manege benki biddAga bhavi tODidaru(Kannada)
  • (When the house caught fire they began digging a well).
  • Too little, too late.

• mantrakkinta uguLe jasti(Kannada)
  • (There is more spit than the chant).
  • This is said of people whose actions do not match their claims.

• mAtu ballavanige jagaLavilla, UTa ballavanige rOgavilla (Kannada)
  • (One who knows how to talk will have no fights, one who knows how to eat will have no sickness).
  • The meaning is obvious here.

• mUrthi chikkadAdru kIrthi doDDadu (Kannada)
  • (Though the idol is small the fame is big).
  • This is a reference to self effacing people with accomplishments. Incidentally people with accomplishments are expected to be self effacing. If not, they may be termed arrogant.

N

• naach na jaane aangan tedha (Hindi)
  • Translation: (lit: Knows no dance, floor's bent.) A person who doesn't know how to dance blames the dance floor.
  • Meaning: A person without skill trying to blame failure on others/other things.
  • English equivalent: A bad workman quarrels with his tools.

• NAATE DHOTE REH GAYE MUH TE MAKHI BAI GAYE(PUNJABI)
• English Translation: Got nothing after so much hullaaa boo

• navilannu nODi kembuta gari kedarisaitu (Kannada)
  • (Seeing the peacock, the rooster spread his wings).
  • Those who try to imitate people of talent and beauty, not having either of them, are ridiculed like this.

• nAyi bogaLidare dEvalOka hALe? (Kannada)
  • (If the dog barks will it ruin the heaven?)
  • This is said of spiteful people who speak ill of others.

• nAyi bAla Donku (Kannada)
  • (The tail of a dog is always crooked).
  • You cannot straighten some people whatever you do.

O

• Odi Odi maruLAda kUchu bhaTTa (Kannada)
  • (The fellow became stupid by reading and reading).
  • All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

• ollada ganDanige mosaralli kallu (Kannada)
  • (The disagreeable husband finds stones in curds).
  • Faults are thick when the love is thin. The wife who is loved by her husband is complimented for her cooking. When faults are found which are clearly untrue the marriage is truly on the rocks.

• Oont ke Muh mein Jeera.(Hindi)
  • Translation: Too small an amount for a very large need.

P

• Pratyakshya ko praman ki aavashykta nahi (Hindi)
  • Translation: Facts don't require proof to stand correct

• pApi samudra hokkrU moLakAludda nIru (Kannada)
  • (If a sinner enters the ocean the water only comes up to the knee).
  • This is said of those unlucky fellows for whom nothing goes well.

R

• rAmeshwarakke hOdaru shanIshwarana kATa tappalilla. (Kannada)
  • Even after going to Rameshvaram (a holy place) the torture of Saturn did not stop.
  • This is said of people whose bad luck does not go away whatever they do. Saturn is considered a bad sign in astrology bringing bad luck. A visit to holy places often counters the effect except for those unfortunate souls referred to in this proverb.

• rOgi bayasiddu hAlu anna vaidya hELiddu hAlu anna. (Kannada)
  • (The patient wanted rice with milk and the doctor prescribed rice with milk).
  • This is what you say when things turn out fine under circumstances expected to be harsh. A meal of rice with milk is a euphemism for getting what one wants.

S

• Sau sunar ki, ek lauhar ki (Hindi)
  • 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

• Sau choohey khakar billi hajj ko chali (Hindi)
  • Translation: Feasting on hundreds of mice the cat embarks on a pilgrimage.
  • Meaning: 1. A remark for a person who tries to veil his/her shameful - and in most cases deliberate acts - by trying to do righteous deeds in order to improve his/her image in the sight of the world. 2. An attempt to apparently undo detestable acts committed by a person.

• Sawan ke andhe ko sab hara hi hara nazar aata hai.(Hindi)
  • Translation: All a selfish person sees is his self interest.

• "Sweet are the sounds of the flute and the lute," say those who have not heard the prattle of their own children.
  • The Tirukural by Saint Tiruvalluvar (translation)

• sAvira suLLu heLi onDu maDuve mAdu(Kannada)
  • (Utter a thousand lies and perform a wedding).
  • A little deceit in the performance of good deeds is forgivable. Arranging a wedding was considered a good deed worthy of praise in India. An old maid was a source of stigma for the family and one who came to the rescue by whatever means was considered a savior.

• samsAra guTTu; vyAdhi raTTu (Kannada)
  • (Family matters should be kept secret; a disease should be brought to the open).
  • This is in a society where insurance companies are not watching. The reason to reveal ailments is with a hope that a cure may be found in the process. Laundering the dirty linen in public serves no purpose however.

• sankaTa bandAga venkaTaramana (Kannada)
  • (Seeking the God when in sorrow).
  • This is said of those who have no true faith or belief but act out for convenience and benefits.

• shiva pUje madhye karaDi biTTa hAge (Kannada)
  • (Like bringing a bear in the middle of a pUja).
  • This is said when bungling idiots intrude when they should not. NOTE: It was brought to my attention that the original version of the proverb is as follows:

• shiva pUje madhye karaDige biTTa hAge (Kannada)
  • Lingayats wear a string around their body that has a small Linga, called KaraDige, tied to it. The gAde says that the Shiva Puje cannot go on if you forget the karadige, not withstanding all else you may have done in preparation. Over a period of time, the KaraDige has become KaraDi.

T

• To the mediocre, mediocrity appears great (Translation)
• To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak (Translation)

• tumbida koDa tuLukuvudilla.(Kannada)
  • (The pot which is full does not splash).
  • This is said to contrast the unassuming good guys against the shallow showoffs.

Y

• Thala maranu enna thekarudthu. (Translation)

Should always remember the things (favour done to us) in a priority wise.

• unDeyEnO gunDA endare munDAsu mUvattu moLa anda.(Kannada)
  • (When asked “Did you eat, Gunda?” he said “the turban is thirty feet long).
  • This is said of people who do not get what is asked of them and go round in circles.

• unDU hOda, konDU hOda(Kannada)
  • (He ate and took some too).
  • This is said of a guy who snatches the hand if a finger is offered.

• UrigobbaLu padmAvati(Kannada)
  • (only one beauty for the village).
  • This is a put down of leaders of mediocre groups.

W

• When you were born you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world will cry and you will rejoice. (Translation)

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