Indian proverbs

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Proverbs from all Indian speaking parts of the

Quotes

• "What is the use of going to the hills in search of honey if it is available at home?" as a Sanskrit proverb says.
  • Quoted from Swami Vivekananda, "The work before us" (Delivered at the Triplicane Literary Society, Madras), Complete Works, vol. 3

• सौ सोनार की, एक लोहार की (Hindi)
  • Transliteration: Sau sunar ki ek luhar ki.
  • A single blow of a blacksmith is equal to a hundred blows of a goldsmith.
  • "Things that need a hundred nuanced actions can be achieved with a single coarse action."
  • Porter, William Henry (1845). Proverbs: Arranged in Alphabetical Order .... p. 22. 
  • Source: John Christian (1891). Behar proverbs. K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., limited. p. 131. 

• வெளுத்ததெல்லாம் பாலல்ல / மின்னுவதெல்லாம் பொன்னல்ல (Tamil)
  • Transliteration: Velluthathellam Paal alla.
  • All the things that are white are not milk.
  • English Equivalent: All that glitters is not gold
  • Kannada Equivalent: "bellage irodella halalla" (ಬೆಳ್ಳಗೆ ಇರೋದೆಲ್ಲ ಹಾಲಲ್ಲ.)
  • M. Kaṇapatippiḷḷai, Tenpulōliyur. Payircit Tamil.Practical Tamil. p. 274. 

• जान है तो जहान है(Hindi)
  • Transliteration: Jaan hai to Jahan Hai.
  • (If) there's life, then there's the world.
  • English equivalent: After us, the deluge.
  • Meaning: Only if you are alive, things matter.
  • Source: Vihārilāla Mitra (1998). The Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha of Vālmīki. Parimal Publications. p. 294. 

• जंगल में मोर नाचा किस ने देखा ? (Hindi)
  • Transliteration: Jangal main mor nacha, kisne dekha?
  • English equivalent: He was in Rome and did not see the pope.
  • Source: India Today Volume 25. Thomson Living Media India Ltd.. 2000. p. viii. 

• जिस की लाठी उस की भैंस (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. 

• जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी ॥
  • Transliteration: Jananee janmabhoomischa swargaadapi gareeyasi. (Sanskrit)
  • 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)

• घर का भेदी लंका ढाये (Hindi)
  • Transliteration: Ghar ka bhedi lanka dhaye.
  • 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: ঘরের শত্রু বিভীষণ।
  • Source: Sanjay Chadha (2004). Mantras Of Success. Ocean Books (P) Ltd.. p. 89. ISBN 978-81-88322-49-7. 

• बंदर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद (Hindi)
  • Transliteration: Bandar kya jaane adrak ka swaad.
  • 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: চাষা কি জানে কর্পূরের গুণChasa 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 what's good)
  • Marathi equivalent: गाढवाला गुळाची चव कायGaadhavala gulaachi chav kay (A donkey cannot appreciate the taste of jaggery)
  • Tamil equivalent: கழுதைக்குத் தெரியுமா கற்பூர வாசனை ? - Kazhudaikku theriyuma karpoora vaasanai? (What does a donkey know about the fragrance of camphor?)
  • Telugu equivalent: Gadida kemi thelusu Gandapu vasana (or) Pandi kemi thelusu panneru vasana.
  • గాడిదకేం తెలుసు గంధపు వాసన? (లేదా)పందికేం తెలుసు పన్నీరు వాసన?
  • 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. 

• अब पछताए होत क्या जब चिड़िया चुग गई खेत (Hindi)
  • Transliteration: Ab pachhtaaye hote kya, jab chidiya chug gayi khet?’’
  • 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: गोतोस्यो सोचोन नास्ति (यथा कर्मो तथा सस्ति)
  • Source: Shyam Bahadur Varma, ed (2006). Encyclopaedia of Quotations. Prabhat Prakashan. p. 96. 

• नौ सौ चूहे खाके बिल्ली हज को चली (Hindi)
  • Transliteration: Nau sau chuhe khake billi haj ko chali.
  • After eating 900 hundred rats, the cat goes to Hajj.
  • Use: When a person starts behaving saintly or shows fake goodness after committing some very serious crimeshttp://urduboli.blogspot.com/2016/07/urdu-english-proverbs-2.html
  • Source: (2007)"[1]". Indian Literature 51 (240-242). Retrieved on 2012-02-01.</ref>

• आसमान से गिरे खजूर में अटके (Hindi)
  • Literal: Fell from the sky, got stuck in a date palm.
  • English equivalent: From the frying pan into the fire.
  • Meaning: While trying to avoid a a bad situation one might end up in an even worse situation.
  • Marathi equivalent: Aagitun fufaatyaat padane. आगीतून फुफाट्यात पडणे
  • Tamil equivalent: வாணலிக்குத் தப்பி அடுப்பில் விழுந்தது போல (vANalikkuth thappi aduppil vizhundhathu pOla) (out of the frying pan, onto the stovetop)
  • Telugu equivalent: Anna prasanannpude avakayi annam pettaru.
  • Literal: A child is not fed with pickled rice at the time of naming ceremony.
  • Baṛāyauda (1987). Jonokākajiko oṛoh kaji raah jugutuko. Jhārakhaṇḍa Pablikesansa. p. 1. 

• • "A drop hollows out the stone by falling not twice, but many times; so too is a person made wise by reading not two, but many books."
  • (Giordano Bruno, Il Candelaio)
  • S. W. Fallon; Faqir Chand (Lala.) (1998). A dictionary of hindustani proverbs: including many Marwari, Panjabi, Maggah, Bhojpuri, and Tirhuti proverbs, sayings, emblems, aphorisms, maxims, and similes. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978-81-206-0663-0. 

• In Marathi, a very popular proverb goes as follows: Kashees jaave, nitya vadaave (Keep contemplating and stating every day that you will go to Kashi some day of your life; that might then just materialize).
  • Vikram Sampath - Waiting for Shiva_ Unearthing the Truth of Kashi's Gyan Vapi-BluOne Ink (2024)

• सौ सोनार की, एक लोहार की (Hindi)

• • Transliteration: Sau sunar ki ek lauhar ki.

• • 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, Trübner & co., limited. p. 131. 

• வெளுத்ததெல்லாம் பாலல்ல / மின்னுவதெல்லாம் பொன்னல்ல (Tamil)

• • Transliteration: Veluthathellam Paal alla.

• • All the things that are white are not milk.

• • English Equivalent: All that which is white is not milk.

• • (Alternate): All that glitters is not gold

• • Kannada Equivalent: "bellage irodella halalla" (ಬೆಳ್ಳಗೆ ಇರೋದೆಲ್ಲ ಹಾಲಲ್ಲ.)

• जान है तो जहान है(Hindi)

• • Transliteration: Jaan hai to Jahan Hai.

• • (If) there's life, then there's the world.

• • English equivalent: After us, the deluge.

• • Meaning: Only if you are alive, things matter.

• • Source: Vihārilāla Mitra (1998). The Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha of Vālmīki. Parimal Publications. p. 294. 

• जंगल में मोर नाचा किस ने देखा ? (Hindi)

• • Transliteration: Jangal main mor nacha, kisne dekha?

• • 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. 

• जिस की लाठी उस की भैंस (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. 

• जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी ॥

• • Transliteration: Jananee janmabhoomischa swargaadapi gareeyasi. (Sanskrit)

• • 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)

• घर का भेदी लंका ढाये (Hindi)

• • Transliteration: Ghar ka bhedi lanka dhayey.

• • 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: ঘরের শত্রু বিভীষণ।

• • Source: Sanjay Chadha (2004). Mantras Of Success. Ocean Books (P) Ltd.. p. 89. ISBN 978-81-88322-49-7. 

• बंदर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद (Hindi)

• • Transliteration: Bandar kya jaane adark ka swaad.

• • 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: চাষা কি জানে কর্পূরের গুণChasa 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 what's good)

• • Marathi equivalent: गाढवाला गुळाची चव कायGaadhavala gulaachi chav kay (A donkey cannot appreciate the taste of jaggery)

• • Tamil equivalent: கழுதைக்குத் தெரியுமா கற்பூர வாசனை ? - 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.

• • గాడిదకేం తెలుసు గంధపు వాసన? (లేదా)పందికేం తెలుసు పన్నీరు వాసన?

• • 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. 

• अब पछताए होत क्या जब चिड़िया चुग गई खेत (Hindi)

• • Transliteration: Ab pachhtaaye hote kya, jab chidiya chug gayi khet?’’

• • 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: गोतोस्यो सोचोन नास्ति (यथा कर्मो तथा सस्ति)

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

• नौ सौ चूहे खाके बिल्ली हज को चली (Hindi)

• • Transliteration: Nau sau chuhe khake billi haj ko chali.

• • After eating 900 hundred rats, the cat goes to Hajj.

• • Source: (2007)"[2]". Indian Literature 51 (240-242). Retrieved on 2012-02-01.</ref>

• आसमान से गिरे खजूर में अटके (Hindi)

• • Literal: Fell from the sky, got stuck in a date palm.

• • English equivalent: From the frying pan into the fire.

• • Meaning: While trying to avoid a a bad situation one might end up in an even worse situation.

• • Marathi equivalent: Aagitun fufaatyaat padane. आगीतून फुफाट्यात पडणे

• • Tamil equivalent: வாணலிக்குத் தப்பி அடுப்பில் விழுந்தது போல (vANalikkuth thappi aduppil vizhundhathu pOla)

• • Telugu equivalent: Anna prasanannpude avakayi annam pettaru.

• • Literal: A child is not fed with pickled rice at the time of naming ceremony.

• • Baṛāyauda (1987). Jonokākajiko oṛoh kaji raah jugutuko. Jhārakhaṇḍa Pablikesansa. p. 1. 

• बूँद-बूँद से घड़ा भरता है (Hindi)

• • Transliteration: Boond-boond se ghara bharta hai.

• • It takes drop by drop to fill a pitcher.

• • English equivalent: Constant dropping fills the bucket

• • Meaning: Persistence is the key to success

• • Source for meaning of English equivalent: Paczolay, Gyula (1997). "71". European proverbs: in 55 languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese. Veszprémi Nyomda. p. 349. ISBN 1-875943-44-7. 

See also

• Romani proverbs