HINDI (INDIAN) PROVERBS http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Indian_proverbs A • Ati shahaana tyaacha bail rikaama (Marathi) • आग राम ेशरी आिि बंब सोम ेशरी - Aag Rameshwari Aanee Bamb Someshwari (Marathi) o Literal: Fire in Rameshwar (city at southern tip of India) and firefighting in Someshwar (city in North India) o Translation: The problem is one thing and the solution is given for something else. o Bengali equivalent: েেেে কটা? না পিু িিেেি খােোা। Chhele koTa? na puRiye khabO. • , । - age rUp nehari, pore guN bichari. (Bengali) o Literal: Looks attracts first, quality qualifies later. • ‍ ‍ (Malayalam) o Literal: The other side will be green when you are in this side o Translation: The grass is always greener on the other side. • । - Ati sannyasite gajon nosto. (Bengali) unthon se mor marvane(hindi) • o Literal: Too many cooks spoil the broth. o Maithili equivalent: जयादे जोगी मठ उजाड। • Aanakaaryam Pareyumbol Aano htrChenakkaryam? (Malayalam) o Literal: When you are discussing about elephant don't talk about yam matters. o Translation: Do not bring up small issues during major problems. • आपनॊ गूरॊ गूरॊ ,दोसरा के गूरॊ समाठॊ लॆ कॆ हूरॊ (Angika) o Literal: Boils on one's own body is considered as painful while those on others are deemed painless. o Translation: One can not understand and realise the pain of others. • Aasmaan se giray, khajoor mein atke (Hindi) o Literal: Fell from the sky, got stuck in a date palm. o Translation: From the frying pan into the fire. o Marathi equivalent: Aagitun fufaatyaat. • Anni vunna aaku anigi manigi vuntae aemi laeni aaku yegiri yegiri padithi(Telugu) o Literal: Fully served leaf (used to serve food) sticks to the ground whereas empty leaf flies all over. o Translation: Empty vessels make more noise. o Bengali equivalent: খািে কেিি োােে েোশী। khali kolsi baje beSI. ;হািি-েোািিা েেে িে, মশা োেে কেিা েে? hati-ghORa gelo tol, moSa bole kotO jol? • Araante ammakku pranthu pitichaal kaanaan nalla selu (Malayalam) o Literal: If somebody's mother goes mad, it is a good scene to watch o Translation: It is always enjoyable to make fun of others tragedy till it actually hits you. o Bengali equivalent: পেেে েেেে পেমানন েি উচেে োেি িি আনন। porer chhele poromanondo Joto ucchhonne jay toto anondo ;িক োিনা িোেে োিু িেো েি িকেি কভ ু আশীিোেে দংেশিন োেে? ki Jatona biShe bujhibe se kise kobhu aSIbiShe dongseni Jare? • Aalasyam amrutham visham (Sanskrit) o (Best Chances will become Odds if you don't react in time) • तुम िजयो हजार ो साल ,सा ल के िदन हो पचास हजार (Hindi) o Literal: May you live a thousand years and may each year have a fifty thousand days o Translation: May you live a long life. • Aalu ledu Choolu ledu koduku peru somalingam(Telugu) o Literal: You don't have a wife or conception yet but you have named your son Somalingam. o Translation: You are making plans without acquiring the required resources. o Bengali equivalent: না িোইেেি কানাইেেিে মা। na biiye kanaiyer ma. ; োেে কঁাঠাে েেঁােে েিে। gachhe ka^Thal, gO^fe tel. o Hindi equivalent: Soot na kapaas, julahon men laatha laathi (there is neither cotton nor thread, yet weavers are fighting). o Maithili equivalent: गाछ मे कटहल, ठोर मे तेल। o Another Maithili equivalent: पािन मे मछली, नौ टुक बखडा। • Apna hira na kholie beech kunjda haat-Kabir (Hindi) ** Literal: One should not show his diamonds to a greengrocer o Translation:...neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet,...-Bible{Matt.7:6(KJV)} • o Ab pachtaye kya hot jab chidiya chug gayi khet (Hindi) o Literal: What is the use of crying when the birds ate the whole farm. o Translation: There is no use crying over the spilled milk. o Sanskrit equivalent: gotosyo Sochona nasti (yatha kormo totha Sasti) • । - Arthoi anorther mool. (Bengali) o Literal: Money is the root cause of unhappiness. • Aap bhalaa toe jag bhalaa. (Hindi) o Literal: If you are noble you will find world noble. o Hindi equivalent: Man changa toe kaThua may Ganga. • Cheyadagina sathavunna cheyaalemonanna bhayamu ventadutu vuntundhi... Bhayamu shakthivantha mainadhe, kani nammakamu antha kanna shakthivantha mainadhi... Nammakamutho mundukellu vijayamu neethone vuntundhi... • o Translation: You have guts to do the things, but due to fear you are not willing to complete the things; accepting that fear is more power, but confidence is more power than the fear, so please move with confidence, then you will always get success. • Ati parichayaat avadnya (Marathi) o Literal: Excessive familiarity causes disrespect. o Translation: Familiarity breeds contempt. o Oriya equivalent: Ati Parichaye Gaurava Nasta. B • बाजार ात तूरी आिि भट भटनीला मारी Bajaraat Toori anee bhat bhatnila maari (Marathi) o Literal: Lentils are still in the market and the Brahmin is beating his wife (for her failure to cook them properly). o Translation: Fighting for hypothetical failure of things you don't have. o Bengali equivalent: । gorIber ghORa rog. • बनदर किब गुला िठ मारन ा निह भुलता (Hindi) o English equivalent: Old habbits die hard. • bekku kannu muchchikondu haalu kudidante (Kannada) o Literal: It is like a cat drinking milk with eyes closed o Translation: Others can see through a misdeed despite pretensions. o Bengali equivalent: bokdharrmik ; beRal toposwI o Telugu equivalent: pilli kallu musukuni palu thaginattundi • bekkige chellata ilige prana sankata (Kannada) • bellagiruvudella haalalla (Kannada) • biriya hunda brahmana bikshe bedidananthe (Kannada) • bEline eddu hola mEdre hEge? (Kannada) o Literal: The fence itself grazed through the field. o Translation: A fence is meant to stop cattle from grazing. What if the fence is the culprit? This proverb comes from a skepticism of those who break laws they are supposed to uphold. o Bengali equivalent: sorrSher modhye bhUt. • bhangi dEvarige henDaguDuka pUjari (Kannada) o (For the God who is on dope you need a priest who is a drunk). o The underlings are usually quite a match for the rogues in power whom they serve. o Bengali equivalent: Jemon kukur temon mugur Jemoni bunO Ol temoni bagha te^tul. o Maithili equivalent: पीठ तब तेना किरयौ, जेना बहे वयार। Move your back according to the wind. • bhikshukaha bhikshuken drishtwa kukkurenwat gurgurayate (sanskrit) o Literal: Upon seeing another beggar (on his turf) the beggar growls like a dog. o Professional jealousy affects everybody including beggars. • बंदर कया जा ने अदरक का सवाद Bandar kya jaane adark ka swaad (Hindi) o Literal: What does a monkey know of the taste of ginger? o Translation: Someone who can't understand can't appreciate o English equivalent: Laying pearls before swine o Bengali equivalent: Chasa ki jane karpurer gun o Kannada equivalent: Katthegenu gotthu Kasthuri vaasne (A donkey would not know the scent of Kasthuri) o Malayalam equivalent: Nallathe ariyo nayike o Marathi equivalent: गाढवाला गुळाची चव काय Gaadhavala gulaachi chav kay (A donkey cannot appreciate the taste of jaggery) o Tamil equivalent : Kazhudaikku theriyuma karpoora vaasanai (What does Donkey know about the smell of Camphor?). o Telugu equivalent : Gadida kemi thelusu Gandapu vasana (or) Pandi kemi thelusu panneru vasana. • o Bhains ke aage been bajana (Hindi) • Bhens aagad bhaagvat(Gujarati)/ ** Literal: Reading Bhagvadgita (Hindu holy book) to a buffalo (is a waste) • o Translation: Tailor your speech to your audience. o Bengali equivalent: phuTO patre jol Dhala o Hindi equivalent: Bhains ke aage been bajaave, bhains khadi paguraae (buffalo busily chews cud ignoring the flute being played to it). o Kannada equivalent : Katthe munde kindari baarisida haage (playing musical instrument in front of a donkey). o Malayalam equivalent: Poathinoadu vedham oadheettu karyam illa o Tamil equivalent: Sevindan Kaadhil sangu o Telugu equivalent: chavitodi mundu shankam oodinatlu (playing flute to a deaf person). C • Chakkinu Vechatu Kokkinu Kondu (Malayalam) o Trap made for some one, but got trapped someone else o Bengali equivalent: , । • Chakkikotha chankaran (Malayalam) o Made for each other. o Bengali equivalent: ) ; ) । • Ariyatha pilla choriumbo Ariyam (Malayalam) o People feel it when they have it. • chelige parupatya kotta haage (Kannada) o (It is like giving authority to a scorpion). o 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. • cheviti vaadi mundu sankham oodinattu (Telugu) o (like blowing a conch in front of a deaf person) o interpretation: doing a useless thing • chinte illadavanige santeyallU nidde (Kannada) o (One without worries can doze off in a market place). • Chinta sachina pulupu chavaledhu (Telugu) o Literal Meaning: Even though the tamaring is dead , the sourness is not dead o Interpretation: Even though the person has lost , he hasnt lost his pride. • chapti dhul ni jaroor pade (Gujarati) o Interpretation1-Sometimes only a pinch of sand is all you need. o Interpretation2-Sometimes you do need a pinch of sand too. o Even insignifcant people have their importance at times. o Bengali equivalent: । • chorer mayer boro gola.(Bengali)[ । o somebody who is the culprit shouts louder. • Chaar din ki chaandni phir andheri raat (Hindi) o Literal: Dark nights will return after these few moonlit nights o Translation: While rejoicing during good times one should not forget that more trying times will also return. This is a natural cycle of events in nature. • Chupdi aur doe doe! (Hindi) o Literal: Want two instead of one (slice of bread) and that too smeared with butter! o Translation: Asking for too much. o Bengali equivalent: । D • dUrada beTta nuNnage (Kannada) o Literal: Distant hill looks beautiful o English equivalent: Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. o Hindi equivalent: Door ke dhor suhaane (distant mountains look beautiful).