□ PREAMBLE
□ MISCELLANEOUS H I N DI
&
ASSAMESE PROVERBS
□ EXTRACT
CHAPTER - IX
Miscellaneous :
Preamble of the chapter:
9.1
This chapter includes those proverbs that fall out of the scope of the
preceding chapters of the thesis. It also specifies certain facts pertaining to the
male and the female besides those proverbs closely associated with the social
religious and economic conditions or Along with these some proverbs relating to
food, clothes and certain parts or limbs of human body and nature also feature in
this chapter. Consequently the chapter has been denominated as miscellaneous.
But a detailed description of such proverbs is hardly possible with in the scope of
the thesis because of the vastness of their number. The proverbs belonging to this
category,
therefore, it have been refered to rather objectivity which nearly
tantamounts to a drop in the ocean.
In fact, the proverb is such a vital saying by which we can express the unspoken
and unintelligible feelings and emotions with great vitality and spiritedness It contains
the same merit and inebriety found in the musk, enshrined in the novel of t: ie deer
It is for this reason that this form of the folk- literature has been taken as very
complicated and huge in its dimension. It projects every aspect of society which
can be interpreted in any way, we like in order to extract a sensible meaning out of
it. we may come across the glamour of the village life here. The proverbs ba sed on
men and women, life and death , sin and virtue, morality and immorality, science of
agriculture, the present and future and even the physical science are available im
abundance, they have rendered all possible help to human life for its easy and
comfortable living.
The objective nature of the proverbs included in this miscellaneous cnapter
312
and their analytical have been reffered to above.
9.2 : Proverbs based on the Male :
In this section an attempt has been made to make a collection of the proverbs
associated with the male in both Hindi and Assamese. Such proverbs available in
Hindi are as follow s:
i
3. snvrcft
^ t o rr i
4. "jna ^ rtttt, f e
wit i
5.
RTT5R!
6.
RHfTR RfRT 3TK 3TK?TRR5T !
7.
RcT!#,
sm I
■g^'i 3
8. 1?
W t eft I
^ ^
^
^
9. IjT % RIR RTelft 3 # RfRlft ^
10. TJjT
eft RRf «R W T , ^ct
11.
^
1
11
eft 9*ff «R RxjR |
^ S T t o lT R ft T T t ^ T I^ R T R t l
Some such proverbs existing in Assamese are noted below :1.
g^<Rei^ # T # q k i,
N
RRk el ^ R7 ^TtRT I
2.
TJcT
RRI RTI,
■gci rrj i
3.
fesjeft Rspn,
313
4.
it w
5.
wt
6.
^ k 't w ra ie lt W
r
i t »TM , i t W S W F i m I
# «
•suits, i t R i f t i t ; srrfe-airfe i
g r t grc RKrt W
1
7.
8.
i t A R hco i w i , w t ^ f t ARri^i "dcTci i
9.
■qcfH f f o w
*rra
10 .
11.
r i? t o
a ie N
%
12.
a^q sum :
*tfir
fiit
i
ftw t it*R ,
^ ^ T J| |
-m f e i
ftr it
13.
im i
# 1,
f¥ r i
t t r
m,
wu
14.
15.
F r o m t h e p r o v e r b s n o t e d a b o v e fr o m b o t h t h e l a n g u a g e s , it is c le a r t h a t
t h e r e is a t e n d e n c y to d e p ic t h u m a n life , its b e h a v i o u r a n d n a t u r e a n d a l s o t h e
v a r io u s s y m p t o m s a n d c h a ra c te ris tic fe a t u r e re la tin g t o th e p h y s ic a l b u ild -u p o f th e
m a le . T h e r e a r e s o m e p r o v e r b s d e p ic tin g th e n a tu r e o f th e w ic k e d p e r s o n s , a s
314
fasi %t F-tfi 5 i?ii, M“<u 5i'ai3 »g'i5 'mf/H i
[ Meaning, those persons who keep lying on bed at evening and have the
demand to have delicious dishes at the time meal, can hardly make any progress
in life. ]
fcTII
^n,
'51% 5?f?5fl I
Implying that, the person making a sound of his teeth while taking his meal
symptomises poverty, a s :
ntf'k 5 •‘fit atn, fk'W
rr a r h
i-ra i
The males having deep navels, and grave tone, long arms and pt ejected
teeth, are regarded to be superior to others, as :
■mu 5T5Tvl 5 ^ % 5 , P f l 515 <TR 5 ^ 5HTO1 I
And those who are blessed with a broad forehead, like that of an e'eohant
,eyes other than blood-red spend their time happily.
9.3 : Proverbs associated with Womenfolk :
A good number of proverbs relating to the symptom and nature of women are
available in both Hindi and Assamese, a s :
Assamese :
55%i 55h rkti, %W5 51%
i
The women who are devoted to their husbands and whose navels are deep,
are regarded to be the embodiment of the qualities of Laxmi-Goddess of wealth
5msui mui r-iki, viyit -mm -w rT i i
That is, woman should never serve salt by the left hand. By doing so, it is
believed, they do away with the goddess of wealth.
TOR TF| 5 R 51%cf % 5 ,
-}?fffl i5 % 5 I
315
That is ,a good natured woman has darkish complexion, long hair ai id sv eelspoken . As she is the mistress of the house, nothing should be given to otners
without consulting her.
WJ
Fra?(fr TTirp,
cfTRTSF afcjfa IjfhR
I
The wife is the real attraction and show of the house. She can decorate r and
at the same time destroy its peace and happiness.
'srarf r w ztz,
vrffarft vfi. ttrn i
That is, as the kingdom of ruined because of the demerits and faults cf the
king and the subjects have to suffer, in the similar way the homely peace and
happiness are thrown to the winds as a result of the drawbacks ingrained h the
nature and behaviour of the wife, a s :
___, , \ p
__
■qpqt W cl w ST W,
H ? W
ct
T F f l ZTRZ I
That is a house sons wife and respect sons love prove fulite and meaningless
The companionship of both man and woman is desirable from the social
point of view. Anything done with their mutual consent is crowned with success as
The devotion to anything accomplished jointly by husband and wife is bound
to bear desired fruit. Any work done with a discordant mind between husband and
wife invites a lot of troubles and sufferings, as;
316
'Hl$ 'mil
vll>t M». Mi•
’-I RW,
TR! ’MTS mRRM I
That is, when brothers quarrel among themselves, other people benefi' from
it, but when husband and wife fight together the very peace and happiness of the
house is thrown to the four winds, turning the peaceful environment ink the desert
. The proverbs also depict the evil nature and bad symptoms characteristic of
some woman, a s :
’Em
ifcn,
That is, the woman with the small forehead, their lips short and stunted hair
are dangerous.
■SIR-I Etlltn, iflt'M
^
fT31 RM Tift RR m.
W ti WRT!
RR,
’Mi'UM K 1I
MrftRi m II
*fl% stfiRR ||
That is, those woman who comb their hair outside the house after testing it
loose inside and tie it a little above their foreheads and frequently visit other houses,
are not fit to be married to. Further, the woman who often look back white moving
ahead on the road and are attracted towards other men, are not good and pure by
nature.
Such proverbs delineating the symptom nature and behaviour of women are
amply available in Hindi, a s :
1.
3%ct 3Mh[ RRvjf
2.
sfarT me ’srli
3.
EpoTlt % I
firm Rh
i t Mrf 3MTM MM, ’Miff ?fM
i
MR RM MM I
317
4.
i f sirct ^
s,
^-snrtiaFiflfCTi,
«r ?r i i
6.
7.
% E 4 i i tisra * m ft
8.
3% ^
^
^ T T T ^ RJ1711
■3 ^ ^ra?t t ^pfe ■& ^
9.
'fret % ®ro
10.
•q^
11 .
■qrft '<4>w«i ^ p ,
12.
I
1
# r ^rzrf ?m b i N i
i
^Kt
^lf*T4
I
13.
14.
W flft *I*ff ?
15.
-^sl^Piwqt
16.
^ jw 3
17.
^Rl,
18.
W ^1 # 1 ^ TjfH t 11
tr H
% ifst, % %
11
¥2Wt 3lk Wt I
The W id o w :
Widowhood is the curse of a woman’s life. Her position in society is indeed,
deplorable. Her Presence at any auspicious function is deemed ominous and
inauspicious. She has no place in any propitious activity. She is even debarred
from indulging in any make-up and adoration.
.
1.
a
_n
p
ni ,.
. . ,
_v
cmR R3T =frM<r1i, W R I «6M<rt <H,
__
_ _ ft _ _
®iT
. ft
.£
*V , r\
*s
efit, t h 4Fi ^ h h
1
318
2.
3 ft ffapH, rVf7ts1, f HI Ifrrt f r ,
FFT Ft ’jjsn FFIT, RTFT F*t fRFF? I
Such proverbs are also available in Assamese, a s :
1.
Ir r r r Ft I
2.
rf!
rf
sttwI
3.
fFFte w t (
ftr
RTfFTR* m i
R R k % ^ t< p i ?
'‘FIT W i ^ b l R R jJS I
There are some more such proverbs added to the list given above, a s ;
_
1.
_______
. ...
v
, ,L
..
rv
_____ a
F7F F F F F R R F l RTF,
F7F F F ^ FTFtFT F F F RTtt,
F7F F f 3 T O F t RTF,
RTF F F ^ FTFF7 FT^ TITR I
2.
fRFFT,
r*
____ _____
^FN STTFFFT,
SHtFT R f T 'Pt Ff $| F t R R TI
[ That is, the wife, the cow, archery, agriculture and the king need constant
vegilance. ]
3.
f?rtt, F it, Fife ,
F5 f?rfF FTTO 3 tt i
4.
M , f t t t FTCt F^RT ,
F3 R Tfe 3Tf3 FtFtRT I
319
[That is, it is difficult to get at the reality of the woman, the Miri tribe the parrot
and the crow. ]
5. Mh T^PCcl WHt -CRt?I
6.
frrct, M t
WtTfWrf I
[ It is a woman who establishes a house and also ruins it. ]
7. MNr
*n# Ptfcjsit i
[ That is, a woman should not be pampered nor the bamboo would sh ould
poured into the fire by posing the back towards it. ]
8.
ftnft fcm
m i
[ That is the get together of women and the fight among men rarely yield good
results. ]
9. Mfc
snpjrt ^FtT,
foPt* W1 TT?
I
[That is indistinct utterance of women, the drizzling of rain the house equipped
with 'chali' but keeping the top open look odd. ]
10.
M
^
^,
■Rife ^rvn
^
3i
The woman looks beautiful with her husband and land with the n i. n ( a knd of
agricultural implement used for levelling the ground.)
1 1 .
f t i r t r
r rm
T jr g $
i
This Proverbs suggest the idiosycrasy ingrained in the respective nature of
the wife and the mother. The former looks at the hand of the husband to know
320
whether tie has brought something for her and the latter looks at the fac^ uf he son
to locate whether he looks exhausted or sanguine.
12.
Wh
tRn wm,
t^ r
mm
i
That is, the activities of the kitchen are confined to the woman and she can
prepare good dishes provided that she is in an amiable mood No palatable
preparation can be expected in case is in an unpleasant state of mind. In SLch a
state of affairs the husband has to suffer on account of the wife’s ancor. 3u one
has to go In exile if the king is enraged.
13.
M k mm igd farit,
That is, you should not pay heed to what the woman conveys, as she is known
for her ficklemindedness. So, you should keep away from the allurement of a woman
But according to the following proverb the woman is regarded to be the ow rer of
wealth, a s :
14. ftu'lciir m w t m,
3WCmwt mi i
There are proverbs of similar nature in Hindi too :
15.
<^UI3 m3 mmei
^ si4! i
The proverbs noted below tell us as to how and in what situation we can
comprehend the true and entire nature and behaviour of woman
16.
dtet, m3, fcra mb md,
321
M other-in-law and daughter-in-law :
There are a good deal of proverbs prevalent in almost all the languages of
India closely associated with the relations existing between the mother-in-law and
the daughter-in-law. The study of these proverbs throws enough light on the reality
the situation with regard to the two of identities. Generally speaking, there is no
amiability between the two. It is almost rare to find a mutually good and amiable
relationship between them, the reason for such strained relationship it is generally
held, is because of the dominating attitude of the former to the latter. Such a situation
prevailing in the family gives rise to quarrels in the house and robs it of its peace
and harmony, a s :
i T O
T # f|
F T
’q t f l
I
[ That is, the daughter-in-law sheds only crocodil's tear pretending to be
shocked at the bereavement of her mother-in-law a ls o :]
Ttf
3nr^ amfj
The proverbs expressing such feelings are also available in Assamese, as :
s t r p ilc i, ^
FF S S n a I
[ That is, the mother-in-law is the main source of trouble for the dauyhter-mlaw as a bad son is like the 'Yama' (the god of death) for a good and worthy father.
]
The similar feeling has been expressed for the mother-in-law in tl e following
proverb:
Wf
ft!
fr i
m fFPi
i
The daughter-in-law has to face the music while living with her mother-in-law
and vice versa. The same is true about the mother and son living together ir the
322
same house.
9.4 : Other proverbs relating to social life :
9.4:1 Proverbs relating to Marriage :
There are several proverbs affiliated to this important theme of life- as
l
Th is implies huge expenses in the functions arranged on the occasions of
marriage.
fs iq ra
£ lp M e FTT I
It relates to expenses in marriages
fonfiTTi
[ That is marriage at a fairly advanced age. ]
w zm i 'T5ht ^
tti
A proverb implying such as idea exists in Assam ese too
fM w fttF M 3T3RII
It is held by people that a marriage taken place at the opportune time. Nothing
can forestall it. In other words, birth death and marriage take place of their own
accord. It is difficult to predict the ‘when’, ‘where’ a n d ‘how’ about them, as;
w
■*TR
m
m ftr l Ttcf i
<TFl cract I
9.4:2 : Proverbs based on Food and Cloth :
The Sanskrit proverb noted below has its clear and distinct impact on the
proverbs of Hindi and Assamese.
323
Assamese :
qfwt ii
One should not hesitate with regard to food and behaviour
H ind i:
a
Assamese ; 79trn ^lmid
I
fr-hrj s
Moderation in matter of food is essential, that is one should spend acco ding
to one’s earning and take food as per hunger. Food taken beyond hunger and over
exertion regarding a work are bound to tell upon the health of a person, as;
Assamese :
f^TTTt h Fsr , ^
t f^
1
That is those who belong to low income group spend more on food are quite
likely to face poverty which blocks the avenue of their progress.
Assamese ; s f i i s r I
1
A person relishes the food served to him and he feels hungry
H in d i:
^
i
Assam ese:
<+>wi, w p ! m o ^tmrmu 1
A hungry man can not make any distinction between the fresh and stale mod
His only desire is to take his fill just like the vulture which is not bothered about the
half-dead and dead.
One can not fill one's belly by borrowing something, a s :
H in d i:
sm tstri, -fm <*n t o 1
Assamese : tm:
^
Te ^
1
One can not get the taste of the food before taking it.
Assamese : b r e - w r
H in d i: fsm tih H srft
ftfg, tit?
1
mfe 1
324
•
The following proverb applies to those who live to eat.
There are some more proverbs associated particularly with food, as;
•UldildR TtTc!
W d , m rR
id ^ l d id I
[ That is, for preparing the soup with the leaf of jute and mustard, the pan
should not be kept on heat for long. ]
Some fish become more tasteful with cetain vegetables, a s :
That is, the Rohu fish can be relished more with pai.
The old barali fish becomes more relishing with the ripe tamarind.
TJ|rt i
The soup prepared witn the shol fish and turnip becomes more tasty.
w fa
f r w fr%
ifa w i f^n ■sfiltsi trt,
w
II
That is, the Magur fish prepared with termaric and chilly can be relished with
great taste.
M ’ TlfsRT,
H d Z -W
■qifsn
ftfe,
fTfe i
325
That is, the Kawai fish prepared with trikut (a mixture of three better things,
viz. dry ginger, long pepper, and black pepper) becomes more relishing,
3M> ^sTII
cfa FfT
^
i
Th e fish, namely, Kach, bach and chitai should be prepared with lemon juice.
The description given above proves the Assamese people are very particular
ragarding the preparation of the various items of their food in which the mention of
rice and fish predominates.
9.4:3 : Clothes :
Some proverbs based on clothes and dresses are given below.
H indi:
*rnni
Assam ese :"dNra frsrc TfN,
sufr i
One should take food of one’s own liking and put on the dress that is liked by
other people.
ftfcl
tjf i
The dress brings same change in the appearance of a person. So one should
dress neatly.
9.4.4 Residence:
Here are one or two proverbs relating to one’s residence.
H indi:
A man is known by the place (area) he lives at
^
i+
326
a
_
Assamese :
,.\
rv.rv
, .±
p ,n .T.„ . --I, . ...... ,
mm W m mpra, mg? rqfmqT w m i i+
mm hm i
A man’s intelligence is blunted at the time when he faces troubles.
ftPf? W t gf^*T It! I
3W W I
mrqfi? f w it irfei i (mrnju!)
Man is his own enemy, as :
Assamese :
srrqtft am hK ^
i
A satisfaction derived from a good dead done, a s :
Assamese :
a w n : ftw ra
i
About one who repairs to his residence late, a s :
Assamese :
atm w ffw s tl nifeatl
l
An enemy should be routed.
Assamese:
Hindi:
mtST?
ms m
i
# tt i
One should spend according to one's income, a s :
Assamese :
Hindi:
mm
wq i
fwcpft a w w n mNii
W hen two purposes are served by one means, a s :
Assamese:
mTfd mrarf m ilt man l
Hindi:
gm it mra
m
\
327
Two heros can not live in one.
Assam ese:
Hindi:
®Fra c[si
I
^ 'RTH 3 Tt ict^R ^tff wmt i
It takes two to make a quarrel, as :
Assamese :
I
Hindi:
wra ^ m # 'w f
i
One talk gives birth to another, a s :
Assamese ;
w®
H indi:
*rra ^
=n® prs1
^frat 11
Some more Assamese proverbs are noted below :
Assamese :
m
tfpt
c*q i
The ruin brought about by own people.
wjftstTl,
l
Overproduction of Ahu paddy and the often bowed head of mother-in-law.
Some proverbs associated with wife in Assamese, a s ;
The fish is eaten by the wife but it hurts the cat.
It is said that wife is the mistress of the house.
Man’s mind elevated with high ideas never gets disappointed and
impoverished. a s :
S im
"CR
I
328
Everything gets lost in sleep.
•ehftft Mta h r , war?!
hr i
Even a good man is influenced by a bad companion.
A disconnected relation hardly gets mended again.
w i , ■snPi
i
The food should always be fresh and pure and one should not lose one's
consciousness even in dream.
There is something common in all human beings. But there are some people
who indulge in misbehaviour with others on account of their boastful nature, as:
jjiil JffPI <+i<l I
Some proverbs in Assamese are based on ethics, as :
’qrftsfi i
That is, a work should be entrusted to the deserving.
f tH T fe TlteR
That is, one should not run after the imaginary things (i.e. the mirage).
tw ,
ftrar i
\ry „ n..\, *\r, r\,v ,
Knowledge can be acquired by seeing and by handling it. The best knowledge
can be gained by practice.
ft: ftt
eft i
329
One who provides the inedible to someone is the sinner, not wl 10 eats it
■5 ^ RTft wsn, rr^ Rift rtri 1
One should not take away the life of somebody even if tortuned mercilessly
by him
RFThr RT% fRRWR RR 1
That is, one who possesses a lot of money, hesitates to spend it lavishh
fw i
Assamese :
RRR RfRR
Hindi:
$fcRd i
RRRR Rft Rfl? Rfa RtRli
1
Those who are great are believed even if they tell a lie but not the small even
through they speak the truth.
A ssam ese:
RTfft R1R RMRT, RTRt: RTR RReRF 1
Hindi:
Reft RetTffe ^
eft fTRT# # EJ1
Those who are good move in a good company and vice versa
A ssam e se :
Hindi:
RTiR cfeft Rli? Rmi
1
% RRR RfR
t
[ This proverb applies to those who live at the cost of others. ]
rr,
Riffpr, 1 frra r f r 3ttrH 1
There are some people who can never make friends with others, also
Assamese :
Rft RTfft ^trrt Rnfe, rI atfh r * Rife 1
The wisdom of women never proves fruitful, a s :
Assamese :
Rft *jf\R wnhwO 1
330
a
Assam ese :
..............
.......
r ir i
,f\
r>... N
,
,ir- N ....
„,f\ ,
ftt, imrart t r ? trt i
In certain cases the qualities and appearance of people prove to be their
enemy.
Assam ese :
SRtavt
^
t o i rt? i
One never knows when one is going to face disarter sometime in future. One
should not Indulge In laziness while going to perform a work, a s :
R5Pf rpji,
1 % -rti i
To kill the poisonous by poison implies to get the enemy killed by resorting to
enmity cleverly, a ls o :
A ssa m e se :
f # f? i
Hindi:
I
^
^
I
There are some proverbs available in Hindi and Assam ese concerning the
limbs of man, the chief among them being the eye, the ear, the nose, the tooth, the
belly, the chest, teh hand, the head etc. Here are a few of them :
H indi:
3rni
Assam ese :
w§i <nnr?
w r?
i
tr
i
Out of sight, out of mind (Eng).
Hindi:
I
Assam ese :
*nhrr w r a Rti i
i
Used when something is in the front but not visible.
•srfci
[ That is feigning love for somebody. ]
331
[ That is, to become busier.]
That is, one who pretends to be ignorant of something.
Assamese :
’W 'pi
’f e tr alft i
[ Expresses dissatisfaction. ]
The proverbs relating to the ear. a s ;
H indi:
ip t,
A ssam ese;
H indi:
to
wmi i
TTfift •5#rqrf ftqr i
^ ^
Wd ^
A ssam ese:
i
*R !T ^F5TI TZI
TO? T O I ^v(T
r*
ebluI-1U Icl'q <+Ki 1
[ Used fora seasoned thief. ]
A ssam ese;
Tiw ^-qii w r f l ^ i
[ To put somebody in suspicion. ]
A ssam ese:
ft ^
i
[ To while away time ]
Assamese :
tr I ^
Httrti’it I
Used for a talkative person.
Assamese :
ft
i
[ for one who is willing to take food even after takingit to the fill. ]
332
Here are some such proverbs.
Hindi:
Assam ese:
^
a¥ 5fci wtH r f h
Hindi;
3*3
m\
Wt
1*1 ‘RFRTl 1 1
Assam ese:
rr
i
Hindi:
Assam ese:
a*TfRra
Hindi:
■sif
Assam ese:
■5 #
Hindi:
-qpq i
ms 3wi i
mm,
33 mmi
fprd
mw!
*\ mk i
^
WTRI 1
Hindi:
TR«[ m
Assam ese:
mfammrnk p i f i ifki w
3*f RfRT,
IT TR qFT^
!
i
Almost all the proverbs noted above are identical in ideas and feelings.
Here are some of them containing the similar content and theme.
H in d i:
Wmi
Wt W R E t l
A ssa m ese:
H in d i:
mm ftWR •sri, # [
A ssa m ese:
tTP?
t
m?
i i
H in d i:
mm^
A ssa m ese:
ft * ? 33
H indi:
w trst
1 13
w r w th
f t ™ 33 i
w it s n
mi i
333
Assamese :
t
am i
Hindi:
•v N r* r*
V
TOT#!# 1
Assamese:
Hindi:
Assamese:
Hindi:
■oeft U,R^
fra
% 1
% -m fra #
i
Assamese:
f f # f#n I f # fftf!1
Hindi:
■35#
Assamese:
HR '^KW ^TcWffefi
Hindi:
■gew f t w: ®qif i
Assamese:
Uprc*? stem
Hindi:
■gft%’ER'4ci
fm # •qi# %
fls rc t
Assamese:
Hindi;
Assamese:
q ^ fr a T rai^i
ift
f# =biMi
Hindi:
f«Rff
35%# fft 31# 1
Assamese:
f#?f srarpi f it 1
W i ft% f!
334
9.3 : Conclusion :
From the aforesiad discussion it becomes clear that in the proverbs
associated with the daily activities of human beings and different limbs of their
bodies, available both in Hindi and Assamese, there is affinity with regard to ideas
and meanings, the linguistic unity like the cultural unity of the country is preserved in
them inherently and in the latent form.
This chapter, as mentioned in the begining of it .deals mainly with those
proverbs that fall out of the scope and themes of the preceding chapters. The
method adopted for this purpose is rather objective and analytical than subjective
and subtle one.