Husband

This proverb highlights the importance of stability and permanence. Just as a temporary thatched shed (pandiri) cannot provide the security of a permanent home, a person who is just passing through (paradesi) cannot fulfill the long-term responsibilities or provide the stability expected of a spouse. It is used to caution against relying on temporary arrangements or people who lack commitment.

This proverb describes a person who is extremely difficult to please or deal with. It refers to someone who ignores advice when it's given, but then gets angry and blames others for not informing them when things go wrong. It is used to characterize people with a stubborn, irrational, or fussy temperament.

This traditional proverb highlights the different roles family members play in a woman's life according to historical social norms. It suggests that while a husband is a woman's primary companion and focus during her lifetime, a son is seen as the one who ensures her spiritual salvation and peace in the afterlife through the performance of last rites and rituals.

This expression is used to describe an extremely obstinate or thick-skinned person who is indifferent to both advice and consequences. It refers to someone who is so set in their ways or foolishly persistent that neither logic nor punishment can change their behavior.

This proverb describes a person who is secretly preparing for a separation or a split while pretending to be cooperative. It is used to describe someone who has ulterior motives or is making private arrangements (like hoarding resources) for an eventual departure or independent life, often under the guise of an everyday interaction.

This proverb describes a situation where one possesses all kinds of material wealth, comforts, and luxuries, but lacks the most essential or vital element that gives meaning to everything else. In a traditional context, it refers to a woman having everything except her husband, but it is used metaphorically to highlight any situation that is technically complete but practically worthless due to a single major void.

This expression highlights that someone who lacks their primary support system (like parents) will place all their trust, dependency, and expectations on the one person they have left (like a spouse). It is used to describe total emotional or physical reliance on a single individual.

This proverb humorously highlights the typical durations of different life stages and domestic behaviors. It suggests that a wife's resentment or anger can be long-lasting (metaphorically sixty years), a husband's is relatively shorter (thirty years), and childhood is fleeting (only ten years). It is often used to comment on the enduring nature of domestic friction versus the shortness of youth.

This expression is used to describe a situation where there is a gross mismatch in a partnership, leading to inevitable dissatisfaction or misery. It highlights the frustration that arises when one's desires or energy levels are significantly higher than those of their partner or the circumstances they are tied to.

This proverb emphasizes that despite having the support and love of her birth family (parents and siblings), a married woman's primary source of security, status, and companionship in traditional society is her husband. It is used to highlight the unique and essential role a spouse plays in a woman's life.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of dignity and responsibility. It suggests that living without self-respect or social honor is loathsome. Additionally, it highlights the traditional social expectation that a man must be capable of providing for and protecting his wife, failing which his existence is seen as futile or disgraceful.

This proverb is used when a person is overwhelmed by multiple misfortunes simultaneously. It specifically highlights a dilemma where one is unsure whether to lament their general bad fate or the specific, immediate source of their misery (often a person or a situation they are tied to). It is used to express deep frustration when everything seems to be going wrong at once.

This expression describes a person who is extremely difficult to please or deal with due to their irrational and contradictory behavior. It is used to refer to individuals who ignore advice or instructions when given, yet become angry or reactive when they are left out of the loop or not informed about the same matter.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone performs a task or a transaction with excessive, unnecessary thoroughness or repetitive checking, often out of suspicion, obsession, or to ensure they haven't lost out. It implies a sense of redundant verification or over-scrutinizing something that is already settled.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a dominating or aggressive woman is paired with a weak, passive, or helpless man. It highlights an imbalance of power in a relationship where one partner is overly assertive or cruel while the other is unable to stand up for themselves.

This proverb suggests that regardless of a man's physical strength, social status, or power in the outside world, he is often easily influenced or managed by his wife at home. It highlights the subtle influence and domestic power women hold over their spouses.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone or something that lacks value or appeal feels like an overwhelming burden. It highlights how defects or undesirable qualities in a person make their presence feel more intrusive or annoying than it would otherwise be.

This proverb is used to describe temporary or short-lived anger between close relations, particularly a couple. It implies that no matter how much they argue during the day, they will reconcile by nightfall. It is often used to tell others not to take a small domestic spat too seriously.

This proverb is used to describe a person who is completely useless or provides no value in any aspect of life (neither material nor spiritual). It is typically applied to situations where someone is more of a burden than a help, suggesting that their presence or absence makes no positive difference.

This expression is used to describe someone who acts arrogant or powerful only towards those who are dependent on them or cannot retaliate, while being timid or insignificant in front of others. It highlights selective bravery or false pride shown within the safety of one's home.