Kashmiri Proverbs Volume II

Book excerpt: The proverbs contained in this volume are pithy statements mostly derived from wisdom that expresses traditionally held truths or pieces of advice based on common sense or experiences encapsulating a society's values and beliefs. The beauty of these proverbs lies in the fact that they hold true for all times and are well thought out and honed by our ancestors from time immemorial. Their popular usage in colloquial language and Kashmiri needs no emphasis as they can be seen as ‘spicy jargon’ of Kashmiri language too. The compilation has 151 new Kashmiri proverbs, each of which is scripted in English, Hindi and Urdu for wider reach and, more importantly, to help the reader in pronouncing it rightly; lest it should lead entirely to a different meaning. Each proverb is annexed with an elaborate description, interpretation and usage with illustrative examples, wherever possible. Readers will find a marked improvement in the quality of the presentation, language and ease of understanding of the proverbs over the first volume. These proverbs are hoped to invoke interesting memories in Kashmiris, in particular, and positive reception from other regions as well, by recapitulating similar proverbs in their respective languages.