Marathi Proverb: from thyself learns the whole world

© Abhishek Avtans

आपल्यावरुन जग ओळखावे āpalyāvrun jag ol̤khāve
It is a Marathi proverb which translates as “from thyself learns the whole world”. The story behind this proverb is as follows –
There was a royal barber who met the king for his daily shavings.

Whenever the king asked him about the state of the world the barber consistently said that it was a happy place. Conversely, the prime minister, when questioned by the King, consistently asserted that the world was a sad place.

Perplexed, the King sought an explanation, and the minister promised to provide one. Seizing a favorable moment, the minister discovered that the barber had five gold mohurs in his possession which he skillfully managed to confiscate from him.

Shortly thereafter, when the barber, now aware of his loss, went to the King and was asked about the world, he replied that it was very sad. The king chuckled, realizing how people often judge the world based on their own experiences and circumstances.

The king called the barber and the prime minister and said in Marathi आपल्यावरुन जग ओळखावे āpalyāvrun jag ol̤khāve. The King asked the minister to return barber’s gold mohurs, and awarded both of them a bag of gold mohurs each.

References

Manwaring, A. (1899). Marathi proverbs. collected and translated by the rev. a. manwaring. Oxford.

Vaze S. G. (1911). The aryabhushan school dictionary : marathi-english. Arya-Bhushan Press. Pune

Thakar V. S. (2018). Paryay shabdkosh. Mehta Publishing House.Pune.