Akal Badi Ya Bhains

# 82

March 13, 2021

Today’s Hindi proverb (कहावत) is:

अक्ल बड़ी या भैंस?

(Transliteration: Akal badi ya bhains?)

Literal translation: Is the brain bigger or the buffalo?

Figurative meaning: Brain (although smaller in size) is mightier than the buffalo (a massively huge animal).

Brain over Braun

Usage in a sample sentence:
शेर भैंस का शिकार करके खाता है, लेकिन खरगोश अपने अक्ल से शेर को कुएं में डाल देता है। तो, बताओ, अक्ल बड़ी या भैंस?

(Transliteration: Sher bhains ka shikaar karke khata hai, lekin khargosh apne akal se sher ko kuway mein dal deta hai. Toh, batao, akal badi ya bhains?)

Translation: The lion hunts and feeds on the buffalo, but the rabbit puts the lion into the well using his brains. So, tell me, brains or buffalo, which is bigger?

Origins of the proverb: This proverb is in the form of a rhetorical question. It asks which is bigger (or mightier), brains or a buffalo. The answer is in the question itself, as the proverb actually means to tell us that using our brains, we can outsmart even a physically strong opponent. In the ancient Indian collection of fables called Panchatantra, there is a story of how a rabbit tricks a lion into jumping into a well. Our brains may be small in size, but if we make good use of it, we can win over an opponent who may be bigger and mightier than us in physical strength.