જેના જેવા ઢંગ તેના તેવા રંગ; ચંદને ઘોઈ માછલી, પણ છૂટી નહીં ગંધ.

jēnā jēvā ḍhaṁga tēnā tēvā raṁga; caṁdanē ghōī māchalī, paṇa chūṭī nahīṁ gaṁdha.

Literally: As one's habits are, so are one's colors; wash a fish in sandalwood, but the smell does not leave.
What it means: Deeply ingrained vices and bad character cannot be disguised by external polish.

ગુજરાતી કહેવતસંગ્રહ (Gujarati Kahevat Sangrah) (1921) · read from the scan by machine — the Gujarati itself is unchecked · English is machine-made and nobody has checked it yet

Heard it differently, or know we've got the sense wrong? Tell us — that is exactly the kind of correction this needs.