Pleasant Speech

Meaning: The line of Rigvved 7/31/5 instruct us that - "O men! Never speak harsh words to any one, never slander anyone, do not be ungrateful, and keep helping sorrowful people. May each good work of yours be dedicated to God?

Message: Pleasant speech gives happiness to everyone. Everyone gets pleased and satisfied. Whereas bitter speech pierces the heart and causes unbearable pain. Sweet speech fascinated, attracts others to us, and makes them cooperative like a magic mantra. That is why; man must be pleasant in speech. There is an atmosphere of happiness, peace and enthusiasm everywhere by pleasantly dealing with everyone.

Pleasant speech is like "kamadhenu" (the legendary wish fulfilling cow in heaven). It fulfills all the desires and gives name and fame. Howsoever hard-hearted person, he becomes ready to cooperate in every way by listening to a few sweet words. Every type of happiness is obtained by speaking pleasantly. But it does not mean flattery or sycophancy. When presenting one's view firmly, one must never forsake pleasantness. Neither pleasant cool water, not the cool shade of a tree, nor cooling sandalwood paste gives as much happiness and joy as pleasant speech. Therefore one must always speak pleasantly. The Hindi couplet says, 'aisi vani boliye manka aapa khoye, auran ko sheetal kare, aap hoon seetal hoye'. It means 'dissolve your ego and speak such a sweet language, that it pleasantly cools the listener's heart and cools the self also'.

God has given the divine gift of speech as a help and he also does not wish that we should ever utter harsh words. That is why he has not put bones inside the tongue which would have made it angular instead of smooth. With this sweet speech we can make the world our own and like a friend to us. Tulsidasji too has given the same advice "Tulsi meehte vachan se such oopjut chahoon our, vashikaran ek mantra hai, taj de vachan kathor". It means happiness prevails all-round with sweet words; there is only one mantra for making the others our own that is given up harsh words.

Bitter language results in harm only. A man is not hurt as much by a piercing arrow as by piercing words. A wound produced by a weapon fills up and heals, but a wound from bitter speech never heals. Harsh and sharp language pierces man's heart, therefore bitter and harsh language should never be spoken. By describing the handicapped persons like blind, one-eye, limp, and ugly one should neither ridicule them, not hurt their feeling. It is equally hurting others to the heart when they are slandered, when people take joy in being ungrateful to those who have cooperated with them.

If we want God to grace us, then we should always involve ourselves in good deeds, whereas God is destroyer of those who do bad deeds. He is also fatherly guardian for those who do good deeds and also increase their power. HE destroys by His own power those using improper, opposing and bitter speech. Society looks down upon people who find faults with others. Who use discourteous and cunning speech and those who are ungrateful? Their own conduct becomes the cause of their destruction.

Pleasant speech is the best quality of a man's character.

Ma no needay ya

vaktavearyo ranadhirraavne,

tve api kraturmama (Rigved 7/31/5)