What We Utter that Matters!

Dr.Gautam Chatterjee


Humankind is blessed with one unique thing – our utterance, our intelligible sound, our communication, our language, and our utterance. That is why perhaps we say the cosmos was created with utterance – “Bhur”, “Om” etc. In the Rigveda, we find the first reference of “Vac” Devi or the Goddess of speech much before the Pauranic concept of Saraswati came about.

Our life, in its true sense, revolves around our speech and utterance. The gift of “Speech” gave us a passage through spiritual corridor called “Mantra”. Again, the great heritage of Indian wisdom has passed through orality, which we refer as “Shruti and Smriti”. In literature to the modern profession our life centers around Vac-Patuta or competent logic and rhetoric speech and utterance.

It is our tongue utterance is the primal sector that decides our reputation status and destiny as well.

It is widely believed that in a day at some moment “Vac Devi” or Saraswati resides and speaks through our utterance. This has proven at many lives and that’s why its part of our “Samskars”, which were taught to us that “Mind your language, mind what you say in whatever state of mind you are because that can really happen especially if you wish “ill”. In Puranas, we find thousands of examples when Sages “Cursed” others and those utterance are irrevocable and calamities befall.

This shows another indicative nature the mankind has been fighting nails and tooth battle with his/her own nature. Those are “deep sorrow”, “hurt feelings”, “anger”, “jealousy ridden utterances” and “aberrant and derogatory utterances”. All these stages lead to some kind of utterance that injures others which is perhaps more powerful than physical violence. Before we move further, I am going to narrate a small mythological story that would put our “ Utterance” in right perspective.

A Brahmin couple lived in the dense woods, in a hut. They lived a life of woodcutter. There also lived a tiger who became friendly with Brahmin. It so happened, every evening the tiger used to visit the Brahmin to gossip before he would go for his prey. One day, the tiger was late and Brahmin was missing him and feeling “restless”.

The lady Brahmin then said “You are becoming too friendly with the Beast – the tiger, he is not human being one day he would kill you and then you would realize that the tiger can’t be our friend.” Unlikely, the tiger almost reached the house and overheard the conversation and was deeply hurt. He went back, without meeting the Brahmin as he felt it was a great blow to his friendship. The tiger spent time brooding over the utterance of Brahmin lady. For couple of days he abstained from visiting Brahmin.

One day, the lady Brahmin was out and the tiger visited the Brahmin. On seeing his friend Brahmin was overjoyed and said “O friend, where were you all these days, I was worried. O’ you have become weak, what happened, are you ill?”

The tiger said “No, all these days I was thinking I am a beast, how can I be your friend Brahmin”, and roared. Then further tiger said “Pick up the axe and kill me otherwise I will eat you”. Brahmin replied tremblingly “O friend how can I kill you, you are my friend.” But tiger never listened and again roared and came close and repeated his warning. With no option left the Brahmin picked up the axe and hit him hard on his head and tiger started bleeding badly. On seeing this Brahmin started weeping with great sound.

Then, the tiger opened his eyes and told him, “Thank you friend, I had to die one day, I have died in your hand who is my great friend. This pain of death is nothing before the words uttered by Lady Brahmin that I am a beast and one day I would kill you… yes that evening I was there and heard your conversation and these words bleeded my heart more profusely than this hit of the axe, I am your friend, and I will surely take birth next life as human being and we will be friend for ever”. The tiger died and taught him the lesson what words can do, as the Lady Brahmin was seen crying in repentance as she overheard the dying statement of their tiger friend.

Such is the impact of our utterance, yet we take it lightly and cause injury to others by our unreasonable outbursts. Our words create injury of more severe kind than our physical violence.

In state of shock, anger, and trauma we all utter bad words and for the listener these become a meaningful grievous injury. These wounds may not leave scare on our body but our heart bleeds unstoppable and other caring gestures does not heal later and self-repentance also never heal the saying as the Lady Brahmin never got cured whole of her life.


To change our “Aberrant” Vac or speech, Gurus and all the spiritual leaders have been teaching us to love – The Dhai Akshar – Pyar must be in our mind so our utterance injures none. “Maun” for an hour a day surely helps otherwise the mouth, which takes the name of God, can utter bad words and defeat the purpose of our living and God never pardons us ever and our good deeds are reduced to ashes. So love your tongue and love others to spread the love for God and respect all the Gods beings.