Speech and the Tongue

Beware of the anger of the tongue, and control thy tongue! Leave the sins of the tongue, and practise virtue with thy tongue!

Even though a speech be a thousand (of words), but made up of senseless words, one word of sense is better, which if a man hears, he becomes quiet.

Even though a Gatha (poem) be a thousand (of words), but made up of senseless words, one word of a Gatha is better, which if a man hears, he becomes quiet.

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

entire pantheon. 1. To Agni we speak and to the trees, to the plants and to the herbs; to Indra, Brihaspati, and Sûya: they shall deliver us from calamity! 2. We speak to king Varuna, to Mitra, Vishnu and Bhaga. To Amsa and Vivasvant do we speak: they shall deliver us from calamity! 3. We speak to Savitar, the god, to Dhâtar, and to Pûshan; to first-born Tvashtar do we speak: they shall deliver us from calamity! 4. We speak to the Gandharvas and the Apsaras, to the Asvins and to Brahmanaspati, to the god whose name is Aryaman: they shall deliver us from calamity! 5. Now do we speak to day and night, to Sûrya (sun) and to Kandramas (moon), the twain; to all the Âdityas we speak: they shall deliver us from calamity! 6. We speak to Vâta (wind) and Parganya, to the atmosphere and the directions of space. And to all the regions do we speak: they shall deliver us from calamity! 7. Day and night, and Ushas (dawn), too, shall deliver thee from curses! Soma the god, whom they call Kandramas (moon), shall deliver me! 8. To the animals of the earth and those of heaven, to the wild beasts of the forest, to the winged birds, do we speak: they shall deliver us from calamity! 9. Now do we speak to Bhava and Sarva, to Rudra and Pasupati; their arrows do we know well: these (arrows) shall be ever propitious to us! 10. We speak to the heavens, and the stars, to earth, the Yakshas, and the mountains; to the seas.. the rivers, and the lakes: they shall deliver us from calamity! 11. To the seven Rishis now do we speak, to the divine waters and Pragâpati. To the Fathers with Yama at their head: they shall deliver us from calamity! 12. The gods that dwell in heaven, and those that dwell in the atmosphere; the mighty (gods) that are fixed upon the earth, they shall deliver us from calamity! 13. The Âdityas, Rudras, Vasus, the divine Atharvans in heaven, and the wise Angiras: they shall deliver us from calamity! 14.

We speak to the sacrifice and the sacrificer, to the riks, the sâmans, and the healing (Atharvan) charms; we speak to the yagus-formulas and the invocations (to the gods): they shall deliver us from calamity! 15. We speak to the five kingdoms of the plants with soma the most excellent among them. The darbha-grass, hemp, and mighty barley: they shall deliver us from calamity! 16. We speak to the Arâyas (demons of grudge), Rakshas, serpents, pious men, and Fathers; to the one and a hundred deaths: they shall deliver us from calamity! 17. To the seasons we speak, to the lords of the seasons, and to the sections of the year; to the halfyears, years, and months: they shall deliver us from calamity! 18. Come, ye gods, from the south and the west; ye gods in the east come forth! From the east, from the north the mighty gods, all the gods assembled: they shall deliver us from calamity! 19, 20. We speak here to all the gods that hold to their agreements, promote the order (of the universe), together with all their wives: they shall deliver us from calamity! 21. We speak to being, to the lord of being, and also to him that controls the beings; to the beings all assembled: they shall deliver us from calamity! 22. The five divine regions, the twelve divine seasons, the teeth of the year, they shall ever be propitious, to us! 23. The amrita (ambrosia), bought for the price of a chariot, which Mâtalî knows as a remedy, that Indra stored away in the waters: that, O ye waters, furnish ye as a remedy! CHARMS IN EXPIATION OF SIN AND DEFILEMENT.

Words causing no man woe, words ever true, Gentle and pleasing words, and those ye say In murmured reading of a Sacred Writ,-- These make the true religiousness of Speech.

Wonderful, wistful, to contemplate! Difficult, doubtful, to speak upon! Strange and great for tongue to relate, Mystical hearing for every one! Nor wotteth man this, what a marvel it is, When seeing, and saying, and hearing are done!

"'"'Maheswara said, "Those men who never tell lies for either themselves or for others, or in jest or for exciting laughter, succeed in ascending to Heaven. They who never tell lies for earning their subsistence or for earning merit or through mere caprice, succeed in ascending to Heaven. They who utter words that are smooth and sweet and faultless, and who welcome all whom they meet with sincerity, succeed in ascending to Heaven. They who never utter words that are harsh and bitter and cruel, and who are free from deceitfulness and evil of every kind, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men who never utter words that are fraught with deceit or that cause breach of understanding between friends, and who always speak what is true and what promotes good feelings, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men who avoid harsh speeches and abstain from quarrels with others, who are impartial in their behaviour to all creatures, and who have subjugated their souls, succeed in ascending to Heaven. They who abstain from evil speech or sinful conversation, who avoid such speeches as are disagreeable, and who utter only such words as are auspicious and agreeable, succeed in ascending to Heaven. They who never utter, under anger, such words as tear the hearts of other people, and who, even when under the influence of wrath, speak words that are peaceful and agreeable, succeed in ascending to Heaven. The religion, O goddess, appertaining to speech, should always be followed by men. It is auspicious and characterised by truth. They that are possessed of wisdom should always avoid untruth."

"Vaisampayana said, 'Having heard the words of the Island-born ascetic, king Yudhishthira the just, summoned all his brothers, viz., Arjuna and Bhimasena and the twin sons of Madri, in proper time and then said unto them (the following words),--"Ye heroes, you have heard the words which the highly intelligent and high-souled Krishna has said from his friendship for and the desire of doing good to the Kurus![178] Verily, you have heard those words that have been uttered by that ascetic of abundant penances, that great sage desirous of bestowing prosperity on his friends, that preceptor of righteous behaviour, viz., Vyasa of wonderful feats. You have heard what Bhishma also said, and what Govinda too of great intelligence has uttered. Remembering those words, ye sons of Pandu, I desire to obey them duly. By obeying those words of theirs great blessedness will attach to all of you. Those words spoken by those utterers of Brahma are certain (if obeyed) to bring in their train considerable benefit. Ye perpetuators of Kuru's race, the Earth has become divested of her wealth. Ye kings, Vyasa, therefore, informed us of the wealth (that lies buried in the Earth) of Marutta. If you think that wealth abundant or sufficient, how shall we bring it (to our capital)? What, O Bhima, dost thou think as regards this?" When the king, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, said these words, Bhimasena, joining his hands, said these words in reply,--"The words thou hast said, O thou of mighty-arms, on the subject of bringing the wealth indicated by Vyasa, are approved by me. If, O puissant one, we succeed in getting the wealth kept there by the son of Avikshita, then this sacrifice, O king, purposed by us will be easily accomplished. Even this is what I think. We shall, therefore, bowing our heads unto the high-souled Girisa, and offering due worship unto that deity, bring that wealth. Blessed be thou.

"'Bhishma said, "O master of all the worlds, O mighty-armed one, O Siva, O Narayana, O thou of unfading glory, hearing the words spoken by thee I have been filled with joy. But what words (of instruction), O master of speech, can I say in thy presence, when especially in all the subjects of speech have been dealt with in thy speech?[157] Whatever in either world should be done or is done, proceeds from thy intelligent self, O god! That person who is competent to discourse on the subject of heaven in the presence of the chief of the gods himself is competent to discourse on the interpretation of morality and pleasure and profit and salvation in thy presence. My mind, O slayer of Madhu, is exceedingly agitated by the pain of arrow-wounds. My limbs are weak. My understanding is not clear. I am so afflicted, O Govinda, by these shafts resembling poison or fire that I have not power to utter anything. My strength is abandoning me. My life-breaths are hastening to leave me. The very vitals of my body are burning. My understanding is clouded. From weakness my utterance is becoming indistinct. How then can I venture to speak? O enhancer of (the glory of) Dasarha's race, be gratified with me. O mighty-armed one, I will not say anything. Pardon me (for my unwillingness). The very master of speech (Vrihaspati), in speaking in thy presence, will be overcome by hesitation. I cannot any longer distinguish the points of the compass, nor the sky from the earth! Through thy energy, O slayer of Madhu, I am only barely alive. Do thou, therefore, thyself speak for the good of king Yudhishthira the just, for thou art the ordainer of all the ordinances. How, O Krishna, when thou, the eternal creator of the universe, art present, can one like me speak (on such subjects) like a disciple in the presence of the preceptor?"

'The embryo, the twenty-fivefold', (with these words he puts down) on the south; embryos are food, the twenty-fivefold is food; verily he places food on the south; therefore with the right is food eaten. 'Force the twenty sevenfold', (with these words he puts down) on the west; the twenty-seven fold is these worlds; verily he finds support in these worlds. 'Maintenance, the twenty-fourfold', (with these words he puts down) on the north [4]; therefore the left hand is most to be maintained. 'Inspiration, the thirty-onefold', (with these words) he puts down on the east; inspiration is speech, speech is the beginning of the sacrifice; verily he establishes the beginning of the sacrifice on the east. 'The surface of the tawny one, the thirty fourfold', (with these words he puts down) on the south; the surface of the tawny one is yonder sun; verily he places splendour on the south; therefore the right side is the more resplendent. 'Support, the thirty threefold', (with these words he puts down) on the west, for support. 'The vault, the thirty-sixfold', (with these words he puts down) on the north'; the vault is the world of heaven; (verily it serves) to attain the world of heaven. 'Thou art the portion of Agni', (with these words he puts down) on the east; Agni is the beginning of the sacrifice, consecration is the beginning of the sacrifice, holy power is the beginning of the sacrifice, the threefold is the beginning of the sacrifice; verily on the east he establishes the beginning of the sacrifice. 'Thou art the portion of them that gaze on men', (with these words he puts down) on the south; those that gaze on men are the learned, Dhatr is food; verily on birth he gives him food; therefore on birth he eats food. 'The birthplace saved, the seventeenfold Stoma', he says; the birthplace is food [1], the seventeen fold is food; verily he places food on the south; therefore with the right food is eaten.

In that he puts down the Aksnayastomiyas in one place after reciting in another, (it is) to overcome foes: he prospers himself, his foe is defeated. 'The swift, the triple', (with these words) he puts down on the east; the triple is the beginning of the sacrifice [1]; verily in the east he establishes the beginning of the sacrifice. 'The sky, the seventeenfold ', (with these words be puts down) on the south; the sky is food, the seventeenfold is food; verily on the south he places food; therefore with the right (hand) is food eaten. 'Support, the twenty-onefold', (with these words he puts down) on the west; the twenty-onefold is support; (verily it serves) for support. 'The shining, the fifteenfold', (with these words he puts down) on the north; the shining is force; verily he places force on the north; therefore he that advances to the north is victorious. 'Speed, the eighteenfold', (with these words) he puts down on the east [2]; two threefold ones he establishes in the beginning of the sacrifice in order. 'Attack, the twentyfold', (with these words he puts down) on the south; Attack is food, the twentyfold is food; verily he places food on the south therefore with the right is food eaten. 'Radiance, the twenty- twofold', (with these words he puts down) on the west; in that there are twenty, thereby there are two Viraj verses; in that there are two there is support; verily in order he finds support in the Viraj verses and in the eating of food. 'Fervour, the nineteenfold', (with these words he puts down) on the north; therefore the left hand [3] has the greater fervour. 'The womb, the twenty-fourfold', (with these words) he puts down on the east; the Gayatri has twenty-four syllables, the beginning of the sacrifice is the Gayatri; verily on the east he establishes the beginning of the sacrifice.

'Thou art the portion of Mitra', (with these words he puts down) on the west; Mitra is expiration, Varuna inspiration; verily he confers on him expiration and inspiration. 'The rain from the sky, the winds saved, the twenty-onefold Stoma', he says; the twenty-onefold is support, (verily it serves) for support. 'Thou art the portion of Indra', (with these words he puts down) on the north; Indra is force, Visnu, is force, the lordly power is force, the fifteenfold is force [2]; verily on the north he places force; therefore he that advances to the north is victorious. 'Thou art the portion of the Vasus', (with these words) he put down on the east; the Vasus are the beginning of the sacrifice, the Rudras are the beginning of the sacrifice, the twenty-fourfold is the beginning of the sacrifice; verily on the east he establishes the beginning of the sacrifice. 'Thou art the portion of the Adityas', (with these words he puts down) on the south; the Adityas are food, the Maruts are food, embryos are food, the twenty- fivefold is food; verily be places food on the south; therefore with the right food is eaten. 'Thou art the portion of Aditi' [3], (with these words he puts down) on the west; Aditi is support, Pusan is support, the twenty-sevenfold is support; (verily it serves) for support. 'Thou art the portion of the god Savitr', (with these words he puts down) on the north; the god Savitr is holy power, Brhaspati is holy power, the fourfold Stoma is holy power; verily he places splendour on the north; therefore the northern half is more resplendent. (The verse) contains a word connected with Savitr; (verily it serves) for instigation; therefore is their gain produced in the north for Brahmans. 'The support, the fourfold Stoma', (with these words) he puts down on the east; the support is the beginning of the sacrifice [4], the fourfold Stoma is the beginning of the sacrifice; verily he establishes on the east the beginning of the sacrifice.

Thus as her breast with fury burned Her bitter speech the dame returned. Such words of rage and scorn, the last She uttered, at the fiend she cast. Her taunting speech the giant heard, And every hair with anger stirred. Then thus with fury in his eye He made in threats his fierce reply: "Hear Maithil lady, hear my speech: List to my words and ponder each. If o'er thy head twelve months shall fly And thou thy love wilt still deny, My cooks shall mince thy flesh with steel And serve it for my morning meal."

The hermit saw the slaughtered bird, And all his heart with ruth was stirred. The fowler's impious deed distressed His gentle sympathetic breast, And while the curlew's sad cries rang Within his ears, the hermit sang: "No fame be thine for endless time, Because, base outcast, of thy crime, Whose cruel hand was fain to slay One of this gentle pair at play!" E'en as he spoke his bosom wrought And laboured with the wondering thought What was the speech his ready tongue Had uttered when his heart was wrung. He pondered long upon the speech, Recalled the words and measured each, And thus exclaimed the saintly guide To Bharadvaja by his side: "With equal lines of even feet, With rhythm and time and tone complete, The measured form of words I spoke In shock of grief be termed a sloke."(46) And Bharadvaja, nothing slow His faithful love and zeal to show, Answered those words of wisdom, "Be The name, my lord, as pleases thee."

"The counselor we now behold Of King Sugriva righteous-souled. His face I long have yearned to see, And now his envoy comes to me With sweetest words in courteous phrase Answer this mighty lord who slays His foemen, by Sugriva sent, This Vanar chief most eloquent. For one whose words so sweetly flow The whole Rig-veda(547) needs must know, And in his well-trained memory store The Yajush and the Saman's lore. He must have bent his faithful ear All grammar's varied rules to hear. For his long speech how well he spoke! In all its length no rule he broke. In eye, on brow, in all his face The keenest look no guile could trace. No change of hue, no pose of limb Gave sign that aught was false in him. Concise, unfaltering, sweet and clear, Without a word to pain the ear. From chest to throat, nor high nor low, His accents came in measured flow. How well he spoke with perfect art That wondrous speech that charmed the heart, With finest skill and order graced In words that knew nor pause nor haste! That speech, with consonants that spring From the three seats of uttering,(548) Would charm the spirit of a foe Whose sword is raised for mortal blow. How may a ruler's plan succeed Who lacks such envoy good at need? How fail, if one whose mind is stored With gifts so rare assist his lord? What plans can fail, with wisest speech Of envoy's lips to further each?"

O ye who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point;

And I shall be embarrassed, and my tongue will not speak plainly, therefor send for Aaron (to help me).

On the day when the angels and the Spirit stand arrayed, they speak not, saving him whom the Beneficent alloweth and who speaketh right.

He who knows (the Tao) does not (care to) speak (about it); he who is (ever ready to) speak about it does not know it.

Words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical.

That which speech does not illumine, but which illumines speech: know that alone to be the Brahman (the Supreme Being), not this which people worship here.

It is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the speech of the speech, the life of the life, the eye of the eye. The wise, freed (from the senses and from mortal desires), after leaving this world, become immortal.

Thus did he speak, and they all held their peace throughout the covered cloister, enthralled by the charm of his story, till presently Alcinous began to speak.

Thus did he speak, and his words pleased them well, so they rose forthwith and went to the house of Ulysses, where they took their accustomed seats.

And Ulysses answered, “Nurse, you ought not to speak in that way; I am well able to form my own opinion about one and all of them; hold your tongue and leave everything to heaven.”

“Beloved of Jove, Achilles! would’st thou know Why angry Phœbus bends his fatal bow? First give thy faith, and plight a prince’s word Of sure protection, by thy power and sword: For I must speak what wisdom would conceal, And truths, invidious to the great, reveal, Bold is the task, when subjects, grown too wise, Instruct a monarch where his error lies; For though we deem the short-lived fury past, ’Tis sure the mighty will revenge at last.” To whom Pelides:—“From thy inmost soul Speak what thou know’st, and speak without control. E’en by that god I swear who rules the day, To whom thy hands the vows of Greece convey. And whose bless’d oracles thy lips declare; Long as Achilles breathes this vital air, No daring Greek, of all the numerous band, Against his priest shall lift an impious hand; Not e’en the chief by whom our hosts are led, The king of kings, shall touch that sacred head.”