ਬੋਲਣੁ (bolaṇ)
Meaning: verbal noun, abstract participle: To speak, to talk or speaking, talking.
Quote:
ਬਹੁਤਾ ਬੋਲਣੁ ਝਖਣੁ ਹੋਇ॥ ਵਿਣੁ ਬੋਲੇ ਜਾਣੈ ਸਭੁ ਸੋਇ॥
bahutaa bolaṇ jhakhaṇ hoi. viṇ bole jaaṇai sabh soi.
Talking too much or waffling is useless. The Divine knows everything without speaking.
– Guru Nanak Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 661
Message: Blah Blah Blah…
Gurbani advises us to speak and talk in moderation.
We need to have better control over ourselves first and cultivate civility.
Talking too much is merely babbling and useless.
The verse tells us about the futility of talking too much, not just with the people we meet, but also before the Divine.
A parent knows what is good for a child without even the child asking and fulfils the child’s genuine demands.
Similarly, our Creator knows about our pains and sufferings. He knows about our desires and wants.
To ask for more or complain often about our problems is unwise because even without our speaking, the Divine knows everything.
Instead of complaining and asking, let us connect ourselves to Gurbani and learn to live by its divine guidance.
Let us learn to live by the will of the Divine. Let us learn to appreciate and be grateful for what we have before we ask for more.
Etymology: From Sanskrit boll (speak) → Prakrit bollai (speaks) → Kashmiri bolun, Sindhi bolaṇu, andLahndi bolaṇ.
Summary of the Week:
Speech defines a person’s character. The way we treat others is a reflection of who we really are.
So it’s up to us to reflect our goodness or lower our self-esteem in the eyes of others.
Speaking sweetly and calmly alleviates the impact of dark moments. It might convert enemies into friends. Speaking harshly, however, makes an appetizing dinner tasteless. It makes us look bad even when we become polite later on.
We have been endowed with intelligence and the power to reflect. If we only realize and truly believed that the Divine is within all of us, we wouldn’t be abusing any one, because when we do, we are desecrating the Divine with our bad or foul words.
ਜਿਤੁ ਬੋਲਿਐ ਪਤਿ ਪਾਈਐ ਸੋ ਬੋਲਿਆ ਪਰਵਾਣੁ॥
That speech is acceptable or appropriate by which, one receives respect and honor. -Guru Nanak Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 15
