Power of words

Recently, a long-awaited ladies’ picnic started with a long bus ride followed by a game of ‘antakshari’ between two teams. Small arguments relating to the alphabet/letter sound started and soon escalated into some bigger verbal duels. Though peace was restored after the game stopped, a little bitter feelings amongst some continued.

In the words of Carl V Buechner, “They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

Tony A Gaskins writes “Never speak from a place of hate, jealousy, anger or insecurity. Evaluate your words before you let them leave your lips”. Whether bitter or sweet, it’s always better to taste the words before letting them out.

An example from the great epic Mahabharata further substantiates this with this explanation: After the great Mahabharata war, innumerable widows and orphans were seen wandering the streets in search of food. Watching this sight of gloom from the window of her palace, the old, tired and lifeless Draupadi argues with Lord Krishna, seeking a reasonable explanation.

He calms Draupadi and explains that “Destiny seldom accompanies our thoughts and plans. It only works with karma. But, Draupadi, you should be happy now as you wanted to take revenge and today, not only Duryodhana and Dushashana but the entire Kaurava clan is vanquished”.

Krishna further added “The results of our karma can be very different and we sometimes regret it only after experiencing it. If you had the foresightedness, you could’ve avoided this suffering.” To answer Draupadi’s question of how, Krishna replies “If you had not insulted Karna at your ‘swayamvar’ or declined Kunti’s request to share your life with five husbands...the consequences would have been very different.”

He continues “Had you not mocked Duryodhan by calling him as blind as his father, your dignity and respect would never have been put to the test. Words have great power. The result not only affects the person but also everyone around. Weigh your words before speaking. It can surely help avoid a lot of misery later.”

Robin Sharma rightly says “Words can inspire and words can destroy. Choose yours well....”