The world is full of objects. To perceive these objects, human beings have five instruments. They are the five Jnanendriyas (organs of perception). After having perceived from these instruments, man first stores them in the store room called the mind. After this, based on what is perceived, man will imagine and infer additional things. That is, man’s mind contains what he perceives through his sense organs and what he infers and imagines. The data so accumulated cause him either happiness or sorrow.

Man is always eager to accumulate pleasure-yielding data and to discard those that cause him misery. In fact, all his endeavours are directed to this end. The instruments that help him in such endeavours are the Karmendriyas (organs of action). They are also five in number. They are – Vaak (speech), Paani (hands), Paada (legs), Paayu (excretory organs) and Upastha (reproductive organs).
To move away from what he does not like and to move towards what he relishes, man uses his legs. Similarly, to draw towards him what he likes and, to discard what he doesn’t, he uses his hands. To get discard from the body what is not useful to him, he uses the organs of excretion and to gain certain types of pleasure, he uses his organs of reproduction. Of what use is speech to him?

Man does not become satisfied with the fruits that he gets by self-effort. Therefore, he tries to make use of the help of his fellow beings in order to increase pleasure. In this effort, he needs to express what he already has with him and what he desires from others. There is only one agency that can successfully do it. That is, the speech.
Also, many a time, man feels like sharing his experiences – both pleasurable and miserable - with his fellow beings. Even here it is the speech that makes it possible.
Thus, when man wishes to share with others what he has perceived – either directly through his own sense organs or through his mind, there is only one instrument at his disposal which can do it. That is the speech. In other words, man absorbs through six instruments (the sense organs and the mind), and, when he wishes to give out what he has absorbed, he can do so only through one channel, i.e., the speech.

Let us see from a different angle. Man is not satisfied with what he perceives through his own sense organs. He would like to experience what others perceived through their organs of perception. He makes a conscious effort in that direction. If the other person is willing to share it, even he has only one medium through which he can do so. That is the speech. In other words, what the other person had perceived through his sense organs and the mind, can be passed on to the first person through the channel called speech.

As the world becomes more civilized, most of man’s knowledge comes not directly from his own perception of objects and phenomena, but from the words of the elderly and the wise. It can therefore be said that what man learns from others is more than what he learns through his own sense organs and the mind. The knowledge thus obtained by him will be transmitted to others again with the help of speech. Thus, it becomes clear that although speech itself is not one of the Jnanendriyas, it is more powerful than the aforementioned six instruments.
Because Vaak (speech, word) has such great significance, all civilized societies attach much prominence to training the children in speaking properly. Ancient Indian Rishis realised that the stream of knowledge flows through speech. Thus, they worshipped Vaak (speech) as God. It is noteworthy that of the eleven instruments (five Jnanendriyas, five Karmendriyas and the mind), only Vaak(speech) has been accorded the status of God. The name given to it is Vaak Devi, or Vagdevi. Vagdevi is none other than Goddess Saraswati. Etymologically, the word Saraswati means ‘that which has the tendency to flow’. Because speech helps in the flow of knowledge, the name Saraswati has been given to it.

There are innumerable types of animals on the earth. Among them, it is only man who is leading a social and civilized life. It is needles to say that it is speech that helps him to be a social and civilized being. It is speech that distinguishes man from animals and makes him civilized.

Be that as it may. Let us see from another standpoint. There are innumerable objects in the world. These objects leave innumerable impressions on the mind. These impressions in turn cause either happiness or sorrow to that person. Which is more important? The object or the impression?

As far as man is concerned, his happiness (or sorrow) is most important for him. What cause happiness or sorrow are the impressions? Therefore, impressions are the next important things. Everything else is relatively less significant.
What does speech convey? Is it about the objects of the world or about the impressions that the objects leave on the mind? If we analyse properly, we can say with certainty that speech conveys the impressions in the mind. Thus, speech expresses the most valuable aspect in the world (i.e., the impressions).

From the above discussion two things become clear. One, man’s knowledge acquisition is dependent on speech. Two, it is speech which can express man’ most precious possession. By this we can understand the important position that speech holds in the civilized life of man. Therefore, our ancient Rishis have done extensive research about what speech can achieve.

Any object in the world becomes useful only when it is used. Perhaps it is only speech that is useful even when not used! But there is a method of using it positively and a method of not using it! The method of using it is called Satya Vrata. The method of not using it is called Mouna Vrata.

What is useful to one person will be useful to another person also. We wish to give to our loved ones the most precious thing we have. In the discussion above, it was shown that word (Vaak) is the most precious of all possessions of man. Therefore, if we really love anyone, the most precious gift we can give is "word" i.e., Vaagdaana. (Vaak=word, Daana=gift. Vaagdaana can be translated as ‘promise’)

Is there any dearth for promises? Is it something for which we have to spend a penny? Why not go on giving promises to everyone we like! What harm does it do? After, has it not been said that it is the most precious gift? Also, gifts and charities yield merit. So, why not make such gifts – some may think.

All our discussion about the greatness of ‘word’ was indeed very meaningful. But the conclusion we arrived at end does not somehow fit. It means that there is some flaw in it. The Sookti below is pinpointing that flaw.

Nijashaktimavekshya naanjasaa
Nanu vaagdaana vidhirvidheeyataam
Anupaalaya vaachamarchitaam
Tvarayaa praana vimochanairapi

(Estimate your capabilities before you make any promise.
Do not be hasty while making promises.
Once you make a promise, keep it up even if you have to die for it.)

The above Sookti is cautioning us to be mindful while making a promise.
In our discussion, it was stated that the method of using speech positively is ‘Satya Vrata’ (to be always truthful is speech). Because we forgot this for a moment, a paradoxical thinking had cropped up. Such thinking is one of the natural weaknesses inherent in man. The cause for this weakness is his forgetting of Truth. As long as man remembers the Divine Truth in its completeness, he can lead a divine life. If this is not possible, he should be truthful to the fullest extent possible to him. He will then be at least a human being. If he forgets this also, his mind will start engaging in faulty and wicked logic, which in turn, lead him to animal-hood.

We have already learnt that the impressions in the mind are more precious and important than anything else in the world. We also understood that speech, which expresses the impressions in the mind, is also very precious and great. Fair enough.

A person will imprint similar experiences when another person conveys his experiences through the speech channel. Does it mean that just by listening to the other person’s expressions he will also be able to have the same experience?
Let us consider an example. A certain person ate a mango. Its taste delighted him. The experience became etched in the mind. He went to his friend and expressed with the help of speech, the good feeling. By this, did the second person’s tongue experience the sweetness of the mango? No. What happened was that by listening to the narration of the first person, his friend got a desire to eat a mango. This desire causes him to strive for it. If he succeeds and indeed eats a mango, he will be able to fully appreciate what his friend had explained about the taste of a mango. What is the greatness of speech here?

The words of the first person kindled a desire for mango in his friend’s mind. This made him pursue his desire and subsequently culminated in experience. Thus, the first person’s words acted as the cause for the other person’s experience. The greatness of speech (of the first person) is limited to this extent only.

Let us consider another example. A person comes to you offering help. What is help? To make you get what you are pursuing (for example, a mango). If he does not able to do it, the word help has no meaning.

When someone offers to help, we become happy. Why? Because we feel that we will soon get a mango. Assume that he does not help and you do not get a mango. You will then become sad. Who is responsible for it? Not the mango that you did not get. The person who promised you help (but did not help) is responsible. Now assume that he actually helped you in getting a mango. You become happy. Who is responsible for this happiness? To some extent the person who helped you and to some extent the mango you ate!

If there is anyone who deserves Punya (merit) for the happiness you got, to a certain extent it is the person who kept up his promise of helping you get a mango. To a certain extent, it is the mango itself. However, because mango is not an object with consciousness, it has nothing to do with either merit or sin.

Failing to keep up the promise will result in sadness for you. To whom should the sin (of causing sadness) go? Here, there are no partners to share it. Therefore, all the sin goes to the person who promised (and didn’t keep it up).

It means that the amount of sin one gets by not keeping up the promise is far more than the merit earned by keeping it up!

Speech always is dependent on an object. Therefore, a promise is also depends on an object. Therefore, a person making a promise should first verify if that object is within his reach. Otherwise, he will not be able to keep up the promise and will acquire sin.

If a person thinks that promising is a noble act and engages in promising without trying to fulfill them, he will acquire nothing but sin. What is even worse is making a promise with an intention of deceiving another person. Such a person will fall to the sin-pit. The above Sookti therefore says, ‘Keep up your word even if you have to give your life for it’.

What should one do to keep it up? The answer to this question is also in the Sookti. It says "Nija shaktimavekshya" – ‘estimate your capabilities before you make any promise’. What does estimating one’s own capabilities mean? To verify if the object promised is within one’s reach. Only after examining it should one make a promise. No promise should be made impulsively or under the influence of over-confidence. Having made a promise, one should not try to escape saying, ‘the situation was such that I had to make that promise. The situation has changed now, and therefore my promise does not hold good now’.

In the earlier discussion above, it was mentioned that there is a method of using the speech. It was told then that it is called as Satya Vrata. Vaagdaana is but a part of Satya Vrata.

Well, we have made a promise and intend to keep it up too. But surely we need time to fulfill it. To what extent can we postpone fulfilling the promise? Let us take our own sweet time to fulfill our promise. Such thinking is another form of breaking the promise! If consciously breaking the promise is like stabbing a person to death, postponing is like starving a person to death. Therefore, the above Sookti cautions us to fulfill the promise as quickly as possible. It urges us to refrain from being hasty while making a promise, but insists that there should be a sense of urgency in fulfilling a promise.

Very well. Indeed the promise made should be fulfilled immediately. "During the rainy season, I made a promise of giving him a mango. Even if I want to fulfill it immediately, I will not be able to do so till the next summer comes"- said a person. Fair enough. The summer arrived. The person who had made the promise now says, ‘I will fulfill my promise in the next summer’. Such postponement is unfair.
Let us examine another possibility. When the summer came, assume that the financial condition of the person who had made the promise was not very good. He may say, "I made the promise from the bottom of my heart. Even now, I want to keep it up. But what can I do? My economic condition does not permit it. Therefore, my promise is null and void now". Such an attitude is akin to uprooting the promise itself. "Why do you take such an extreme view? What can any one do in such a helpless situation?" one may ask. The answer to this question is also in the Sookti itself. It says, "keep it up even if you have to die for it".

The words used here are only symbolic. Giving up one’s life does not actually mean dying. Life here means that which is very dear. That which is very valuable. It means that one should keep up the promise even if it means disposing one’s most valuable possessions.

"What if nothing is there to dispose?" one may ask. If the promise has been made sincerely with truthfulness and love in the heart, such a situation will not arise at all! Something will be there to bail him out. One should find it out and with its help, try to fulfill the promise.

Does this seem too cruel? To prevent such a situation, the first part of the Sookti cautions us to be mindful while making a promise. The scriptures are full of noble persons who did not hesitate to give up their life for keeping up the promise. In an eagerness to emulate their example, if we also make promises without even knowing if we are capable of fulfilling them, we will surely push ourselves to a very tight situation. We should therefore first examine our capabilities, our limits and our strength. We should also realise the real meaning of promise and the merit we earn by fulfilling it and the sin that we earn by not fulfilling it. If we exercise enough caution, we will not find ourselves in such difficult and tight situations.
There are other ways of making positive use of speech. That is, talking kindly to those who are is distress and difficulty, talking sweetly, disseminating one’s knowledge to others without expecting any thing in return, etc.. These do not incur any expenditure. Even the great Manu has extolled the greatness of this kind of positive use of speech.

May Lord Dattatreya bless you to understand and practice both types of positive usage of speech.

Jaya Guru Datta.

Sri Swamiji