Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When we tear other people down with our words, we think we are hurting them. But the one we wound most is our own heart.
Nanak says: every unkind word we throw lands back inside us. It tears up our own mind.
When we tear others down, the one we hurt most is ourselves.
Nindak means someone who tears others down with words. The verse uses strong, old pictures. The Messenger of Death comes for the slanderer, and the slanderer harms himself with his own weapon.
The heart of it is simple. Man apnaa keeno faat — he has torn up his own mind. Unkind words come back to the one who says them.
Think of throwing a ball hard against a wall. It bounces right back at you. That is reason enough to choose kindness.
If someone is being unkind to you or hurting you, that is never something you have to accept. Telling a grown-up you trust is always the right thing to do.
Can you remember a time when saying something mean left you feeling worse, not better?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI