Kabir doha · Speak Kindly · Level 2
ऐसी वाणी बोलिए, मन का आपा खोय।
औरन को शीतल करे, आपहु शीतल होय।
Aisi vaani boliye, man ka aapa khoy
Auran ko sheetal kare, aapahu sheetal hoy
Aisi vaani boliye means: speak in such a way that your pride falls away. Kabir says words like these cool and calm the people who hear them, and they calm the speaker too. For children, it links kind speech with feeling peaceful inside, not just with good manners.
Updated
Meaning in English
Speak so softly, so kindly
that your pride melts away.
Your words cool others down
and they cool you too.
अर्थ (हिंदी में)
ऐसे बोलो कि तुम्हारा घमंड गल जाए। तुम्हारी बातों से दूसरों को सुकून मिले, और तुम्हें भी शांति मिले।
This doha is also one of the eight in the chapter Kabir ke Dohe in NCERT's Class 8 Hindi textbook, Malhar.
Myra's little cousin has scribbled all over her homework. Myra's face goes hot.
She takes a breath and kneels down. "This page is for school. Shall we find you a page of your own?"
Her cousin nods, and Myra notices that she does not feel angry any more, either.
Keep it light. Let the child answer in their own words, draw it, or hum the line again.
Try this: Next time someone at home is upset, try "cool words": a softer voice, fewer words and a question instead of a command. Afterwards, ask your child how it felt for both people.
Ask children to say the first line in a loud, bossy voice, then again softly. The second time, "auran ko sheetal kare" makes sense without any explanation.
It means: speak in a way that lets go of pride. Such words cool and comfort others, and bring calm to the speaker as well.
It means losing the pride of the mind. Aapa is the feeling of "me first" or "I know best". Kabir says gentle words come from letting that go.
Yes. It is one of the eight dohas in the chapter Kabir ke Dohe in NCERT's Class 8 Hindi textbook, Malhar. There it is spelt "Aisi baani boliye".