Passage 13

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In plain words

Then Hanumān said: "O Vibhīṣaṇa! You compare yourself merely to the tongue, and these rākṣasas to the teeth. But truly, do the teeth fall first, or does the tongue fall first? The teeth fall out first. You need not fear. The tongue never falls. You are like the tongue. You will reach Rāma's presence. These rākṣasas, the teeth, will fall first. There is nothing to worry about," he said, and gave him courage. The tongue is so sacred. So tender. Not only this, it is one that receives honour: what is this honour? This tongue does not roam from this house to that house like the street dogs. It stays inside its own home and does not even come out of the doors. It lives with such dignity. You see! It speaks ever so many words, but does it ever once cross the door and come outside? It does not. It lives like a queen, with great dignity and decorum. That is why people give the tongue great honour. Not only this: when someone in the world does some bad deed, "Chī! You beast!" it abuses him. When he does a good deed, "Āhā! You are like Paśupati!" it praises him. So only the tongue gives honour both to reviling and to praising. We must set so sacred a tongue to sacred things alone. These are the very words of the Upaniṣads: how simple they are! How tender! How sweet! Today we are forgetting the Upaniṣads, which hold such good words. The Upaniṣad is the essence of all the Vedas. No one is trying to understand the principle of these Upaniṣads. With just such small, small pills it is removing man's ill health. It is removing man's ignorance. It makes the light of prajñāna shine forth. In such matters students must take great care and, from this age on, make the effort needed to lead a sacred life.

Along with this learning we must also gain humility. Without this very humility, the value of learning simply comes to nothing. Honour your mother and father. Honour the gurus. Honour your elders. Love the little ones. On such a path, put an end to too much talk.