Gurbani Awareness Series-9
Slandering  (NINDYA)  

Sikh Missionary College
The dictionary meaning of slander are “a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report”
Slandering is to make a false spoken statement that causes people to have a bad opinion of someone.
It is a weakness.  There may be very few people who keep themselves away from this bad habit, otherwise we are caught in one way or the other in slandering. The worst thing is that a slanderer while slandering others does not feel if doing something not good rather he feels happy and comfortable.
ਲਾਲਚ ਝੂਠ ਬਿਕਾਰ ਮੋਹ ਇਆ ਸੰਪੈ ਮਨ ਮਾਹਿ ॥
Greed, falsehood, corruption and emotional attachment - these are what he collects within his mind.
ਲੰਪਟ ਚੋਰ ਨਿੰਦਕ ਮਹਾ ਤਿਨਹੂ ਸੰਗਿ ਬਿਹਾਇ ॥     (261)
The worst perverts, thieves and slanderers - he passes his time with them.
Another form of slandering is finding faults in others  hating, resenting, committing fraud, cruelty, and so on. Slanderer feels uneasy at the betterment of others.
In Bilaval Raag (SGGS Page 823) Guru Arjan Sahib tells about slanderer
ਨਿੰਦਕੁ ਐਸੇ ਹੀ ਝਰਿ ਪਰੀਐ ॥
Thus, the slanderer crumbles away.
ਇਹ ਨੀਸਾਨੀ ਸੁਨਹੁ ਤੁਮ ਭਾਈ ਜਿਉ ਕਾਲਰ ਭੀਤਿ ਗਿਰੀਐ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
This is the distinctive sign - listen, O Siblings of Destiny: he collapses like a wall of sand. ||1||Pause||
ਜਉ ਦੇਖੈ ਛਿਦ੍ਰੁ ਤਉ ਨਿੰਦਕੁ ਉਮਾਹੈ ਭਲੋ ਦੇਖਿ ਦੁਖ ਭਰੀਐ ॥
When the slanderer sees a fault in someone else, he is pleased. Seeing goodness, he is depressed.
ਆਠ ਪਹਰ ਚਿਤਵੈ ਨਹੀ ਪਹੁਚੈ ਬੁਰਾ ਚਿਤਵਤ ਚਿਤਵਤ ਮਰੀਐ ॥੧॥
Twenty-four hours a day, he plots, but nothing works. The evil man dies, constantly thinking up evil plans. ||1||
ਨਿੰਦਕੁ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਭੁਲਾਇਆ ਕਾਲੁ ਨੇਰੈ ਆਇਆ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਸਿਉ ਬਾਦੁ ਉਠਰੀਐ ॥
The slanderer forgets God, death approaches him, and he starts to argue with the humble servant of the Lord
ਨਾਨਕ ਕਾ ਰਾਖਾ ਆਪਿ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਕਿਆ ਮਾਨਸ ਬਪੁਰੇ ਕਰੀਐ ॥੨॥
God Himself, the Lord and Master, is Nanak's protector. What can any wretched person do to him? ||2||
Another  type of behaviour also amounts to slandering which we may not be realizing,  is “ exaggeration of a statement or a situation”.
When some one dear and near to us does a good thing, we praise his/her work manifold more than what has been done.  On the other hand if we are not on good terms with some one and he/she does some very good act, we will just take it casually and still try to find fault in that action in order to undermine the achievement.
Similarly when some one near or dear to us commits  sin we will try to cover it up as if not guilty or serious.  On the other hand if some mistake occurs at the hands of someone we are not on good terms, we will publicise it many folds.
Both these situations tend to slandering because are false, far from truth, hence unreliable.
Guru Amar Dass Jee state about such slanders that they unnecessarily carry burden on their minds:(SGGS-118)
ਨਿੰਦਾ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਬਹੁ ਭਾਰੁ ਉਠਾਵੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਮਜੂਰੀ ਭਾਰੁ ਪਹੁਚਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੪॥
By continually slandering others, they carry a terrible load, and they carry the loads of others for nothing. ||4||
Such people become bad at heart:
ਪਰ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਕਰੇ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਮਲੁ ਲਾਏ ॥
He slanders others, and pollutes himself with his own filth. (SGGS 88)
Gurbani very clearly directs us not to indulge in slandering.
ਪਰ ਧਨ ਪਰ ਦਾਰਾ ਪਰ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਇਨ ਸਿਉ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਨਿਵਾਰਿ ॥.
Others' wealth, others' wives, and the slander of others - renounce your craving for these. (SGGS 379)
In Sukhmani Sahib also Guru Arjan Sahib tell us
ਮਿਥਿਆ ਸ੍ਰਵਨ ਪਰ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਸੁਨਹਿ ॥ ਮਿਥਿਆ ਹਸਤ ਪਰ ਦਰਬ ਕਉ ਹਿਰਹਿ ॥
False are the ears which listen to the slander of others.
False are the hands which steal the wealth of others.
Gurbani advises us that this is a disease which has no cure:
ਅਵਖਧ ਸਭੇ ਕੀਤਿਅਨੁ ਨਿੰਦਕ ਕਾ ਦਾਰੂ ਨਾਹਿ ॥
All kinds of medicines may be prepared, but there is no cure for the slanderer.
The slanderers are uncomfortable at Sadh Sangat:
ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਨਰ ਨਿੰਦਕ ਜਿਨ ਜਨ ਨਹੀ ਭਾਏ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਸਖਾ ਸਖਾਇ ॥
Cursed, cursed are the slanderers who do not like the humble, the friends and companions of the Lord.
This was about slandering and slanderer. Now let’s discuss the other part.
Common person feels offended for his/her back biting or any sort of slandering by others and there can be instances of untoward incidents. However, Gurbani teaches us not to care for the slandering/slanderer  and always live with a free mind.  A Sabad by Kabeer Sahib is very much inspiring and  will help us to understand this:
ਨਿੰਦਉ ਨਿੰਦਉ ਮੋ ਕਉ ਲੋਗੁ ਨਿੰਦਉ ॥
Slander me, slander me - go ahead, people, and slander me
ਨਿੰਦਾ ਜਨ ਕਉ ਖਰੀ ਪਿਆਰੀ ॥
Slander is pleasing to the Lord's humble servant.
ਨਿੰਦਾ ਬਾਪੁ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਮਹਤਾਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Slander is my father, slander is my mother. ||1||Pause||
ਨਿੰਦਾ ਹੋਇ ਤ ਬੈਕੁੰਠਿ ਜਾਈਐ ॥
If I am slandered, I go to heaven;
ਨਾਮੁ ਪਦਾਰਥੁ ਮਨਹਿ ਬਸਾਈਐ ॥
the wealth of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, abides within my mind
 ਰਿਦੈ ਸੁਧ ਜਉ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਹੋਇ ॥
If my heart is pure, and I am slandered,
ਹਮਰੇ ਕਪਰੇ ਨਿੰਦਕੁ ਧੋਇ ॥੧॥
then the slanderer washes my clothes. ||1||
ਨਿੰਦਾ ਕਰੈ ਸੁ ਹਮਰਾ ਮੀਤੁ ॥
One who slanders me is my friend
ਨਿੰਦਕ ਮਾਹਿ ਹਮਾਰਾ ਚੀਤੁ ॥
the slanderer is in my thoughts.
ਨਿੰਦਕੁ ਸੋ ਜੋ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਹੋਰੈ ॥
The slanderer is the one who prevents me from being slandered.
ਹਮਰਾ ਜੀਵਨੁ ਨਿੰਦਕੁ ਲੋਰੈ ॥੨॥
The slanderer wishes me long life. ||2||
ਨਿੰਦਾ ਹਮਰੀ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
I have love and affection for the slanderer
ਨਿੰਦਾ ਹਮਰਾ ਕਰੈ ਉਧਾਰੁ ॥
Slander is my salvation.
ਜਨ ਕਬੀਰ ਕਉ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਸਾਰੁ ॥
Slander is the best thing for servant Kabeer.
ਨਿੰਦਕੁ ਡੂਬਾ ਹਮ ਉਤਰੇ ਪਾਰਿ ॥੩॥
The slanderer is drowned, while I am carried across. ||3||(SGGS 339)
Guru Arjan Sahib Jee state that never listening  to slander is one of the characters of  an ideal person. See Guru Jee's slok on Page 1357 of SGGS:
ਪਰ ਨਿੰਦਾਗਿ ਸਗਲ ਰੇਣੁਕਹ ॥ ਨਹ ਸ੍ਰੋਤਿ ਸ੍ਰਵਣੰ ਆਪੁ ਤ੍ਯ੍ਯਿ ॥
They do not listen to slander; renouncing self-conceit, they become the dust of all
As we discussed earlier, exaggeration of any situation amounts to Slandering (Ninda). We too should neither have fear of some one slandering or praising us.  We should be above all  these things in order to live a peaceful life.
ਉਸਤਤਿ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਦੋਊ ਤਿਆਗੈ ਖੋਜੈ ਪਦੁ ਨਿਰਬਾਨਾ ॥
ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹੁ ਖੇਲੁ ਕਠਨੁ ਹੈ ਕਿਨਹੂੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਾਨਾ ॥੨॥
Renounce both praise and blame; seek instead the state of Nirvaanaa.
O servant Nanak, this is such a difficult game; only a few Gurmukhs understand it! 

Raja Singh Sikh Missionary