Resources

Bole tena bor vechaay…. Discretion helps! Shakespeare once said the better part of valor is discretion. Knowing when to speak and when to be quiet is a skill we all have to learn. In Gujarati language and Gujarati culture, these little life lessons are passed down through idioms and proverbs known as kehvat. Many cultures around the world have little nuggets like this to teach us moral values. Growing up in India I heard many of these through my grandparents and parents using

“Sabandh ane sampati, Mutthi Bharo to reti chhe, ane Vavataa raho to kheti chhe” Translation: Relationships and wealth, when held tightly in one’s palm is merely just some sand but if you work towards it and share it then it will grow like abundance of grain! Gujarati kehvat or Gujarati Proverbs are some of the fantastic ways of learning the value system of Gujarati people in general. This particular one is special to me as it reminds me to not hold onto relations and money

One with incomplete knowledge tries hard to prove himself.. Adhooro ghado chhalkaay ghano… A water pot that is half empty will always be spilling over than the one that is full…. Have you ever met a person who is so confident that he is right? When really, the reality is that the person only knows half the truth? This Kehvat-Proverb is saying that when someone knows only part of the story or knows part of the fact many times they try harder to make others see their point of v

Sump tya jump — Strength in Unity Whenever we children fought, my dada – grandpa – would put his Gujarati Newspaper down and have us all come near him. He would say, “Poke me with one finger.” And then ask, “Do you think that hurt?” I would say no and he would move to my brother and say, “Use my other finger and poke yourself, does that hurt?” My brother would reply no. Then he would say, “Now use all of my fingers and thumb and make a fist and now punch, does that hurt?” Our