Pronounciation rules of "ਜਾ" and "ਤਾ"

The word ਜਾ and ਤਾ are often mispronounced because of lack of knowledge of Gurbani Viyakaran. On one extreme there are Gursikhs who always pronounce them without the nasal sound on Kanna and on the other hand there are Gursikhs who always pronounce them as nasal. The truth lies in the middle somewhere.

The rule is that when the word ਜਾ and ਤਾ are used as pronouns, they should be pronounced without nasal sound and when these words - ਜਾ and ਤਾ - are used as Adverbs, they should be pronounced as nasal.

Below are some pankitis where these words are pronounced without the nasal sound:

ਵਡਾ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਵਡੀ ਨਾਈ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾ ਕਾ ਹੋਵੈ ॥

ਆਪਿ ਨਾਥੁ ਨਾਥੀ ਸਭ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਰਿਧਿ ਸਿਧਿ ਅਵਰਾ ਸਾਦ ॥

ਜਾ ਕਉ ਆਏ ਸੋਈ ਬਿਹਾਝਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਮਨਹਿ ਬਸੇਰਾ ॥

ਛਤੀਹ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਭਾਉ ਏਕੁ ਜਾ ਕਉ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇਇ ॥1॥

ਤਾ ਕੇ ਅੰਤ ਨ ਪਾਏ ਜਾਹਿ ॥

ਤਾ ਕੀਆ ਗਲਾ ਕਥੀਆ ਨਾ ਜਾਹਿ ॥

ਸੈਲ ਪਥਰ ਮਹਿ ਜੰਤ ਉਪਾਏ ਤਾ ਕਾ ਰਿਜਕੁ ਆਗੈ ਕਰਿ ਧਰਿਆ ॥1॥


In all of the above pankitis, the words ਜਾ and ਤਾ have been used as pronouns and for this reason, they should not be pronounced as ਜਾਂ or ਤਾਂ. Pronoun is such word that is used in place of a noun. Some of the common pronouns used in Gurbani are ਮੈਂ, ਤੂੰ, ਤੈਂ, ਤੁਮ, ਹਮ, ਉਹ, ਇਹ, ਅਸੀਂ, ਤੁਸੀਂ, ਜਾ, ਤਾ, ਜਿਸ, ਤਿਸ, ਕਿਸ, ਜਿਨਿ, ਜਿਨ, ਕਿਨ, ਕਿਨਿ, ਤਿਨ, ਤਿਨਿ, ਇਕਿ, etc.


When these words ਜਾ and ਤਾ are used as Adverbs, they are always pronounced as nasal in the end i.e. - ਜਾਂ or ਤਾਂ. Below are some examples from commonly read Gurbani, where ਜਾ and ਤਾ should be pronounced as ਜਾਂ or ਤਾਂ:

ਕਾਹੇ ਰੇ ਮਨ ਚਿਤਵਹਿ ਉਦਮੁ ਜਾ ਆਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਪਰਿਆ ॥

ਤਾ ਮਨੁ ਖੀਵਾ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਜਾ ਮਹਲੀ ਪਾਏ ਥਾਉ ॥2॥

ਜਾ ਪਤਿ ਲੇਖੈ ਨਾ ਪਵੈ ਸਭਾ ਪੂਜ ਖੁਆਰੁ ॥2॥

ਏਕੁ ਸਬਦੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੀਐ ਜਾ ਤੂ ਤਾ ਕਿਆ ਹੋਰਿ ॥1॥

ਪਿਰੁ ਰੀਸਾਲੂ ਤਾ ਮਿਲੈ ਜਾ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਣੀ ॥2॥

ਸੁੰਞੀ ਦੇਹ ਡਰਾਵਣੀ ਜਾ ਜੀਉ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਜਾਇ ॥

ਤਾ ਲਿਖੀਐ ਸਿਰਿ ਗਾਵਾਰਾ ਗਾਵਾਰੁ ॥

ਕਰਮਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਤਾ ਪਾਈਐ ਨਾਹੀ ਗਲੀ ਵਾਉ ਦੁਆਉ ॥2॥

ਸਾਧੂ ਸਤਗੁਰੁ ਜੇ ਮਿਲੈ ਤਾ ਪਾਈਐ ਗੁਣੀ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ॥1॥

ਤਾ ਤੂ ਮੁਲਾ ਤਾ ਤੂ ਕਾਜੀ ਜਾਣਹਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਖੁਦਾਈ ॥

In all of the above stated pankitis, the words ਜਾ and ਤਾ have been used as Adverbs and they mean "When" or "Then". Take for instance the last pankiti above:

ਤਾ ਤੂ ਮੁਲਾ ਤਾ ਤੂ ਕਾਜੀ ਜਾਣਹਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਖੁਦਾਈ ॥
Then you are a Mullah, and then alone you are Kazi, if you realize the Naam of Khuda (Vaheguru).

In this case the word ਤਾ appears two times and both times it means "Then" and thus should be pronounced as nasal in the end i.e. ਤਾਂ.

Care should be taken in pronouncing these words, when doing paath. The meanings change if we don't pronounce Gurbani correctly.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

Veer Ji says

"Care should be taken in pronouncing these words, when doing paath. The meanings change if we don't pronounce Gurbani correctly."

Really good effort is done above about a simple and common aspect of Gurbani pronunciation. I do try to capure this aspect ,while doing path. But, I feel we should try and if we fail to give out correct pronunciation; it is not a "big mistake." Meanings may not change, sometimes. We are supposed to be respectful and careful, however.

Bhai Sahib Talwara Ji, taught us to pronoune like that, but he was, himself, while doing Kirtan, not very much critical about that. So, I feel, it is not a big mistake.

DhanVaad

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Bhai Kulbir Singh Ji,

On Ang 869 there is a pankti:

ਸਫਲੁ ਜਨਮੁ ਤਾਂ ਕਾ ਪਰਵਾਣੁ ॥

Here there is a bindi on ਤਾਂ even though it is a pronoun.

Is this an exception to the rule mentioned above or there is some other point, which I am missing?

There is another pankti on Ang 902:
ਜਾਂ ਗਤਿ ਕਉ ਜੋਗੀਸੁਰ ਬਾਛਤ ਸੋ ਗਤਿ ਛਿਨ ਮਹਿ ਪਾਈ
In this pankti, doesn't ਜਾਂ ਗਤਿ mean Jis Gat?

Could you please clarify this confusion of mine?

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Subsequent to writing the original post Harkiran Kaur (Shrimati jee) read it and pointed out a whole Shabad of Bhagat Naamdev jee where there are already bindi on pronouns - "ਜਾ" and "ਤਾ". Few Pankitis from this Shabad are presented below:

ਜਾਂ ਚੈ ਘਰਿ ਦਿਗ ਦਿਸੈ ਸਰਾਇਚਾ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਭਵਨ ਚਿਤ੍ਰਸਾਲਾ ਸਪਤ ਲੋਕ ਸਾਮਾਨਿ ਪੂਰੀਅਲੇ ॥ ਜਾਂ ਚੈ ਘਰਿ ਲਛਿਮੀ ਕੁਆਰੀ ਚੰਦੁ ਸੂਰਜੁ ਦੀਵੜੇ ਕਉਤਕੁ ਕਾਲੁ ਬਪੁੜਾ ਕੋਟਵਾਲੁ ਸੁ ਕਰਾ ਸਿਰੀ ॥ ਸੁ ਐਸਾ ਰਾਜਾ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਨਰਹਰੀ ॥੧॥

Looks like there is some rule that this Daas is not aware of. Daas had taken lead from scholars like Talwara jee as he had pointed out these rules of "ਜਾ" and "ਤਾ" but it looks like there are exceptions to this rule. Daas will try to do more research and do Benti before Satguru jee to bestow Gurmat Gyaan with respect to this.

In the meantime, it would be prudent to follow the rules written in the original post as these have been recognized by prominent scholars like Talwara jee and Giani Harbans Singh jee.

Bhul Chuk dee Maafi jee.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh