The words ਜਾ and ਤਾ are often mispronounced due to a lack of understanding of Gurbani Viyakaran (grammar). Some Gursikhs always pronounce them without a nasal sound on Kanna, while others always pronounce them with a nasal sound. However, the correct pronunciation depends on the context in which these words are used.
The Rule of Pronunciation
Let’s explore this rule with examples.
1. When ‘ਜਾ’ and ‘ਤਾ’ are Pronouns (Without Nasal Sound)
A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun. In Gurbani, ਜਾ and ਤਾ function as pronouns in certain contexts and should be pronounced without a nasal sound.
Examples:
In the above examples, ਜਾ and ਤਾ are used as pronouns, meaning “whose” or “of whom.” Therefore, they should not be pronounced as ਜਾਂ or ਤਾਂ.
Some common pronouns in Gurbani include: ਮੈਂ, ਤੂੰ, ਤੈਂ, ਤੁਮ, ਹਮ, ਉਹ, ਇਹ, ਅਸੀਂ, ਤੁਸੀਂ, ਜਾ, ਤਾ, ਜਿਸ, ਤਿਸ, ਕਿਸ, ਜਿਨਿ, ਜਿਨ, ਕਿਨ, ਕਿਨਿ, ਤਿਨ, ਤਿਨਿ, ਇਕਿ, etc.
2. When ‘ਜਾ’ and ‘ਤਾ’ are Adverbs (With Nasal Sound)
An adverb describes how, when, or where an action happens. When ਜਾ and ਤਾ function as adverbs, they mean “when” or “then” and should be pronounced with a nasal sound (ਜਾਂ and ਤਾਂ).
Examples:
In these examples, ਜਾ and ਤਾ mean “when” and “then”, so they must be pronounced as ਜਾਂ and ਤਾਂ respectively.
Example Explanation:
ਤਾ ਤੂ ਮੁਲਾ ਤਾ ਤੂ ਕਾਜੀ ਜਾਣਹਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਖੁਦਾਈ ॥
“Then you are a Mullah, and then alone you are a Kazi, if you realize the Naam of Khuda (Vaheguru).”
Here, ਤਾ means “then”, so it should be pronounced as ਤਾਂ.
