Effective Communication Skills – 3

Skill 3 – Ambiguity an absurdity

अविस्तरम् असंदिग्धम् अविलम्बितम् अव्यथम् |
उरःस्थम् कण्ठगम् वाक्यम् वर्तते मध्यमे स्वरम् ||
— Valmiki Ramayan 4.-3-31

First two skills in the list of eleven attributes for effective communication given by Valmiki are ‘Listening‘ and ‘Being concise’.

Third skill is ‘Avoiding ambiguity’

असंदिग्धम् – Unambigous

Sandhigdham means ambiguous and adding the prefix a negates the meaning. Your speech should be clear and unambiguous.

asandhigdham includes clear, unambiguous, explicit and not obscure. Purpose of your communication is for the other party to understand your communication so that appropriate follow-up actions can be expected. Communication will be a failure if the other party cannot understand your communication.

Previous communication tip was to keep your communication crisp and short. Short means cutting the flab but not essential communication, you cannot keep the recipient in guesswork on the guise of keeping your communication ‘short’.

Ambiguity leads to misunderstandings. When communication is unclear or open to multiple interpretations, it increases the chances of misinterpreting the intended meaning or message. Ambiguity can arise from various factors, such as vague language, ambiguous phrasing, making wrong assumptions or lack of context.

When people receive ambiguous information, they often rely on their own assumptions, prior knowledge, or personal biases to fill in the gaps. As a result, different individuals may understand the same ambiguous statement in completely different ways. This can lead to confusion, conflicts, or unintended consequences.

In written communication, ambiguity can be particularly problematic since it lacks the nonverbal cues and immediate feedback that can help clarify meaning in face-to-face interactions. Even in verbal conversations, ambiguity can arise due to unclear pronunciation, accent, or choice of words.

To mitigate misunderstandings caused by ambiguity, it is crucial to strive for clarity in communication. This involves using precise and unambiguous language, providing relevant context, and being aware of potential alternative interpretations. Additionally, active listening and asking clarifying questions, or getting from the recipients if they have understood properly can help ensure that both the parties are on the same page.

Overall, while some level of ambiguity is inevitable in language and communication, minimizing it can greatly reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings and promote effective and accurate exchange of ideas.

How a confusion in the name killed unconquerable Drona

On the 15th day of the Mahabharata war, Drona got instigated by King Dhritarastra’s remarks of being a traitor. He used the Brahmadanda against the Pandavas. Brahmadanda was a spiritual divine weapon that contained the powers of seven greatest sages of Hinduism (Saptarshis). But Drona did not impart this knowledge either to Arjuna or to Ashwathamma. Thus, he proved to be unconquerable on the 15th day of war.

Observing this, Krishna devised a plan to bring down the invincible Drona. Krishna knew that it was not possible to defeat Drona when he had bow and arrow in his hands. Krishna also knew that Drona loved his son Ashwathama very dearly. So, Krishna suggested to Yudistra and other Pandava brothers that, if he were convinced that his son was killed on the battlefield, then Drona would get dejected to such an extent that he would lay down all his arms on the ground and it would be easier to kill him.

In order to find a way out, Krishna suggested Bhima to kill an elephant by the name Ashwathama and claim to Drona that he has killed Drona’s son Ashwathama. Following this plan, Bhima located and killed an elephant named Ashwathama, i.e. the same name as Drona’s son. He then loudly proclaimed that he had slain Ashwathama, so as to make Drona think that his son was dead.

Drona however, did not believe Bhima’s words and approached Yudhisthira. Drona knew of Yudhisthira’s firm adherence to Dharma and that he would never ever utter a lie. When Drona approached Yudhisthira and questioned him as to whether his son was truly slain in the battle by Bhima, Yudhisthira responded with the cryptic Sanskrit phrase “Ashwathama hathaha iti, narova kunjarova” meaning ‘Ashwathama is dead. But, I am not certain whether it was a human or an elephant’).

Krishna also knew that it was not possible for Yudhisthira to lie outright. On his instructions, the other warriors blew trumpets and conches, raising a tumultuous noise in such a way that Drona only heard that “Ashwathama is dead”, but could not hear the latter part of Yudhishthira’s reply.

Out of grief, and believing his son to be dead, Drona descended from his chariot, laid down his arms and sat in meditation. Closing his eyes, his soul went to Heaven in search of Ashwathamma’s soul.

In the meantime, Drupada’s son Dhristadyumna took this opportunity and beheaded the unarmed Drona who was not aware of the whole proceedings on Earth.