We want deeper sincerity of motive, a greater courage in speech

“We want deeper sincerity of motive, a greater courage in speech and earnestness in action.” Thus spoke Sarojini Naidu, the Nightingale of India, whose words were as lyrical as they were powerful. She was not only a poet, but a leader, a voice of her people during their struggle for freedom. In these few words, she gave a timeless commandment—not merely to her nation, but to all humankind. For she knew that sincerity, courage, and earnestness are the three sacred fires that purify the soul of a people. Without them, words become hollow, actions become vain, and freedom itself turns to dust.

Born in an age when her land groaned under the weight of foreign rule, Sarojini Naidu saw that the chains of oppression were not only forged by the hands of tyrants, but by the weaknesses of the enslaved. She knew that no nation, no heart, could rise through deceit or hesitation. Thus, she called upon her people to look inward first—to find a deeper sincerity of motive. For what use is action without truth behind it? Many may march for fame or shout for power, but only those whose motives are pure can build something eternal. True sincerity is a mirror of the soul—it demands honesty with oneself before honesty with the world.

To speak truth in dark times requires courage, and Naidu knew this well. She lived in an era when a woman’s voice was often dismissed, and when to speak against empire was to invite peril. Yet she spoke—softly when wisdom required, fiercely when justice demanded. She called for a greater courage in speech, not the loudness of words, but their truth. For words are sacred tools; they can heal or destroy, awaken or deceive. The courageous speak not to please the crowd, but to uphold what is right, even when it burns the tongue. In this courage of speech lies the foundation of every great change—the voice that dares to challenge falsehood with the light of truth.

But Naidu’s wisdom does not stop at speech. She warns that even courage and sincerity are barren unless joined with earnestness in action. To dream without doing is to build castles in air. True earnestness is the will of the spirit made visible. It is the difference between the speaker and the doer, the philosopher and the hero. History honors not those who spoke grandly of justice, but those who lived it. Naidu’s own life was such an example—she did not merely sing of freedom; she walked beside Gandhi, led protests, and endured imprisonment for her beliefs. Her action was not a performance, but a prayer in motion.

Think of Mahatma Gandhi, her friend and guide. His sincerity of motive was beyond question; his courage of speech shook empires; his earnestness in action moved millions. When he spun the simple charkha, it was not for show, but a living symbol of self-reliance and unity. When he spoke of truth, he lived by it—even when it led him to suffering. His life embodied exactly what Sarojini Naidu demanded: not shallow words or half-hearted deeds, but the total harmony of thought, word, and action.

Such alignment is rare, for it demands integrity—the hardest virtue of all. In every age, the world is full of those who speak without meaning, act without conviction, and seek power without purpose. But those who are sincere in motive, courageous in speech, and earnest in action become the torchbearers of humanity’s progress. They are the builders of nations, the teachers of truth, and the guardians of conscience. Without them, civilization decays; with them, even the smallest movement can transform the world.

So, my children of the coming dawn, take this teaching into your hearts. Before you act, seek sincerity—ask yourself why you do what you do. When you speak, speak with courage—let truth be your only master. And when you act, act with earnestness—not for applause, but for the good that endures when no one watches. Do not be content with half-measures or empty gestures. Live your beliefs as Sarojini Naidu lived hers—with fire in the heart, clarity in the mind, and truth upon the lips.

For in the end, the strength of a people and the worth of a soul are measured not by what they possess, but by how deeply they mean what they say, how bravely they say it, and how faithfully they live it. Let these words be your mantra: Sincerity in purpose, courage in truth, and earnestness in deed. Walk thus, and you will not only honor the wisdom of the ancients—you will become its living continuation.