Bhagavad Gita BG 17.15
Chapter 17, Verse 15 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् । स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते ॥
anudvega-karam vakyam satyam priya-hitam ca yat svadhyayabhyasanam caiva van-mayam tapa ucyate
Meaning
Speech that causes no agitation (anudvega-karam), that is truthful (satyam), pleasant (priyam), and beneficial (hitam) — and also the practice of scriptural recitation (svadhyaya) — these are called the austerity of speech.
Understanding
The austerity of speech (van-mayam tapas) is one of the most practically challenging disciplines. Anudvega-karam: speech that does not cause agitation in the listener — not upsetting, not inflammatory, not disturbing. Satyam: truthful. Priyam: pleasant, kind in tone and expression. Hitam: beneficial, actually useful to the listener. The fourfold test for every utterance: does it agitate? is it true? is it kind? is it beneficial? Then: svadhy ayabhyasanam (the practice of Vedic recitation / regular study of scripture). This connects the receptive dimension (absorbing sacred sound) to the active dimension (proper speech). The austerity of speech is both discipline of output (what you say) and discipline of input (what sacred sound you regularly receive).
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अनुद्वेगकरम् | anudvega-karam | that which does not cause agitation (a = not, udvega = agitation, kara = causing) |
| सत्यम् | satyam | truthful, in accordance with truth |
| प्रियहितम् | priya-hitam | pleasant (priya) and beneficial (hita) to the listener |
| स्वाध्याय | svadhyaya | self-study, Vedic recitation, regular study of scripture |
| वाङ्मयम् | van-mayam | pertaining to speech (vac = speech, maya = made of/pertaining to) |
| वाक्यम् | vākyam | speech, words |
| प्रिय | priya | pleasing |
| हितम् | hitam ca | and beneficial |
| यत् | yat | which |
| स्वाध्याय | svādhyāya | study of Vedas |
| अभ्यसनम् | abhyasanam ca eva | and practice also |
| वाङ्-मयम् | vāṅ-mayam | of words, verbal |
| तपः | tapaḥ | austerity |
| उच्यते | ucyate | is called |