BHAGAVAD-GITA 17:15

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 17:15

 

anudvega-karam vakyam

satyam priya-hitam ca yat

svadhyayabhyasanam caiva

van-mayam tapa ucyate

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

anudvega-karam--not agitating; vakyam--words; satyam--truthful;

priya--dear; hitam--beneficial; ca--also; yat--which; svadhyaya--of

Vedic study; abhyasanam--practice; ca--also; eva--certainly;

vak-mayam--of the voice; tapah--austerity; ucyate--is said to be.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful,

pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in

regularly reciting Vedic literature.

 

PURPORT

 

One should not speak in such a way as to agitate the minds of others.

Of course, when a teacher speaks, he can speak the truth for the

instruction of his students, but such a teacher should not speak to

those who are not his students if he will agitate their minds. This is

penance as far as talking is concerned. Besides that, one should not

talk nonsense. The process of speaking in spiritual circles is to say

something upheld by the scriptures. One should at once quote from

scriptural authority to back up what he is saying. At the same time,

such talk should be very pleasurable to the ear. By such discussions,

one may derive the highest benefit and elevate human society. There is

a limitless stock of Vedic literature, and one should study this. This

is called penance of speech.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.