BG 17.15

Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature.

17.15. The unoffending speech which is true, and which is pleasant and beneficial; and also the practice of regular recitation of the Vedas - all this is said to be an austerity by the speech-sense.

17.15 Speech that hurts no one, that is true, is pleasant to listen to and beneficial, and the constant study of the scriptures - this is austerity in speech.

17.15 See Comment under 17.16

17.15 Verbal austerity consists in using words that do not hurt others, are true, are pleasing and are beneficial. It also involves studying scriptural texts.

17.15 Yat, that; vakyam, speech; anudvegakaram, which causes no pain, which is not hurtful to creatures which is satyam, true; priya-hitam, agreeable and beneficial with regard to facts seen or unseen-. 'Speech' is alified by characteristics such as being not hurtful, etc. The ca (and) is used for grouping together the alifying characteristics. When a sentence is used in order to make another understand, if it happens to be avoid of one or two or three among the alities-truthfulness, agreeability, beneficialness, and non-hurtfulness-, then it is not austerity of speech. As in the case of a truthful utterance there would occur a want of austerity of speech if it be lacking in one or two or three of the others, so also in the case of an agreeable utterance there would be no austerity of speech were it ot be without one or two or three of the others; and similarly, there would be no austerity of speech even in a beneficial utterance which is without one or two or three of the others. What, again, is that austerity (of speech)? That utterance which is true as also not hurtful, and is agreeable and beneficial, is the highest austerity of speech: As for example, the utterance, 'Be calm, my boy. Practise study and yoga. Thery you will gain the highest.' Svadhyaya-abhyasanam, the practice of the study of scriptures, as is enjoined; ca eva, as well; ucyate, in said to be; tapah, austerity; vanmayam, of speech.

17.15 Speech that causes no shock (hurt and fear etc.) and which is true, pleasant and beneficial, and also the practice of recitation of the scriptures are called the austerity of speech.

17.15 That speech which causes no pain, which is true, agreeable and beneficial; as well as the practice of study of the scriptures,-is said to be austerity of speech.