anudvegakaraṃ vākyaṃ satyaṃ priyahitaṃ ca yat .
svādhyāyābhyasanaṃ caiva vāṅmayaṃ tapa ucyate ||17-15||
Speech which causes no excitement, truthful, pleasant and beneficial, the practice of the study of the Vedas, are called austerity of speech.
In simple words
Krishna describes discipline of speech: "Speaking words that don't agitate others, that are truthful, pleasant, and helpful — and regularly studying wisdom teachings — these are the ways a person disciplines their speech."
Word-by-word meanings
अनुद्वेगकरम्causing no excitementवाक्यम्speechसत्यम्truthfulप्रियहितम्pleasant and beneficialचandयत्whichस्वाध्यायाभ्यसनम्the practice of the study of the Vedasचandएवalsoवाङ्मयम्of speechतपःausterityउच्यतेis called
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
Swami Sivananda
17.15 अनुद्वेगकरम् causing no excitement? वाक्यम् speech? सत्यम् truthful? प्रियहितम् pleasant and beneficial? च and? यत् which? स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनम् the practice of the study of the Vedas? च and? एव also? वाङ्मयम् of speech? तपः austerity? उच्यते is called.Commentary The words of the man who practises the austerity of speech cannot cause pain to others. His words will bring cheer and solace to others. His words prove beneficial to all. The organ of speech causes great distraction of mind. Control of speech is a difficult discipline but you will have to practise it if you want to attain supreme peace. Nothing is impossible for a man who has a firm determination? sincerity of purpose? iron will? patience and perseverance.It is said in Manu Smritiसत्यं ब्रूयात् प्रियं ब्रूयात् न ब्रूयात् सत्यमप्रियम्।प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयात् एष धर्मः सनातनः।।One should speak what is true one should speak what is pleasant. One should not speak what is true if it is not pleasant nor what is pleasant if it is false. This is the ancient Dharma.Excitement Pain to living beings.Speech? to be an austerity? must form an invariable combination of all the four attributes mentioned in this verse? viz.? nonexciting or nonpainful? truthful? pleasant and beneficial if it is wanting in one or the other of these attributes? it cannot form the austerity of speech. Speech may be pleasant but it it is lacking in the other three attributes? it will no longer be an austerity of speech.
Swami Chinmayananda
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
# BG 17.15 — Translation of Meaning
Speech is a powerful medium through which a person expresses themselves. Through this faculty of speech, the speaker's intellectual capacity, mental refinement, and physical discipline are revealed. If the speaker is not well-integrated at all these levels of personality, then their speech lacks power and effectiveness. Speech is an organ of action that, through its constant activity, causes the greatest expenditure of a person's vital energy. Therefore, through the discipline of speech, a vast amount of energy can be conserved and wisely applied to one's spiritual practice.
This does not mean adopting a self-destructive and oppressive silence. The power of speech should be used for the development of personality. There is an art to using this power beneficially—one that serves both the speaker and others. This beneficial art of speech is described in this verse. The thought indicated in the previous verse is further clarified here: that austerity is not a means of self-torture, but rather a benevolent plan for self-development and self-realization.
The words used by a speaker should not disturb or agitate the listener's mind. They should be neither provocative nor vulgar. The appropriateness of words is tested by the listeners' response. Yet people often speak with their eyes closed, and even when their eyes are open, they remain blind. Many unfortunate people fail in life and lose friends and relatives—the sole cause being the harshness of their speech, the cruelty of their words, and the stench of their thoughtless opinions.
Speech that is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial is supreme. But truthful words must also be pleasing and helpful. Only when these three qualities are present does that speech constitute the austerity of words—vangmaya tapa—which proves beneficial for the seeker.
Speaking falsehood causes great loss and wastage of our energy. If we adopt the principle of speaking truth, this wastage can be prevented. Statements that present our thoughts in their true form are called truthful speech; words through which we deliberately distort our thoughts are falsehood. Many people in society become extremely harsh-tongued in the name of truthfulness. But since that is not vangmaya tapa, it is unsuitable for a seeker. According to the Gita, our words should be truthful and also pleasant. This suggests that when a necessary truth is not pleasing to the listener, the speaker should wisely remain silent.
Truthful and pleasant words alone are not sufficient—they must also be beneficial. One should not waste words. Meaningless speech only causes fatigue to the speaker. A person should speak only when they wish to explain some higher truth in sweet words that serve the listener's welfare. The practice of truthful, pleasant, and beneficial speech is called the austerity of words—vangmaya tapa.
The discipline of speech does not mean adopting the lifeless and spiritless silence of a grave. In the eyes of the Divine, the proper use of the power of speech in constructive work for self-advancement is true speech-discipline or vangmaya tapa. Self-study means the reading of the Vedas, understanding their meaning through study, and then reflecting upon them. The energy conserved through truthful, pleasant, and beneficial speech should be wisely applied to such self-study.
This verse is complete in itself as a comprehensive discussion of spiritual practice. The first line describes the means to prevent the daily wasteful expenditure of our energy, and the second line describes the wise use of this conserved energy. Thus, through austerity, the seeker can attain supreme joy.
Now, let us speak of mental austerity.