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Bhagavad Gita 17.15
The traditional text
स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते॥
Roman reading aid
anudvega-karaṃ vākyaṃ satyaṃ priya-hitaṃ ca yat |
svādhyāyābhyasanaṃ caiva vāṅmayaṃ tapa ucyate ||
Meaning in everyday language
Speech that does not cause distress, that is truthful, agreeable and beneficial, together with sustained study and recitation of sacred texts, is called discipline of speech.
Understand the teaching
Chapter 17 examines forms of faith, offering and discipline. Around this verse, tapas is considered through body, speech and mind. The qualities of speech are listed together: pleasant words alone do not satisfy the description if they are false or harmful. Svadhyaya adds the cultivation of speech through attentive study and recitation to the way we address others.
An everyday exercise is to revise one piece of feedback. State what you observed, explain why it matters and suggest a useful next step. A truthful correction can sometimes be uncomfortable, so beneficial speech also asks about timing, purpose and manner. The aim is a thoughtful relationship between truth and care, without reducing either to flattery or silence.
Words and phrases
- अनुद्वेगकरम् (anudvega-karam)
- not causing agitation or distress
- सत्यं प्रियहितम् (satyaṃ priya-hitam)
- true, agreeable and beneficial
- स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनम् (svādhyāyābhyasanam)
- practice of sacred study and recitation
- वाङ्मयं तपः (vāṅmayaṃ tapaḥ)
- discipline of speech
Pause and think
Rewrite “Your work is useless” as specific, helpful feedback.
See an explained answer
The main point is not yet supported by an example. Could we add one example and check whether the conclusion follows from it?