Speech should be true and healing.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् |स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते ||१७-१५||
anudvegakaraṃ vākyaṃ satyaṃ priyahitaṃ ca yat . svādhyāyābhyasanaṃ caiva vāṅmayaṃ tapa ucyate ||17-15||
Use this verse before difficult conversations.
Meaning
Speech that does not disturb, that is truthful, pleasant, beneficial, and supported by regular self-study is called austerity of speech.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Speech tapas is truthful, kind, beneficial, calm, and rooted in study.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This is a highly practical communication verse. Krishna does not say truth alone is enough; speech should be true, kind, useful, non-disturbing, and refined by self-study.
Read the traditional commentary
The austerity of speech (vangmaya tapa) is one of the Gita's most practical teachings. Right speech is anudvega-karam — it does not agitate or wound — yet it is also satyam (truthful), priya (kind and pleasant), and hitam (genuinely beneficial). Held together, these qualities form a demanding discipline: to speak words that are at once true, gentle, and helpful, while also nourishing oneself through svadhyaya, the regular study of sacred texts.
The genius of this verse lies in its balance. It is easy to be honest but harsh, or kind but dishonest. Krishna asks for speech that harmonises truth with compassion — never sacrificing one for the other.
Our words shape relationships, moods, and our own inner state. To govern the tongue is a real austerity, and one that touches every conversation. Disciplined, truthful, healing speech is a daily form of self-purification.
In daily life
Before speaking, check truth, kindness, benefit, and timing.
A person about to send a harsh message can ask whether it is true, kind, useful, and calming.
Try this today
Pause before one difficult message and rewrite it kindly.
My speech is truthful, kind, and beneficial.Reflect
Will my words disturb or help?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘अनुद्वेगकरम् वाक्यम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on truth, in other chapters
- Verse 13.12True knowledge is whatever keeps you steadily turned toward your deepest Self; everything else is ignorance dressed up as learning.
- Verse 16.2True spiritual strength shows itself as gentleness, compassion, and an unwavering refusal to harm.
- Verse 4.28Generosity, discipline, practice, and study are all sacred offerings — every sincere effort to grow is a form of sacrifice.
- Verse 7.9The same divine life glows in every creature and fuels every sincere effort — let that recognition deepen your reverence.
Swipe left for 17.16 · The mind also needs tapas.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 17.15
Who says Bhagavad Gita 17.15, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 17.15, in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 17.15 mean?
Speech that does not disturb, that is truthful, pleasant, beneficial, and supported by regular self-study is called austerity of speech. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 17.15 for daily life?
Before speaking, check truth, kindness, benefit, and timing. A person about to send a harsh message can ask whether it is true, kind, useful, and calming.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 17.15 mean?
अनुद्वेगकरम् वाक्यम् — speech that causes no distress; सत्यम् — truthful; प्रियहितम् च यत् — and that which is pleasant and beneficial; स्वाध्याय अभ्यसनम् — the regular study of scripture; च एव — and also.
Where does verse 17.15 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 15 of 28 in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 17.16.