Gita 17.15
Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् | स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते ||१५||
anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ ca yat | svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ caiva vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa ucyate ||15||
In essence: True speech-austerity is the rare art of speaking truth that heals rather than hurts - words that are simultaneously honest, kind, and beneficial.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "But Guruji, sometimes truth is inherently unpleasant. If I tell someone they are failing, how can that not cause distress?"
Guru: "Consider a skilled surgeon. Does the surgery cause pain? Yes. Does it cause 'udvega' - agitation and disturbance? Not when performed with care and compassion. The patient knows this temporary discomfort serves their healing. Similarly, necessary truth delivered with genuine love, proper timing, and supportive context does not create the 'udvega' Krishna describes."
Sadhak: "So the manner and intention matter as much as the content?"
Guru: "Precisely. Udvega comes from truth wielded as weapon - to punish, shame, or establish superiority. When truth flows from compassion, seeking only the other's highest good, the same words carry healing energy. The listener feels challenged but not attacked, corrected but not rejected."
Sadhak: "And how does Vedic study help with speech?"
Guru: "What you repeatedly read aloud, you internalize. The rhythms, vocabulary, and concerns of sacred literature gradually replace the noise of worldly speech patterns. Your internal dialogue transforms, and external speech follows. This is why chanting and recitation are prescribed - not as mere ritual, but as reprogramming of the speech-consciousness."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Before speaking your first words, set an intention: 'Today, may my speech heal rather than wound.' Throughout morning interactions, pause briefly before responding - checking whether your words pass all four tests: non-disturbing, true, pleasant, beneficial. Notice when you're about to speak from reactivity rather than reflection.
In professional and social interactions, practice the 'hita' (beneficial) test most rigorously. Before each significant communication, ask: 'Does this need to be said? Does it need to be said by me? Does it need to be said now?' When you must deliver difficult truths, prepare the ground first with genuine acknowledgment of the other's perspective.
Review your day's speech. Were there moments when you spoke truth harshly? When you softened truth into pleasant falsehood? When you remained silent when speech was needed? Without self-judgment, simply notice patterns. End with 10 minutes of sacred text recitation - letting elevated language be your last mental food before sleep.