Bhagavad Gita · 17.15 · Yoga through Discerning the Three Divisions of Faith·15 of 28
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत्।स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते ॥
anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ cha yat
svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ chaiva vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa uchyate
Sanskrit recitation
Food, effort, and giving · 17.7–17.22 · Teaching
Translation
Speech that causes no excitement, is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial; the practice of studying the Vedas is called austerity of speech.
Meaning
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.
After Swami Sivananda
Food, effort, and giving· 17.7–17.22→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 17.7The food that is dear to each is threefold, as well as sacrifice, austerity, and almsgiving. Hear the distinction of these.
- 17.8The foods that increase life, purity, strength, health, joy, and cheerfulness (good appetite), which are savory, oily, substantial, and agreeable, are dear to the Sattvic (pure) people.
- 17.9The foods that are bitter, sour, salty, overly hot, pungent, dry, and burning are liked by the Rajasic and are productive of pain, grief, and disease.
- 17.10That which is stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten, rejected, and impure is the food liked by the Tamasic.
- 17.11That sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for reward, as enjoined by the ordinance (scripture), with a firm faith that doing so is their duty, is Sattvic or pure.
- 17.12The sacrifice that is offered, O Arjuna, seeking a reward and for show, know that to be a Rajasic Yajna.
- 17.13They declare that sacrifice to be Tamasic which is contrary to the ordinances of the scriptures, in which no food is distributed, and which is devoid of mantras, gifts, and faith.
- 17.14Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the teachers, and the wise; purity, straightforwardness, celibacy, and non-injury are all called the austerities of the body.
17.15Speech that causes no excitement, is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial; the practice of studying the Vedas is called austerity of speech.
- 17.16Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, self-control, and purity of nature—this is called mental austerity.
- 17.17This threefold austerity, practiced by steadfast men, with the utmost faith, desiring no reward, is called Sattvic.
- 17.18The austerity that is practiced with the aim of gaining good reception, honor, and worship, and with hypocrisy, is said to be Rajasic, unstable, and transient.
- 17.19That austerity which is practised out of a foolish notion, with self-torture, or for the purpose of destroying another, is declared to be of the Tamasic nature.
- 17.20That gift which is given to one who does nothing in return, knowing it to be a duty to give in a suitable place and time to a worthy person, is held to be Sattvic.
- 17.21And, that gift which is given with the intention of receiving something in return, or expecting a reward, or begrudgingly, is considered to be Rajasic.
- 17.22The gift that is given in the wrong place and at the wrong time, to unworthy persons, without respect or with insult, is declared to be of a Tamasic nature.
Word-by-word→
- cha
- and
- yat
- which
- satyam
- truthful
- cha eva
- as well as
- tapaḥ
- austerity
- uchyate
- are declared as
- vākyam
- words
- priya- hitam
- beneficial
- vāṅ-mayam
- of speech
- anudvega-karam
- not causing distress
- svādhyāya-abhyasanam
- recitation of the Vedic scriptures
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