1 Gita Sloka Every Day - Chapter 17 - Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga - Sloka 15

The entire content of this mail is from Shri V N Gopala Desikan's  Srimad Bhagavad Gita, published by Vishishtadvaita Research Centre, Chennai and The Bhagavad Gita by Swami Chidbhavananda published by Ramakrishna Mission

The Three Fold Austerity 14-19

1 Gita Sloka  Every Day - Chapter 17 - Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga - Sloka 15

Swami Ramanuja

An udvega karam vakyam satyam priya hitam cha yat I

Swadhyabha abhi asanam cha eva vaakmayam tapah uchyate II sloka 15

 अन उद्वेग करं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रिय हितं च यत् I 

स्वाध्याभ अभि आसनं च एव वाक् मयं तपः उच्यते II श्लोक 15

The speech which causes no excitement, which is truthful, pleasant and beneficial, and also the practise of sacred recitation - These are said to form the austerity of speech.

The harm donethrough speech is often more painful than that caused by physical violence. Words of excitement and words that hurt people should be avoided by all means by a spiritual aspirant.

Truth in some cases is unpleasant to hear and vice versa. The best course is to present the truth in as pleasant  a way as possible. But there should be no deviation from truth for the sake of pleasantness. If it comes to it, even at the cost of pleasantness, truth alone should be ever upheld.

Flattery is often in tune with  truthfulness and is very pleasant to hear. May a sadhaka employ it in his dealings with people? No. Flattery has to be scrupulously avoided. Harsh words have not done as much harm to society as undue compliments have. Even great men have fallen victim to flattery and gone off their moorings. The words utteredought to be pleasant and beneficial but never pandering to one's vanity. Beneficial words form a benediction and they alone must be spoken always.

The vedas are the oldest books known to humanity and they are held most sacred because of their dealings with matters spiritual. Chanting them daily with proper intonation is not only a perfect vocal training but it is also a sanctifying agency to the student. This book, However, is not within the reach of all. Fortunately, there are many sacred books in all languages. a devotional reading or chanting of them daily, forms an aspect of spiritual discipline.

All the four phasesof traiing the tongue dilated here, put together form the austerity of speech.