BG 17.15
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत्
स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते
anudvegakaraṃ vākyaṃ
satyaṃ priyahitaṃ ca yat
svādhyāyābhyasanaṃ caiva
vāṅmayaṃ tapa ucyate
SYNONYMS
anudvegakaram: causing no shock | vākyam: speech | satyam: true | priya: pleasant | hitam: beneficial | ca: and | yat: which | svādhyāya: recitation of the scriptures | abhyasanam: practice | ca 1: and | eva: also | vāṅmayam: of speech | tapaḥ: austerity | ucyate: is called |
TRANSLATION
Speech that causes no shock (hurt and fear etc.) and which is true, pleasant and beneficial, and also the practice of recitation of the scriptures are called the austerity of speech.
PURPORT
Verbal austerity consists in using words that do not hurt others, are true, are pleasing and are beneficial. It also involves studying scriptural texts.