Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17 Verse 15 Meaning
Speech that causes no excitement, is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial; the practice of studying the Vedas is called austerity of speech.
BG 17.15
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
Meaning
Speech that causes no excitement, is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial; the practice of studying the Vedas is called austerity of speech.
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What Does Bhagavad Gita 17.15 Mean?
Speech that causes no excitement, is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial; the practice of studying the Vedas is called austerity of speech. The teaching here extends the chapter's central concern with faith. Classical commentators have noted how this verse bridges philosophical understanding with practical guidance. What distinguishes this verse is its integration of faith with the broader framework of the Gita's philosophy.
Rather than treating spiritual life as separate from worldly engagement, Krishna shows how worship and charity can be realized through every aspect of human experience. Applied to contemporary life, this teaching asks us to examine our relationship with worship and charity. Not through self-judgment, but through honest observation that gradually shifts our center of gravity from reactive habit to conscious choice.
— Explained by the Nitya Team
What Is the Context of Bhagavad Gita 17.15?
How faith manifests according to the three modes of nature.
Key themes in this chapter include Faith, Food, Sacrifice, Charity.
How Can I Apply Bhagavad Gita 17.15 in Daily Life?
- •When you need steadiness while dealing with faith
- •When practicing food amid uncertainty
- •When applying sacrifice to real-life choices
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Related Verses
BG 17.3
The faith of each is in accordance with their nature, O Arjuna. People consist of their faith; as a person's faith is, so are they.
BG 17.20
That 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.
BG 1.1
Dhritarashtra said, "What did my people and the sons of Pandu do when they had assembled together, eager for battle, on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, O Sanjaya?"
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