Speech that causes no agitation in living beings, that is, that gives no pain, and that is truthful, kindly, and beneficial, the kindly and the beneficial bearing on both the seen and the unseen, this is the austerity of speech. Speech is qualified here by the attributes of causing no agitation and the rest, and the word 'and' is meant to gather these qualifying attributes together. If speech directed at producing conviction in another lacks even one, two, or three of the qualities of being true, kindly, beneficial, and non-agitating, it is not austerity of speech. Thus true speech that lacks one, two, or three of the others is not austerity of speech; kindly speech that lacks one, two, or three of the others is not; beneficial speech that lacks one, two, or three of the others is not. What then is the speech that is austerity? It is speech that is true, that causes no agitation, that is kindly and beneficial, as when one says, 'Be calm, my child; practise your recitation and your discipline, and so it will go well with you.' The regular practice of recitation of scripture, performed as the rule directs, is likewise called the austerity of speech.

This is a brief sub-gloss. For a fuller reading of this verse, see Madhusūdana, Śaṅkara, or Rāmānuja above.

Speech that causes no agitation to others, that is true, kindly, and beneficial; and the practice of the recitation of scripture; this is called the austerity of speech.

This is a brief sub-gloss. For a fuller reading of this verse, see Madhusūdana, Śaṅkara, or Rāmānuja above.

Madhvacharya does not comment on this verse.