Speak in a way that educates and engages, not enrages and estranges Gita 17.15

Transcript

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Hare Krishna. Speak in a way that educates and engages, not enrages and estranges.
When we speak to people, especially when we have some knowledge, wisdom, experience to share with them, we need to do it in a way that is effective. Effective, how do we know whether the speech is effective? It is not just determined by what we speak, but it is also determined by what effect what we speak has on the other people, on the hearers. And that is where austerity of speech is required.
In the Bhagavad Gita in 1715, when Krishna talks about austerity of speech, it is significant that he doesn’t talk about austerity only in terms of being truthful. It is easy to speak lies and seek shortcuts. And it requires courage and conviction to speak the truth.
But, austerity of speech involves other things also. Krishna says in 1715, अनुद्वेग करम्बाक्यम् सत्यं प्रियहि तम्चयत् स्वाध्याया ब्यसनं चैव वान्मयं तप उच्छते That, अनुद्वेग करम्बाक्यम् speak in a way that does not agitate others. This means that we should speak in a way that is truthful.
So, but it is a way that attracts people. Krishna has earlier also said in 326, नभुद्धिभेदं जनयेद् अग्यानां कर्मसंगीनां जोशयेद् सर्वकर्माणी विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरण् So, speak in a way that engages people so that they can gradually be elevated on the spiritual journey. Sometimes, we may speak the truth, but if we are judgmental in speaking the truth, or even if we come off as judgmental, people may become enraged and they become estranged from the truth and if that happens, then our purpose is being defeated.
So, educate means that we should speak in a way that makes sense to people and not just intellectual sense, but also emotional sense and then engages them, inspires them to come closer to the truth and speaking in this way is austerity of speech. Thank you.