Bhagavad Gita

Gita Verses on Honesty, Truthfulness and Right Speech

सत्य और सत्यवादिता

What does the Gita say about honesty? Krishna counts truthfulness, sincerity, and kind, truthful speech among the highest virtues and forms of austerity. These shlokas show how truthful living and gentle words purify the heart and build trust.

  1. 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

    Speech that causes no excitement, is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial; the practice of studying the Vedas is called austerity of speech.

    उद्वेग न करनेवाला, सत्य, प्रिय, हितकारक भाषण तथा स्वाध्याय और अभ्यास करना -- यह वाणी-सम्बन्धी तप कहा जाता है।

  2. अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम्।दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम्॥

    ahinsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śhāntir apaiśhunam dayā bhūteṣhv aloluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīr achāpalam

    Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion for beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, and absence of fickleness.

    अहिंसा, सत्यभाषण; क्रोध न करना; संसारकी कामनाका त्याग; अन्तःकरणमें राग-द्वेषजनित हलचलका न होना; चुगली न करना; प्राणियोंपर दया करना सांसारिक विषयोंमें न ललचाना; अन्तःकरणकी कोमलता; अकर्तव्य करनेमें लज्जा; चपलताका अभाव।

  3. प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः।न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते॥

    pravṛittiṁ cha nivṛittiṁ cha janā na vidur āsurāḥ na śhauchaṁ nāpi chāchāro na satyaṁ teṣhu vidyate

    The demoniacal do not know what to do and what to refrain from; they have neither purity, nor right conduct, nor truth.

    आसुरी प्रकृतिवाले मनुष्य प्रवृत्ति और निवृत्तिको नहीं जानते और उनमें न बाह्यशुद्धि, न श्रेष्ठ आचरण तथा न सत्य-पालन ही होता है।

  4. शमो दमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च।ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम्॥

    śhamo damas tapaḥ śhauchaṁ kṣhāntir ārjavam eva cha jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam

    Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and uprightness, as well as knowledge, realization, and belief in God, are the duties of Brahmanas, born of their own nature.

    मनका निग्रह करना इन्द्रियोंको वशमें करना; धर्मपालनके लिये कष्ट सहना; बाहर-भीतरसे शुद्ध रहना; दूसरोंके अपराधको क्षमा करना; शरीर, मन आदिमें सरलता रखना; वेद, शास्त्र आदिका ज्ञान होना; यज्ञविधिको अनुभवमें लाना; और परमात्मा, वेद आदिमें आस्तिक भाव रखना -- ये सब-के-सब ब्राह्मणके स्वाभाविक कर्म हैं।

  5. बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसंमोहः क्षमा सत्यं दमः शमः।

    buddhir jñānam asammohaḥ kṣhamā satyaṁ damaḥ śhamaḥ sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhavo ’bhāvo bhayaṁ chābhayameva cha

    Intellect, wisdom, non-delusion, forgiveness, truth, self-restraint, calmness, happiness, pain, existence or birth, non-existence or death, fear, and also fearlessness.

    बुद्धि, ज्ञान, असम्मोह, क्षमा, सत्य, दम, शम, सुख, दुःख, भव, अभाव, भय, अभय, अहिंसा, समता, तुष्टि, तप, दान, यश और अपयश -- प्राणियोंके ये अनेक प्रकारके और अलग-अलग (बीस) भाव मेरेसे ही होते हैं।

  6. मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः।भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते॥

    manaḥ-prasādaḥ saumyatvaṁ maunam ātma-vinigrahaḥ bhāva-sanśhuddhir ity etat tapo mānasam uchyate

    Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, self-control, and purity of nature—this is called mental austerity.

    मनकी प्रसन्नता, सौम्य भाव, मननशीलता, मनका निग्रह और भावोंकी शुद्धि -- इस तरह यह मन-सम्बन्धी तप कहा जाता है।

✦ Frequently Asked Questions ✦

What does the Bhagavad Gita say about honesty, truthfulness and right speech?

What does the Gita say about honesty? Krishna counts truthfulness, sincerity, and kind, truthful speech among the highest virtues and forms of austerity. These shlokas show how truthful living and gentle words purify the heart and build trust. Key shlokas: 17.15, 16.2, 16.7, 18.42, 10.4, 17.16.

Which Bhagavad Gita verses are about honesty, truthfulness and right speech?

The Bhagavad Gita addresses honesty, truthfulness and right speech in shlokas 17.15, 16.2, 16.7, 18.42, 10.4, 17.16. Read each with Sanskrit, transliteration, word-by-word meaning and English & Hindi translation on AskGita.