Shloka 44

सदाचार-नियमाः: शील, संयम, संग-निषेध, शुचिता, वाणी-नीति, परोपकारः

Devanagari script

प्रियम् उक्तं हितं नैतद् इति मत्वा न तद् वदेत् श्रेयस् तत्र हितं वाक्यं यद्य् अप्य् अत्यन्तम् अप्रियम्

Transliteration

priyam uktaṃ hitaṃ naitad iti matvā na tad vadet śreyas tatra hitaṃ vākyaṃ yady apy atyantam apriyam

Translation

Thinking, “Though it sounds pleasing, it is not truly beneficial,” one should not speak such words. There, what is best is to speak what is beneficial—even if it is exceedingly unpleasant to hear.

Word by Word

• प्रियम्: pleasant
• प्रियम्: Karma/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उक्तम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• उक्तम्: (what is) said
• उक्तम्: Karta-related Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वाक्यरूपेण—‘what is said’

• हितम्: beneficial
• हितम्: Karta-related Predicate (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक; √धा ‘to place’ से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘उक्तम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma/Predicate Link (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘this’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/क्त्वान्त), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया—having thought/considered

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• वदेत्: should speak
• वदेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• श्रेयः: the better (course)
• श्रेयः: Karta-related Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘better/good’ (comparative noun)

• तत्र: there/in that case
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रसङ्ग/देशवाचक

• हितम्: beneficial
• हितम्: Karma/Predicate (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वाक्यम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वाक्यम्: speech/statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय/कर्म (contextual)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive particle)

• अत्यन्तम्: extremely
• अत्यन्तम्: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्तम् (अव्यय; अत्यन्त-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अप्रियम्: unpleasant
• अप्रियम्: Karma/Predicate (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वाक्यम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, within a dharma-teaching context)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Discerning priyavākya vs hitavākya: rejecting pleasing but harmful speech; accepting beneficial even if unpleasant

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Do not speak what is merely pleasing if it is not truly beneficial; when needed, speak beneficial counsel even if it is unpleasant.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Choose ‘hard truths’ only when they serve growth and protection; avoid flattery and enabling speech, and deliver correction with humility.

Vishishtadvaita: ‘Śreyas’ (true good) is prioritized over ‘preyas’ (mere pleasantness), aligning the jīva’s speech with the Lord’s sustaining dharma for all beings.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

FAQs

What is the significance of beneficial speech (hita-vākya) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse prioritizes words that uphold welfare and dharma over speech that merely pleases, presenting ethical communication as a support for universal order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the difference between what is pleasant and what is good?

He implies a clear hierarchy: pleasant speech that lacks benefit should be avoided, while beneficial counsel should be spoken even when it is difficult to hear.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named here, the ethic serves Vaishnava dharma: speech aligned with truth and welfare supports the divine order ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s sovereignty.