Upanishads · Mahā 6.65
॥
Devanāgarī
सर्वस्याभिमतं वक्ता चोदितः पेशलोक्तिमान् आशयज्ञश्च भूतानां संसारे नावसीदति
Transliteration (IAST)
sarvasyābhimataṃ vaktā coditaḥ peśaloktimān āśayajñaśca bhūtānāṃ saṃsāre nāvasīdati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सर्वस्य अभिमतम् वक्ताsarvasya abhimatam vaktāspeaking what is agreeable to everyone; uttering to each what is welcome
चोदितः पेशल-उक्तिमान्coditaḥ peśala-uktimānwhen prompted — graceful of speech; when appealed to, possessed of polished utterance
आशय-ज्ञः च भूतानाम्āśaya-jñaḥ ca bhūtānāmand knowing the dispositions of beings; and acquainted with the leanings of creatures
संसारे न अवसीदतिsaṃsāre na avasīdatihe does not sink in the round; he does not founder in the whirl
Translation
“Speaking what is agreeable to everyone, answering gracefully when asked, knowing the dispositions of beings — he does not sink in the round.”
Version
e6ec65cd434a · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Three traits, and all three concern dealings with people.
Sarvasya abhimataṃ vaktā — “speaking what is agreeable to everyone”. This must be understood rightly: not a flatterer, but one who knows how to speak so that it does not wound.
Coditaḥ — “when prompted, when asked”. He does not thrust himself forward; he speaks when questioned.
Āśaya-jña — “knowing the dispositions”. The word āśaya means “what lies within”: the mood, the temper, the concealed.
Note how this stands with 6.30, where among the excellences “soft speech” is named.
Twice toward its end the book returns to how a man speaks.
That is the most visible part of all that has changed in him. The rest is within.