The wisdom of silence

daṇḍo damayatāmasmi nītirasmi jigīṣatāmmaunaṃ caivāsmi guhyānāṃ jñānaṃ jñānavatāmaham

Of those who correct I am the rod. Of those seeking victory, wise policy. Of secrets, silence. Of the wise, their wisdom.

What it means

Krishna names four. Danda, the authority to correct, rightly used. Niti, wise and ethical strategy for those who seek success. Mauna, silence, the deepest of all secrets. And jnana, the wisdom of the wise. Power, strategy, silence and wisdom, each at their best, reflect him.

The story

Krishna himself has been a master of wise policy and of silence. He listened for a whole chapter before speaking. Arjuna is learning that silence can be wiser than argument.

In your life

Remember a time someone said nothing in an argument, and that silence ended it better than words. Next time you're tempted to fire back, try a moment of silence first.