Śānti Veda · The Work of Just Peace
श्रवण-व्रतम्
śravaṇa-vratam
Mūla · Original verse
Sanskrit
Anvaya
Plain English meaning
Listening is the first discipline, silence restrains anger, reflection comes between, and then a peaceful response.
Kāvya
Poetic rendering
Listen until another person no longer has to shout to prove that their pain exists. Let silence cool the iron; let reflection shape it into a bridge.
Manana
Contemplation
Listening does not require agreement. It requires accurate reception, curiosity about experience, and restraint from preparing a rebuttal while another speaks.
Prayoga
Civilizational practice
Reflect back what you heard and ask whether it is accurate. Only then state your view, identify common ground, and name the unresolved difference.
Param Veda Upaniṣad · One-to-One Bhāṣya
Sit near the question
The companion moves from words and meaning to inward reflection, public application, boundaries against misuse, dialogue, and practice.
Padārtha · Key terms
śravaṇa — listening; mauna — silence; roṣa — anger; cintana — reflection; uttara — response; vrata — disciplined vow
Anvaya · Sequence of meaning
Listening is the first discipline, silence restrains anger, reflection comes between, and then a peaceful response.
Bhāṣya · Commentary
Listening is called the first discipline because the mind usually meets another’s speech with a prepared answer. The vow interrupts that reflex. Silence creates a chamber in which anger can be noticed without becoming command; reflection tests whether the received meaning is accurate; only then does response become capable of peace.
Loka-saṃgraha · Civilizational application
Restorative meetings, negotiations, classrooms, and families can embody this sequence through uninterrupted testimony, reflective summaries, clarified questions, and recorded points of agreement and difference. Those carrying less power need conditions in which speaking does not increase danger.
Maryādā · Boundary against misuse
Listening is not compelled agreement, passive endurance of abuse, or a demand that victims repeatedly educate those who harm them. Safety, time limits, representation, and the right to leave may be necessary. The listener’s openness does not remove the speaker’s duty to truth.
Praśna–Uttara
Teacher and student
Prayoga · Practice
- 1 Reflect back the claim and feeling, then ask whether you understood.
- 2 Wait one breath after the other person finishes before forming your first sentence.
Saṅgati · Canonical correspondences