Speech Alone Is the True Ornament

Subhashita (Traditional Sanskrit Maxims)

기원후 5세기경(바르트리하리 니티샤타카)

ORIGINAL

केयूरा न विभूषयन्ति पुरुषं हारा न चन्द्रोज्ज्वला न स्नानं न विलेपनं न कुसुमं नालङ्कृता मूर्धजाः । वाण्येका समलङ्करोति पुरुषं या संस्कृता धार्यते क्षीयन्तेऽखिलभूषणानि सततं वाग्भूषणं भूषणम् ॥ (keyūrā na vibhūṣayanti puruṣaṃ hārā na candrojjvalā na snānaṃ na vilepanaṃ na kusumaṃ nālaṅkṛtā mūrdhajāḥ, vāṇyekā samalaṅkaroti puruṣaṃ yā saṃskṛtā dhāryate kṣīyante'khilabhūṣaṇāni satataṃ vāgbhūṣaṇaṃ bhūṣaṇam)

📜 THE VERSE

Bracelets do not adorn a person, nor moon-bright necklaces, nor bathing, nor perfume, nor flowers, nor elegant hair — only well-cultivated speech adorns a person. Every other ornament wears away, but the ornament of speech remains forever.

💡 TL;DR

This poem lists one gleaming ornament after another, only to overturn them all in a single line — true beauty lies in speech.

❓ TODAY'S QUESTION

Today, what did I put the most care into adorning — my appearance, or my speech?

📝Reflection

This poem lists one gleaming ornament after another, only to overturn them all in a single line — true beauty lies in speech. Jewels can age and be lost, but well-cultivated words neither age nor wear thin. Even today, what makes us remember someone for a long time is not their appearance but the words they left behind.

— ONGO · Curator

🌱Apply It Today

Take one thing you say today and polish it once more than usual before speaking it.

📖 Source: Subhashita (Traditional Sanskrit Maxims). Sanskrit original with public-domain translations consulted; rendered independently by ONGO.
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.