Appropriate speech - from Panchatantra

Here are some words of wisdom from Panchatantra our Jagadananda once translated and posted somewhere.

* * * * * * * * * *

adeza-kAlajJam anAyati-kSamaM
yad apriyaM lAghava-kAri cAtmanaH |
yo’trAbravIt kAraNa-varjitaM vaco
na tad-vacaH syAd viSam eva tad bhavet ||

"Speech that is inappropriate to time and place, that may produce unpleasant consequences in the future (to oneself or others), which is unpleasant to hear, which reveal the speaker to be petty and insignificant, and which is spoken without valid reason, is not really speech at all, but poison." (Panchatantra 3.112)

balopapanno'pi hi buddhimAn naraH
pare nayen na svayam eva vairitAm |
bhiSaG mamAstIti vicintya bhakSayed
akAraNAt ko hi vicakSaNo viSam ||

Even a powerful man does not, if he is intelligent, go about wilfully creating enemies. Does an intelligent person drink poison without reason, thinking "I have a doctor, so there is no problem."? (Panchatantra 3.113)

parivAdaH pariSadi
na kathaJcit paNDitena vaktavyaH |
satyam api tan na vAcyaM
yad uktam asukhAvahaM bhavati ||

"A wise man should not, under any circumstance, reproach others in the public arena. Even if true, if it causes distress, it should not be spoken." (Panchatantra 3.114)

Very apt no doubt. There are some lines of Pope's that are good from a niti point of veiw, such as;

'Tis not enough your council still be true,
Blunt truths more mischief than nice falsehoods do;
Men must be taught as though you taught them not,
And things unknown, proposed as things forgot.

or from an unknown source;

It is the duty of the student,
Without exception to be prudent;
If smarter than his teacher, tact
Demands that he conseal the fact.