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- Read on →: kṣīṇa-rikthaś cyutaḥ sthānāt kṣipto baddhaś ca śatrubhiḥ
kṣīṇa-rikthaś cyutaḥ sthānāt kṣipto baddhaś ca śatrubhiḥ |
jñātibhiś ca parityakto yātanām anuyāpitaḥ ||
guruṇā bhartsitaḥ śapto jahau satyaṁ na suvrataḥ |
chalair ukto mayā dharmo nāyaṁ tyajati satya-vāk ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.22.29‒30)[Vāmanadeva to Brahmā about Bali Mahārāja:] “Although he was bereft of his property, deprived of his position, thrown down and bound by his enemies, deserted by his kinsmen, subjected repeatedly to torment, and chastized and cursed by his guru, he did not give up his truthfulness, as he was firmly avowed. Even when I spoke [to him] about dharma deceptively, he did not give up speaking the truth.”
- Read on →: na tathya-vacanaṁ satyaṁ nātathya-vacanaṁ mṛṣā
na tathya-vacanaṁ satyaṁ nātathya-vacanaṁ mṛṣā |
yad-bhūta-hitam atyantaṁ tat-satyam itaran mṛṣā ||
(Subhāṣita-sudha-nidhi)“Speaking in accord with facts is not truthfulness. Speaking not in accord with facts is not falsity. That which is supremely beneficial for living beings is truth, and that which is otherwise is falsity.”
- Read on →: satyaṁ bhūta-hitaṁ proktaṁ na yathārthābhibhāṣaṇam
satyaṁ bhūta-hitaṁ proktaṁ na yathārthābhibhāṣaṇam |
(Kahāvata-ratnākara)“Truth is that which is spoken for the benefit of living beings and not [simply] speech that is factual [lit., ‘as is the object’].”
- Read on →: na satyaṁ kevalaṁ satyam anṛtaṁ na tathānṛtam
na satyaṁ kevalaṁ satyam anṛtaṁ na tathānṛtam |
hitaṁ yat sarva-lokasya tat satyaṁ śeṣam anyathā ||
(Bhārata Mañjarī)“Truth is not just truth, and falsity is not just falsity. That which is beneficial to all beings is truth, and the remainder [i.e., all else] is otherwise [i.e., falsity].”
- Read on →: satyasya vacanaṁ śreyaḥ satyād api hitaṁ vadet
satyasya vacanaṁ śreyaḥ satyād api hitaṁ vadet |
yad bhūta-hitam atyantam etat satyaṁ mataṁ mama ||
(Mahābhārata: Śānti-parva, 316.13)[Sanāt Kumāra:] “Speaking the truth is best. Speaking that which is beneficial is even better than [speaking] truth. That which is supremely beneficial to living beings is truth. This is my opinion.”
- Read on →: satyaṁ brūyāt priyaṁ brūyān na brūyāt satyam apriyaṁ
satyaṁ brūyāt priyaṁ brūyān na brūyāt satyam apriyaṁ |
priyaṁ ca nānṛtaṁ brūyād eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ||
(Manu Smṛti: 4.138)“Speak the truth, and speak that which is pleasant. Do not speak an unpleasant truth, and do not speak a pleasant untruth. This is the age-old dharma.”