kevalaṁ śāstram āśritya na kartavyo vinirṇayaḥ |
yukti-hīna-vicāre tu dharma-hāniḥ prajāyate ||
(Bṛhaspati; quoted in the Smṛti-candrikā)
“Do not ascertain what is to be done on the basis of śāstra alone. Dharma is lost by deliberation devoid of reasoning.”
brāhmaṇena niṣkāraṇo dharmaḥ ṣaḍaṅgo vedo’dhyeyo jñeya iti |
pradhānaṁ ca ṣaṭsv aṅgeṣu vyākaraṇam |
pradhāne ca kṛto yatnaḥ phalavān bhavati |
(Mahābhāṣya)
“Dharma, the six aṅgas [of the Veda], and the Veda are to be received and learned by a brāhmaṇa without cause [i.e., without any selfish motive, and without questioning the reason why this should be done]. Among the six aṅgas, vyākaraṇa (grammar) is the foremost, and exertion done in regard to that which is foremost becomes fruitful.”
kiṁsvit satyaṁ kim anṛtaṁ kiṁsvid dharmyaṁ sanātanam |
kasmin kāle vadet satyaṁ kasmin kāle’nṛtaṁ vadet ||
satyasya vacanaṁ sādhu na satyād vidyate param |
yad bhūloke sudurjñātaṁ tat te vakṣyāmi bhārata ||
bhavet satyam avaktavyaṁ vaktavyam anṛtaṁ bhavet |
yatrānṛtaṁ bhavet satyaṁ satyaṁ vāpy anṛtaṁ bhavet ||
tādṛśe muhyate bālo yatra satyam aniṣṭhitam |
satyānṛte viniścitya tato bhavati dharmavit ||
(Mahābhārata: 12.110.3–6)
[Yudhiṣṭhira inquires:] “‘What is truth? What is untruth? What is always in accord with dharma? When should truth be spoken? When should untruth be spoken?’ [Bhīṣmadeva answers:] Truthful speech is best. There is nothing greater than truth. That which is very difficult to understand on the surface of earth [i.e., truth] I shall describe to you, O descendant of Bhārata. Truth can be improper to speak, and untruth can be proper to speak. An unwise person is bewildered by that wherein untruth can be truth or truth can also be untruth, and wherein truth is not fixed. After determining [what is] truth and [what is] untruth one then becomes a knower of dharma.”
satyasya vacanaṁ sādhu na satyād vidyate param |
tattvenaitat sudurjñeyaṁ yasya satyam anuṣṭhitam ||
bhavet satyam avaktavyaṁ vaktavyam anṛtaṁ bhavet |
sarvasvasyāpahāre tu vaktavyam anṛtaṁ bhavet ||
prāṇātyaye vivāhe ca vaktavyam anṛtaṁ bhavet |
yatrānṛtaṁ bhavet satyaṁ satyaṁ cāpy anṛtaṁ bhavet ||
tādṛśaṁ paśyate bālo yasya satyam anuṣṭhitam |
satyānṛte viniścitya tato bhavati dharmavit ||
(Mahābhārata: 8.49.27–30)
“Truthful speech is best. There is nothing greater than truth. That in which truth is [verily] established [however] is very difficult to truly understand. Truth can be improper to speak, and untruth can be proper to speak. Untruth may be spoken when all of one’s wealth may be lost. Untruth may be spoken when one’s life is at stake and in regard to marriage. O child, recognize that wherein untruth can be truth, truth can also be untruth, and wherein truth is established. After determining [what is] truth and [what is] untruth one then becomes a knower of dharma.”
na hy asatyāt paro’dharma iti hovāca bhūr iyam |
sarvaṁ soḍhum alaṁ manye ṛte’līka-paraṁ naram ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.20.4)
[Bali Mahārāja to Śukrācārya:] “The earth said, ‘There is no greater adharma than untruthfulness.‘ I think I can verily tolerate everything except an untruthful person.”
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.”
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.”
āhuḥ satyaṁ hi paramaṁ dharmaṁ dharma-vido janāḥ |
(Rāmāyaṇa: 2.14.3)
[Kaikeyi to Daśaratha:] “Those who know dharma say that truthfulness is the ultimate dharma.”
satyaṁ vada dharmaṁ cara |
(Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.11)
“Speak the truth and adhere to dharma.”
prāṇātyaye vivāhe ca vaktavyam anṛtaṁ bhavet |
anṛtaṁ ca bhavet satyaṁ satyaṁ caivānṛtaṁ bhavet ||
yad bhūta-hitam atyantaṁ tat satyam iti dhāraṇā |
viparyaya-kṛto’dharmaḥ paśya dharmasya sūkṣmatām ||
(Mahābhārata: 3.200.3–4)
“When one’s life is at stake and in regard to marriage, an untruth can be spoken. [In these cases,] Untruth becomes truth, and truth becomes untruth. That [action or speech] which is of the greater benefit to living beings is truth. This is the conclusion. Doing the opposite is adharma. See the subtlety of dharma.”
