praśastācaraṇaṁ nityam apraśastasya varjanam |
etad dhi maṅgalaṁ proktam ṛṣibhis tattva-darśibhiḥ ||
(Unknown source; cited in the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā and Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.21.42)
“Continuous laudable conduct and avoidance of the unlaudable—this specifically is declared well-being [alt., auspiciousness] (maṅgala) by the sages who are seers of the reality.”
ahiṁsā satyam asteyam akāma-krodha-lobhatā |
bhūta-priya-hitehā ca dharmo’yaṁ sarva-varṇikaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.17.21)
“Non-violence, truthfulness, non-thievery, the absence of lust, anger, and greediness, action that is beneficial and pleasing to [all] beings [alt., fondness and well-wishing for all beings]—this is the dharma for all varṇas [i.e., these qualities are fit to be cultivated by the members of all the varṇas and by those outside the four varṇas as well].”
ahiṁsā prathamaṁ puṣpaṁ puṣpam indriya-nigrahaḥ |
sarva-bhūta-dayā puṣpaṁ kṣamā puṣpaṁ viśeṣataḥ ||
jñāna-puṣpaṁ tapaḥ puṣpaṁ dhyāna-puṣpaṁ tu saptamam |
satyam aṣṭa-vidhaṁ puṣpaṁ viṣṇoḥ prītikaraṁ bhavet ||
(Prapanna-parijāta: 5.28)
“First, the flower of (1) non-violence, [then] the flower of (2) control of the senses, the flower of (3) kindness [alt., compassion] to all beings, the flower of (4) forbearance [alt., forgiveness] in particular, the flower of (5) knowledge, the flower of (6) austerity, the flower of (7) meditation seventh, and (8) truthfulness—[these] flowers of eight types shall be pleasing to Viṣṇu.”
dharmaḥ satya-dayopeto vidyā vā tapasānvitā |
mad-bhaktyāpetam ātmānaṁ na samyak prapunāti hi ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.14.22; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.557; Bhakti Sandarbha: 79, 111, 147)
“Devoid of bhakti to me, dharma endowed with truthfulness and compassion, or knowledge accompanied by austerity, certainly do not fully purify the mind.”
yad yujyate’su-vasu-karma-mano-vacobhir
dehātmajādiṣu nṛbhis tad asat pṛthaktvāt |
tair eva sad bhavati yat kriyate’pṛthaktvāt
sarvasya tad bhavati mūla-niṣecanaṁ yat ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.9.29; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 134)
“That which is done with the prāṇas, wealth, actions, mind, and speech by human beings for the sake of the body, children, and so forth is asat because of separateness. That which is done with those very same things [for the sake of Īśvara] is sat because of non-separateness, just as watering a root [of a tree] becomes that [i.e., nourishing] of the entirety [i.e., of the tree].”
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 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’].”
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.”
satyam eva jayate nānṛtaṁ
satyena panthā vitato devayānaḥ |
yenākramanty ṛṣayo hy āpta-kāmā
yatra tat satyasya paramaṁ nidhānam ||
(Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: 3.1.6)
“Truth alone triumphs, and not falsity [i.e., those who adhere to truth triumph and not those who engage in falsity]. Through truth is spread out the path of devas by which the ṛṣis of fulfilled desire ascend to that [domain] where there exists the supreme treasure of truth [i.e., Brahman].”
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.”
