ye ca mūḍhatamā loke ye ca buddheḥ paraṁ gatāḥ |
te narāḥ sukham edhante kliśyaty antarito janaḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 12.168.24)
“Those persons who are the most foolish in the world and who have reached the pinnacle of wisdom experience happiness. The people in between suffer.”
anto nāsti pipāsāyās tuṣṭis tu paramaṁ sukham |
tasmāt santoṣam eveha dhanaṁ paśyanti paṇḍitāḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 12.317.21)
“Thirst [i.e., desire] has no end. Satisfaction is the greatest happiness. Therefore, the wise see satisfaction alone as the wealth here [i.e., in this world].”
kāmaḥ bandhanam evaikan nānyad astīha bandhanam |
kāma-bandhana-mukto hi brahma-bhūyāya kalpate ||
(Mahābhārata: 12.243.7)
“Kāma (desire) is the one and only bondage [i.e., the one and only cause of all the jīva’s bondage in saṁsāra]. There is no other bondage here [i.e., in this world]. One who is free from the bondage of kāma is fit to realize Brahman.”
parityajeyaṁ trailokyaṁ rājyaṁ deveṣu vā punaḥ |
yadvāpy adhikam etābhyāṁ na tu satyaṁ kathañcana ||
tyajec ca pṛthivī gandham āpaś ca rasam ātmanaḥ |
jyotis tathā tyajed rūpaṁ vāyuḥ sparśa-guṇaṁ tyajet ||
prabhāṁ samutsṛjed arko dhūmaketus tathoṣṇatām |
tyajec chabdaṁ tathākāśaḥ somaḥ śītāṁśutāṁ tyajet ||
vikramaṁ vṛtrahā jahyād dharmaṁ jahyāc ca dharmarāṭ |
na tv ahaṁ satyam utsraṣṭuṁ vyavaseyaṁ kathañcana ||
(Mahābhārata: 1.97.15–18)
“[Bhīṣmadeva insisting to his mother Satyavatī that he will not break his vow of not begetting children:] I shall renounce the three worlds, an empire among the devas, or even anything greater than these, but never by any means my vow. The earth may give up its fragrance, and water its own taste. Similarly, light may give up its form, and air may give up the quality of touch. Similarly, the sun may cease to emit light and fire [cease to emit] heat. Similarly, the sky may give up sound, and the moon may give up having cooling rays. The slayer of Vṛtra [i.e., Indra] may abandon valor, the king of dharma [i.e., Yama] may abandon dharma, but I shall never resolve by any means to abandon my vow.”
na narma-yuktaṁ vacanaṁ hinasti na strīṣu rājan na vivāha-kāle |
prāṇātyaye sarva-dhanāpahāre pañcānṛtāny ahur apātakāni ||
pṛṣṭaṁ tu sākṣye pravadanam anyathā |
vadanti mithyā patitaṁ narendra ||
anṛtaṁ nānṛtaṁ strīṣu parihāsa-vivāhayoḥ |
ātma-praṇārthātha-dhāte ca tad evottamatāṁ vrajet ||
(Mahābhārata: 1.77.24–26)
“O King, neither a statement in jest, nor amid women, nor at the time of marriage, nor when one’s life is at stake, nor when all of one’s wealth may be lost is detrimental. These five untruths are said to be sinless. When questioned for the sake of [bearing] testimony, however, speaking otherwise [i.e., falsely] is dishonest and degraded, O ruler of men. An untruth amid women, in jest, in regard to marriage, and for the sake of [saving] one’s life is not an untruth. It [i.e., such an untruth] becomes most proper [when warranted].”
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.”
vivāha-kāle rati-saṁprayoge prāṇātyaye sarva-dhanāpahāre |
viprasya cārthe hy anṛtaṁ vadeta pañcānṛtāny āhur apātakāni ||
(Mahābhārata: 8.49.29)
“Speaking an untruth at the time of marriage, amid romantic union, when one’s life is at stake, when all of one’s wealth may be lost, and for the sake of a brāhmaṇa—these five untruths are said to be sinless.”
anṛtaṁ jīvitasyārthe vadan na spṛśyate’nṛtaiḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 7.164.99)
“One is not touched by untruth by speaking an untruth for the sake of [saving someone’s] life.”
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.”
