न नर्मयुक्तं वचनं हिनस्ति न स्त्रीषु राजन्न विवाहकाले ।
प्राणात्यये सर्वधनापहारे पञ्चानृतान्याहुरपातकानि ॥
पृष्टं तु साक्ष्ये प्रवदन्तमन्यथा
वदन्ति मिथ्या पतितं नरेन्द्र ।
अनृतं नानृतं स्त्रीषु परिहासविवाहयोः ।
आत्मप्राणार्थघाते च तदेवोत्तमतां व्रजेत् ॥
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].”