पराणात्यये विवाहे च वक्तव्यम अनृतं भवेत ।
अनृतं च भवेत सत्यं सत्यं चैवानृतं भवेत ॥
यद्भूतहितमत्यन्तं तत्सत्यमिति धारणा ।
विपर्ययकृतॊऽधर्मः पश्य धर्मस्य सूक्ष्मताम ॥
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.”
Commentary
The application in context is that conduct whereby animals are helped is proper conduct (dharma) and any action that harms them is adharma.”