सत्यं ब्रूयात्प्रियं ब्रूयान्न ब्रूयात्सत्यमप्रियं ।
प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयादेष धर्मः सनातनः ॥
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.”