Spirituality
The Value of Truth – सत्यं वद
Published On: September 9, 2023
, Updated on : February 22, 2024
Truth is the foundation for a fair and just society. In court, a witness is required to take an oath that “I swear by Almighty God that what I shall say and what evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth“ because only that way can justice be delivered.
Fully truthful people are rare in today’s society and are an important and valuable commodity. People who tell the truth are drawn to other honest-speaking people. Being honest can bring you better quality friends and acquaintances. But, firstly we have to be truthful and honest.
There are so many common maxims in Indian philosophy and culture that emphasize the importance of truth, honesty, integrity, and moral responsibility in one’s actions and words. like; “Satyam Vada, Dharmam Chara“(Speak the truth, follow righteousness), “Satyamev Jayate“(Truth alone triumphs), “Satyan nasti paro dharma” (There is no greater Dharma than truth) and many more sutras and shlokas are there to strengthen every mankind’s dedication towards truth.
Sometimes even speaking the truth can cause harm to someone, then the lie told at the time will also be counted as the truth. For example, If a hunter is following a cow and comes to a crossroad, where you are standing. He asks you for the direction where the cow went. At that time if you tell the truth, he will follow that way to kill the innocent cow. your truth will take the life of that cow. At that time you should not hesitate to tell a lie to save the cow. the lie you will tell will be the lifesaver for Mother Cow,
For circumstances like these, many times our elder swamiji shree Devprasaddasji swami used to tell this shloka of Mahabharata( 3.203.42) in his preaching. that shloka is
सत्यस्य वचनं श्रेयः सत्यं ज्ञानं हितं भवेत् ।
यद्भूतहितमत्यन्तं तद्वै सत्यं परं मतम् ॥ ४२ ॥
It is good to speak the truth, knowledge of the truth will do good to us, only that truth should be spoken which will benefit and bring welfare to more lives. it is the ultimate truth according to me (Naradji). (42)
previously spoken lies encourage us to speak the lie at all times. Because we already had the benefit of it when we told it to someone, but it doesn’t mean that every time we will be in benefit, sometimes it will take all your previous benefit together with. One should always be all the time honest and transparent in his words and actions, even if it may be difficult or uncomfortable. By speaking the truth, we can build trust with others and create a foundation for strong relationships.
Truth and Righteousness are the stepping stones to human greatness. in any circumstances do not give up Truth. It is the teaching of most of the scriptures. Truthtelling treats people with dignity. To tell someone the truth is a measure of respect. while it is missing when someone lies.
King Harischandra, who gave up his kingdom, wife and son and even chose to serve at the crematorium, is the supreme example of one who stood for Truth.
Sage Vishwamitra, who has given Harischandra the most severe tests and ordeals, ultimately declared: “The whole earth can be held in the palm of one’s hand. The entire ocean can be drunk in one gulp. The earth and the sky can be rolled into one. But it is impossible to make Harischandra utter a lie.”
Through Truth not only can the world be subdued, but it is possible even to realize a spiritual power within himself and one can even carve his way to salvation. Today in our country, because people have given up Truth and Righteousness, they are not able to achieve unity and all kinds of divisions have developed. You have to dedicate yourselves to Truth. In the cause of upholding the truth, Bhagwan Shree Ram had to go as an exile to the forest. shree Ram told the sage Jabali: “For rulers in the Ikshvaku dynasty, the greatest calamity is going back from words uttered.“
There was a furious fight going on between Ashwathama and Arjun. Meanwhile, Ashwathama shoots Brahmastra at Uttara’s (Arjun’s son Abhimanyu’s wife) womb with the intention of killing the upcoming generation of Pandavas and finishing the Kuru clan.
After a few months, a boy was born from the womb of Uttara, But the child died as soon as it came out of the womb. Seeing the child dead, All started crying. The sea of sorrow overflowed. This child was the only one who was the successor of the Kuru dynasty, but unfortunately, he also died. Kunti, Draupadi, Subhadra and all drowned in the ocean of great sorrow. Hearing the news of the birth of a dead child from Uttara’s womb, Lord Krishna immediately reached there with Satyaki. After Hearing them cry over there, his heart was also filled with tears. Subhadra and Draupadi had never cried so much for the sons who died in the war as they were crying about the death of that newborn child.
On seeing Shree Krishna, she fell at his feet and said crying – ‘Oh Janardan!! You had promised that this child would not be killed by Brahmastra and would live sixty years of religious life. But this child is lying dead. This is the child of your grandson Abhimanyu. Give life to this child’.
Shree Krishna consoled everyone and immediately went to that dead boy. Uttara had fainted due to over-crushing her son’s death. At the same time, Draupadi also came there and started saying – ‘O Kalyani! In front of you is the life-giver of the world, Shree Krishna, your father-in-law. Get conscious and wake up.’
shree Krishna said – ‘Daughter! Do not grieve, your son is still alive. I have never told a lie in my life. I have made a promise in front of everyone, it will definitely be fulfilled. I have protected this child of yours in the womb, so how can I let him die now.’
Having said this, Shree Krishna looked at the child and said – ‘If I have never lied, have always followed the rules of celibacy, have never shown my back in war, I have never committed unrighteousness even by mistake. If there is, then this dead child of Abhimanyu should come alive.‘ As soon as he said this, the child started crying while waving his hands and feet. All the women over there were surprised to see this amazing work of Shree Krishna. Shree Krishna named that child Parikshit.
Benefits Of Telling The Truth
Overall, speaking no lies is a powerful virtue that everyone must have. There is much importance on truthfulness, honesty and ethical behaviour in our personal and professional lives. By speaking the truth and following our moral principles, we can live a life that is guided by integrity and make a positive impact on the world. If a work colleague or society is aware that you are not always truthful, they will not be able to trust you. If your colleague believes you are an honest person and to be trusted, friendship, information, and opportunities are more likely to flow your way.
Conclusion
So, let us make ourselves ready to speak the truth in every situation and try to please Bhagwan Swaminarayan and saints with truthfulness. We will try to convey to society that we, the Gurukulites are always in the favour of truth and we will never bear lies.