FALSEHOOD- ANRUTAM-अनृतं

SUBHASHITHANI:237

अनृतं चाटुवादश्च धनयोगो महानयं ।
सत्यं वैदुष्यमित्येष योगो दारिद्र्यकारकः ॥Srimad Bhagavatham

anRutam chATuvAdashca dhanayogo mahAnayam ।
satyaM vaiduShyamityeSha yogo dAridryakArakaH ॥

In the times of kali (present age) deceit and sycophancy will earn you money. Truth and uprightness will lead you to poverty.

 पारुष्यं अनृतं चैव पैशुन्यं चापि सर्वतः I

असंपत्त प्रलापस्च वाङ्गमयं स्यात् चतुर्विदं II

Paarushyam anrutam chaiva paishunyam chaapi sarvatah I

Asampatta pralaapascha vaangmayam syaat chaturvidam II

Harsh words, falsehood, defamatory and illogical - these are the four sins

 committed by speech.

सत्यमेव जयते नानृतं सत्येन पन्था विततो देवयानः ।
येनाक्रमन्त्यृषयो ह्याप्तकामा यत्र तत् सत्यस्य परमं निधानम् ॥ Mundaka 3.1.6

satyameva jayate nānṛtaṃ satyena panthā vitato devayānaḥ | 

yenākramantyṛṣayo hyāptakāmā yatra tat satyasya paramaṃ nidhānam || 

Truth alone triumphs not Untruth. Truth lets Devayana-named path spread out by which Sages, free from all desires, reach there where Truth has its absolute Abode.

अक्रोधेन जयेत् क्रोधम् असाधुं  साधुना जयेत् ।
जयेत् कदर्यं दानेन जयेत् सत्येन चानृतम् ॥- महाभारत, उद्योगपर्व

Anger is won over with calmness (without anger); the wicked  are won with virtuosity; a miser is won by charity; lies are won over with truth.

क्रोधात्कामार्थहेतोर्वा न ब्रूयुरनृतं वच: । 

तेषामविदितं किञ्चित्स्वेषु नास्ति परेषु वा ।

क्रियमाणं कृतं वापि चारेणापि चिकीर्षितम् ।।Ramayana -1.7.7

Either in anger or for pecuniary gains or for fulfillment of desire, they never uttered an untrue or unjust word. In the midst of their own people or among their enemies, they knew, through spies everything being done or had been done or intended to be done in future. ।।

शुचीनामेकबुद्धीनां सर्वेषां सम्प्रजानताम् ।
नासीत्पुरे वा राष्ट्रे वा मृषावादी नर: क्वचित् ।।Ramayana -1.7.12

While the ministers of chaste conduct administered the kingdom with unanimous

 decisions, there was no one who was a liar, either in the city or in the kingdom. 
नचानृतकथो विद्वान् वृद्धानां प्रतिपूजकः।

अनुरक्तः प्रजाभिश्च प्रजाश्चाप्यनुरञ्जते।।2.1.14।।

Rama never told lies. He was a learned man. He honoured elders by going forward to them. He loved his subjects as much as his subjects loved him. 

( Above three slokas describe the quality of people and administration in Ayodhya. The importance of avoiding  falsehood is stressed again and again. ) 

धर्मो जयति नाधर्मः सत्यं जयति नानृतम् ।
क्षमा जयति न क्रोधो विष्णुर्जयति नासुरः ॥

Justice wins, not injustice; Truth wins, not falsehood; Patience wins, not anger;

 Sri Maha Vishnu wins, not devilish forces.

 Prasna Uttara Ratna Malika - Adi Sankara

को न प्रत्येतव्य :?    ( ko na pratyethavya: )

 ‘Who is not to be trusted?’

 The answer is

ब्रूते यश्च अनृतं शश्वत् I     ( brute yascha anrutham shasvath )

 ‘one who as a rule utters lies’.

In the next verse (47), one of the questions is

कुत्र अनृतेपि अपापं ?    ( kutra anrutopi  apaapam ?  )

 ‘on what occasions even a lie is sinless?’

यच्चोक्तं धर्म रक्षार्थं  I    ( yaschoktham  dharma  rakshartham.  )

 ‘That which is uttered for the sake of protecting righteousness (Dharma)’.

One should not harm anyone while telling a truth and one can tell a lie if it can bring some good to someone.

பொய்மையும் வாய்மை யிடத்த புரைதீர்ந்த
நன்மை பயக்கும் எனின்.  Kural: 292

Even falsehood has the nature of truth, if it confer an unmixed good .

 न नर्मयुक्तं वचनं हिनस्ति   न स्त्रीषु राजन्न विवाहकाले ।

प्राणात्यये सर्वधनापहारे      पञ्चानृतान्याहुरपातकानि ॥

na narmayuktam vacanam hinasti    na striishu raajan na vivaahakaale |

praanaatyaye sarvadhanaapahaare    pancaanrtaanyaahurapaatakaani ||

One does not incur sin by telling lies in these five circumstances: 1.While making fun, 2. Talking to one’s own wife, 3. For saving a marriage, 4. When one’s life is at stake, 5. When there is threat of one’s whole property being usurped.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH