Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 109, Shloka 12
सत्यधर्मप्रतिपादनम्
Rama’s Defense of Truth and Dharma in Reply to Jabali
उद्विजन्ते यथा सर्पान्नरादनृतवादिनः।धर्म स्सत्यं परो लोके मूलं स्वर्गस्य चोच्यते।।2.109.12।।
udvijante yathā sarpān narād anṛtavādinaḥ | dharmaḥ satyaṃ paro loke mūlaṃ svargasya cocyate ||
মানুহে যেনেকৈ সাপ দেখিলে ভয়তে আঁতৰি যায়, তেনেকৈ অনৃত-বচন কোৱা মানুহৰ পৰাও আঁতৰি থাকে। এই লোকত সত্যই পৰম ধৰ্ম, আৰু স্বৰ্গৰ মূলো সত্য বুলিয়েই কোৱা হয়।
People are frightened at the sight of a man speaking untruth as though they have seen a serpent. Truth in this world is the greatest virtue and is said to be the very foundation of heaven.
FAQs
Falsehood is socially and morally poisonous; truth is proclaimed the highest dharma and the foundational cause for attaining svarga.
Rāma warns against normalizing untruth by showing its natural social consequence—loss of trust and fear.
Trustworthiness: the capacity to be relied upon in speech and promise.