Shloka 64
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
सत्यमेकाक्षरं ब्रह्म सत्यमेकाक्षरं तप: । सत्यमेकाक्षरो यज्ञ: सत्यमेकाक्षरं श्रुतम्
satyam ekākṣaraṃ brahma satyam ekākṣaraṃ tapaḥ | satyam ekākṣaro yajñaḥ satyam ekākṣaraṃ śrutam ||
The Brāhmaṇa declares that Truth is the one imperishable syllable that is Brahman itself. Truth alone is the unfailing austerity; Truth alone is the enduring sacrifice; and Truth alone is the deathless sacred learning (śruti). In ethical terms, the verse elevates satya as the single, indestructible foundation of spiritual life and righteous conduct.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Satya (truth) is presented as the single imperishable essence underlying Brahman, austerity, sacrifice, and śruti; therefore truthfulness is not merely a moral rule but the very substance of spiritual realization and dharmic life.
In Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, a Brāhmaṇa speaker delivers a concise doctrinal statement, identifying ‘truth’ as the unchanging core of the highest metaphysical principle and of key religious practices (tapas, yajña, and Vedic learning).