Shloka 20
कालयुक्तधर्मविवेकः
Discerning Dharma in Accord with Time
वृत्त्यर्थ धर्महेतोर्वा कामकारात् तथैव च । अनृतं ये न भाषन्ते ते नरा: स्वर्गगामिन:,जो आजीविका अथवा धर्मके लिये तथा स्वेच्छाचारसे भी कभी असत्य भाषण नहीं करते हैं, वे मनुष्य स्वर्गगामी होते हैं
vṛttyarthaṃ dharmahetor vā kāmakārāt tathaiva ca | anṛtaṃ ye na bhāṣante te narāḥ svargagāminaḥ ||
Dijo Śrī Maheśvara: Quienes no pronuncian falsedad—ya sea por el sustento, o aun bajo el pretexto del dharma, o por mero deseo caprichoso—tales hombres quedan destinados al cielo.
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truthfulness in speech is presented as an uncompromising virtue: one should not utter falsehood even for livelihood, even when rationalized as serving dharma, or when driven by personal desire. Such steadfast commitment to truth is said to lead to heavenly attainment.
Śrī Maheśvara (Śiva) is delivering a moral instruction within Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic discourse, emphasizing the ethical discipline of speech and the spiritual consequence (svarga) promised to those who refrain from falsehood under all common pressures.