Shloka 153

Satya–Anṛta Viveka (Discrimination between Truth and Falsehood) | सत्य–अनृत विवेकः

Devanagari script

श्रेयस्तत्रानृतं वक्तुं सत्यादिति विचारितम्‌ | यदि न बतानेसे उस धनीका बचाव हो जाता हो तो किसी तरह वहाँ कुछ बोले ही नहीं; परंतु यदि बोलना अनिवार्य हो जाय और न बोलनेसे लुटेरोंके मनमें संदेह पैदा होने लगे तो वहाँ सत्य बोलनेकी अपेक्षा झूठ बोलनेमें ही कल्याण है; यही इस विषयमें विचारपूर्वक निर्णय किया गया है

Transliteration

śreyas tatrānṛtaṁ vaktuṁ satyād iti vicāritam |

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : En une telle situation, après mûre délibération, on a conclu qu’il est plus salutaire de dire une contre-vérité que de dire la vérité. Lorsque la vérité exposerait un homme riche au péril—par exemple à être saisi par des brigands—et que le silence est impossible parce qu’il éveillerait le soupçon, alors un mensonge de protection est tenu pour la voie la meilleure selon le dharma.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'śreyas', 'definition': 'the better good

• what is more beneficial or conducive to welfare'}, {'term': 'tatra', 'definition': 'there

• in that situation/context'}, {'term': 'anṛtam', 'definition': 'untruth

• false statement (as opposed to satya)'}, {'term': 'vaktum', 'definition': 'to speak

• to say'}, {'term': 'satyāt', 'definition': 'than truth

• from/compared to truth'}, {'term': 'iti', 'definition': 'thus

• in this manner (marking the conclusion/quotation)'}, {'term': 'vicāritam', 'definition': 'considered, deliberated, decided after reflection'}]

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When truth-telling would directly cause harm, and silence is not a viable option, dharma may favor a protective untruth; the criterion is śreyas—what best preserves welfare and prevents injury.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma in the Shanti Parva, he addresses a practical ethical case: if speaking the truth would enable wrongdoers (e.g., robbers) to harm a person, then after deliberation it is deemed better to speak a falsehood rather than facilitate harm through truth.