Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

प्राणात्यये विवाहे च वक्तव्यमनृतं भवेत्‌

Transliteration

prāṇātyaye vivāhe ca vaktavyam anṛtaṃ bhavet

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Quand la vie est en péril, et aussi dans l’affaire du mariage, il peut devenir juste de dire ce qui n’est pas vrai.»

Word by Word

• प्राणात्यये: in danger of life / at the point of death
• प्राणात्यये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणात्यय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• विवाहे: in marriage (ceremony)
• विवाहे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वक्तव्यम्: to be spoken / should be said
• वक्तव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अनृतम्: untruth / falsehood
• अनृतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: may be / would be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma states an ethical exception: although truthfulness is a general dharma, in extreme situations—especially when a life must be saved, and in certain marriage-related contexts—speaking an untruth can be considered permissible.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma is laying out nuanced rules of conduct, explaining that moral duties are sometimes context-sensitive and that rigid truth-telling may yield to higher aims like protecting life or preserving socially sanctioned marital outcomes.