Shloka 13
Nārāyaṇasya Guhya-nāmāni Niruktāni (Etymologies of Nārāyaṇa’s Secret Epithets) / नारायणस्य गुह्यनामानि निरुक्तानि
सत्यस्य वचन श्रेय: सत्यादपि हित॑ं वदेत् । यद् भूतहितमत्यन्तमेतत् सत्यं मतं मम
satyasya vacanaṁ śreyaḥ satyād api hitaṁ vadet | yad bhūtahitam atyantam etat satyaṁ mataṁ mama ||
Nārada dit : «Dire la vérité est certes le bien le plus élevé ; pourtant, plus haut encore que la vérité nue est la parole salutaire. Ce qui procure le plus grand bien aux êtres vivants—voilà, selon moi, ce qui mérite véritablement le nom de “vérité”.»
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truthfulness is praised, but Nārada prioritizes speech that genuinely benefits beings. If a factually true statement causes harm, dharma favors words that promote welfare; the highest ‘truth’ is aligned with the greatest good (bhūtahita).
In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse setting, Nārada delivers an ethical instruction about right speech, redefining ‘truth’ not as mere factual accuracy but as speech oriented toward the welfare of living beings.