Shloka 20
Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
सत्यस्य वचन श्रेय: सत्यज्ञानं तु दुष्करम् । यद् भूतहितमत्यन्तमेतत् सत्य॑ ब्रवीम्पहम्
satyasya vacanaṁ śreyaḥ satyajñānaṁ tu duṣkaram | yad bhūtahitam atyantam etat satyaṁ bravīmy aham ||
Mengucapkan kebenaran memang membawa kebaikan; namun mengetahui kebenaran yang sejati itu sulit. Apa pun yang sepenuhnya demi kesejahteraan semua makhluk—itulah yang aku nyatakan sebagai ‘kebenaran’.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Nārada distinguishes between merely speaking truth and truly knowing what ‘truth’ is. He frames truth in ethical terms: that is ‘truth’ which most fully promotes the welfare of all beings (bhūtahita).
In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Nārada is instructing on dharma and right conduct. Here he offers a criterion for ‘truth’ grounded in universal welfare, emphasizing the difficulty of genuine discernment (satyajñāna).