Shloka 13
सत्यस्य वचन श्रेय: सत्यादपि हित॑ं वदेत् । यद् भूतहितमत्यन्तमेतत् सत्यं मतं मम,सत्य बोलना सबसे श्रेष्ठ है; परंतु सत्यसे भी श्रेष्ठ है हितकारक वचन बोलना। जिससे प्राणियोंका अत्यन्त हित होता हो, वही मेरे विचारसे सत्य है
satyasya vacanaṁ śreyaḥ satyād api hitaṁ vadet | yad bhūtahitam atyantam etat satyaṁ mataṁ mama ||
Disse Nārada: “Dizer a verdade é, de fato, o bem mais elevado; contudo, mais elevado do que a verdade nua é a palavra benéfica. Aquilo que traz o maior bem-estar aos seres vivos—isso, a meu ver, é o que verdadeiramente merece ser chamado de ‘verdade’.”
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.