Shloka 186

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

Devanagari script

अनुकक्‍्त्वा तत्र ठद्वाच्यं सर्वे तेडनृूतवादिन: । जो कर्जदारको अपने अधीन करके उससे शारीरिक सेवा कराकर धन वसूल करना चाहता है

Transliteration

anukaktvā tatra tad vācyam sarve te 'nṛtavādinaḥ |

Translation

毗湿摩说：若在那种情形下，必须作证的人不说出本应说出的可说之真，那么他们全都成了说谎者。于追讨债务之事——尤其当有人意欲压服债户，并以役使其身来逼取偿还——凡证人于证词中隐匿本可陈述之真，皆负虚妄之过。

Word by Word

• अनुक्त्वा: having said / after saying
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु+वच्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage)

• तत्र: there; in that matter
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• तद्वाच्यम्: that which ought to be said
• तद्वाच्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद्+वाच्य
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular, यत्/ण्यत् (वाच्य = to be spoken)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• अनृतवादिनः: speakers of untruth; liars
• अनृतवादिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृतवादिन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A witness must state the truth that is fit to be spoken; withholding or distorting it makes one an anṛtavādin (liar). Ethical conduct in adjudication depends on truthful testimony.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma in the Shanti Parva, he discusses legal-ethical situations such as debt disputes and the role of witnesses, declaring that witnesses who do not speak the proper truth become false speakers.