Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
सत्यमेकाक्षरं ब्रह्म सत्यमेकाक्षरं तप: । सत्यमेकाक्षरो यज्ञ: सत्यमेकाक्षरं श्रुतम्
satyam ekākṣaraṃ brahma satyam ekākṣaraṃ tapaḥ | satyam ekākṣaro yajñaḥ satyam ekākṣaraṃ śrutam ||
婆罗门宣示:真实是一字不坏之音节,真实即是梵(Brahman)本身。唯有真实是不失效的苦行;唯有真实是恒久的祭祀;唯有真实是无死的圣传(śruti)。就伦理而言,satya被举为灵性生活与正行之唯一、不可毁坏的根基。
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Satya (truth) is presented as the single imperishable essence underlying Brahman, austerity, sacrifice, and śruti; therefore truthfulness is not merely a moral rule but the very substance of spiritual realization and dharmic life.
In Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, a Brāhmaṇa speaker delivers a concise doctrinal statement, identifying ‘truth’ as the unchanging core of the highest metaphysical principle and of key religious practices (tapas, yajña, and Vedic learning).