राजधर्मानुशासन पर्व — असत्यमाथि सत्यको श्रेष्ठता

Yudhishthira said How, O Bharata, should a person act who wishes to follow virtue? O foremost of Bharata's race, learned as you are, enlighten me on the question put by me.

Truth and falsehood exist, all over the world. Which of these two, O king, should a virtuous person follow.

What again is truth? What is falsehood? What, again, is eternal virtue? When should a person tell the truth, and when should he tell an untruth?

Bhishma said s To tell the truth is righteous. There is nothing higher than truth. I shall now, O Bharata, tell you what men do not know generally.

There, where falsehood prevails as truth, truth should not be said. There, again, where truth passes for falsehood, even falsehood should be said.

That ignorant person commits sin, who says truth which is not righteous. That person is a master of duties who can distinguish truth from untruth.

Even a person, who is disreputable, who is of impure soul, and who is very truthless, may succeed in acquiring great merit as the hunter Balaka by killing the blind beast.

How extraordinary it is that a foolish person though desirous of winning merit still perpetrated a sinful deed! An owl, again, living on the banks of the Ganges, acquired great merit.

The question you have put to me a difficult one, because it is difficult to say what is righteousness. It is not easy to describe it. No one describing righteousness, can describe it accurately.

Righteousness was declared for the aggrandisement and growth of all creatures. Therefore, what brings on advancement and growth is righteousness.

Righteousness was declared for preventing creatures from injuring one another. Therefore, Righteousness is that which prevents injury to creatures.

Righteousness is also so called because it maintains all creatures. In fact, all creatures are kept up Righteousness, Therefore, Righteousness is what is capable of upholding all creatures.

Some say that Righteousness is the injunction of the Shrutis. Others do not agree to this. I would into blame them that say so. Everything, again, has not been described in the Shrutis.

Sometimes men, desirous of getting hold of the wealth of some one, make enquiries. One should never answer such enquiries. That is settled duty.

If by becoming silent, one succeeds in escaping, one should remain silent, If, however, one's silence at a time when one must speak creates suspicion, it would be better then to say what is untrue than what is true. This is right conclusion. If one can escape from sinful men by an oath, one may take it without committing sin.

One should not, even if he is able, give away his wealth to sinful men. Wealth given to sinful men assails even the giver.

If a creditor wishes to take from his debtor a payment of the load by bodily service, the witnesses would all perjure, it, summoned by the creditor for establishing the truth of the agreement, they did not say what should be said. When life is in danger, or on occasions of marriage, one may say an untruth.

One, who seeks for virtue, does not commit a sin by saying a falsehood, if it be said to save the wealth and prosperity of others, or for religious purposes.

Having promised to pay, one is bound to satisfy his promise, If failing, the selfappropriator must be forcibly enslaved. If a person without satisfying a fair engagement acts improperly, he should, forsooth, be punished with the rod of punishment for behaving thus. Deviating from all duties and abandoning those of his own order, a deceitful person always wishes to follow the conduct of Asuras for maintaining life.

Such a sinful wight living by deceit should be killed by all means. Such sinful creatures do not see anything in this world superior to wealth.

Such men should never be tolerated. No one should eat with them. They should be considered as degraded for their sins. Indeed, degraded from the status of humanity and shut out from the grace of the gods, they are even like evil genie.

Abandon their companionship who do not perform sacrifices and penances. If their wealth be lost, they commit even suicide which is highly pitiable.

Of those sinful men there is none to whom you can say, This is your duty. Let your heart be to it!-Their firm belief is that there is nothing in this world which is equal to wealth.

The person that would kill such a creature would commit no sin. He, who slays him, slays one that has been already killed by his own acts. If killed, it is the dead that is killed.

He, who promises to kill those persons of lost senses, should keep his promise. Such sinners are like the crow and the vulture who live by deceit. When their bodies are dissolved, they are born again as crows and vultures.

One should treat another as the latter does him. A deceitful person should be thwarted with deceit, while an honest man should be treated with honesty.