12.156
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
satyaṃ dharme praśaṃsanti viprarṣipitṛdevatāḥ। satyamicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ tanme brūhi pitāmaha ॥12-156-1॥
Brāhmaṇas, sages, ancestors, and deities praise truth in righteousness. I wish to hear about truth; tell that to me, O grandsire.
satyaṃ kiṃlakṣaṇaṃ rājan kathaṃ vā tad avāpyate। satyaṃ prāpya bhavet kiṃ ca kathaṃ caiva tad ucyate ॥12-156-2॥
O king, what is the characteristic of truth, how is it attained, and what happens when truth is attained? How, indeed, is that described?
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
cāturvarṇyasya dharmāṇāṃ saṅkaro na praśasyate। avikāritamaṃ satyaṃ sarvavarṇeṣu bhārata ॥12-156-3॥
O Bhārata, the intermingling of the duties of the four varṇas is not approved. The unaltered truth should be upheld among all varṇas.
satyaṃ satsu sadā dharmaḥ satyaṃ dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ। satyameva namasyeta satyaṃ hi paramā gatiḥ ॥12-156-4॥
Truth is always righteousness among the virtuous; truth is the eternal righteousness. One should indeed worship only truth, for truth is truly the highest goal.
satyaṃ dharmastapo yogaḥ satyaṃ brahma sanātanam। satyaṃ yajñaḥ paraḥ proktaḥ satye sarvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam ॥12-156-5॥
Truth is righteousness, austerity, and union; truth is the eternal Brahman. Truth is declared as the supreme sacrifice; upon truth all is established.
ācārāniha satyasya yathāvad-anupūrvaśaḥ। lakṣaṇaṃ ca pravakṣyāmi satyasy-eha yathākramam ॥12-156-6॥
Here, I will explain the conducts of truth as they are, in proper sequence, and also the characteristics of truth in due order.
prāpyate hi yathā satyaṃ tacca śrotuṃ tvamarhasi। satyaṃ trayodaśavidhaṃ sarvalokeṣu bhārata ॥12-156-7॥
O Bhārata, as truth is attained, you are indeed worthy to hear about it. Truth is of thirteen kinds in all worlds.
satyaṃ ca samatā caiva damaścaiva na saṃśayaḥ। amātsaryaṃ kṣamā caiva hrīstiti kṣānasūyatā ॥12-156-8॥
Truth, equanimity, self-restraint, absence of doubt, absence of envy, forgiveness, modesty, forbearance, and absence of fault-finding are virtues.
tyāgo dhyānam athāryatvaṃ dhṛtiś ca satataṃ sthirā | ahiṃsā caiva rājendra satyākārās trayodaśa ||12-156-9||
O King, renunciation, meditation, nobility, steadfastness, constant firmness, non-violence, and so on—these are the thirteen forms of truth.
satyaṃ nāmāvyayaṃ nityam avikāri tathaiva ca। sarvadharmāviruddhaṃ ca yogenaitad avāpyate ॥12-156-10॥
Truth is indeed imperishable, eternal, and unchanging; it is not opposed to all dharmas, and this is attained by yoga.
ātmaniṣṭe tathāniṣṭe ripau ca samatā tathā। icchādveṣakṣayaṃ prāpya kāmakrodhakṣayaṃ tathā ॥12-156-11॥
One should maintain equanimity towards oneself, towards what is desired and undesired, and even towards an enemy; having achieved the destruction of desire and aversion, and likewise the destruction of desire and anger.
damo nānyaspṛhā nityaṃ dhairyaṃ gāmbhīryameva ca। abhayaṃ krodhaśamanaṃ jñānenaitadavāpyate ॥12-156-12॥
Self-restraint, absence of desire for others' possessions, constant fortitude, and true gravity; fearlessness and pacification of anger—these are attained through knowledge.
amātsaryaṃ budhāḥ prāhur dānaṃ dharme ca saṃyamam। avasthitena nityaṃ ca satyenāmatsarī bhavet ॥12-156-13॥
The wise declare that absence of envy is true generosity; in the practice of dharma and self-restraint, one who is steadfast and always truthful should remain free from envy.
akṣamāyāḥ kṣamāyāś ca priyāṇīhāpriyāṇi ca। kṣamate sarvataḥ sādhuḥ sādhvāpnōti ca satyavān ॥12-156-14॥
Both the unforgiving and the forgiving encounter pleasant and unpleasant things here; the virtuous person forgives everything, the good attains, and the truthful prevails.
kalyāṇaṃ kurute gāḍhaṃ hrīmān na ślāghate kvacit। praśāntavāṅmanā nityaṃ hrīs tu dharmād avāpyate ॥12-156-15॥
A truly modest person does good deeds steadfastly and never boasts. One whose words and mind are always calm—such modesty is attained only through dharma.
dharmārthahetoḥ kṣamate titikṣā kṣāntir ucyate। lokasaṅgrahaṇārthaṃ tu sā tu dhairyeṇa labhyate ॥12-156-16॥
Forbearance is called that which endures for the sake of righteousness; but for the welfare of the world, such forbearance is attained through courage.
tyāgaḥ snehasya yastyāgo viṣayāṇāṃ tathaiva ca। rāgadveṣaprahīṇasya tyāgo bhavati nānyathā ॥12-156-17॥
Only the renunciation of sense-objects and attachments by one who is free from both attachment and aversion is true renunciation; otherwise, it is not so.
āryatā nāma bhūtānāṃ yaḥ karoti prayatnataḥ। śubhaṃ karma nirākāro vītarāgatvameva ca ॥12-156-18॥
Nobility is defined as that which one performs with effort: auspicious deeds, formlessness, and true dispassion.
dhṛtir nāma sukhe duḥkhe yathā nāpnoti vikriyām। tāṃ bhajeta sadā prājño ya icched bhūtim ātmanaḥ ॥12-156-19॥
Steadfastness is that which does not undergo change in happiness or sorrow; the wise man who desires his own prosperity should always cultivate that.
sarvathā kṣamiṇā bhāvyaṃ tathā satyapareṇa ca। vītaharṣabhayakrodho dhṛtimāpnoti paṇḍitaḥ ॥12-156-20॥
A wise person should always be forgiving and devoted to truth; being free from delight, fear, and anger, such a person attains steadfastness.
adrohaḥ sarvabhūteṣu karmaṇā manasā girā। anugrahaś ca dānaṃ ca satāṃ dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ॥12-156-21॥
The eternal duty of the virtuous is to be free from hostility towards all beings in action, thought, and speech, and to practice kindness and charity.
ete trayodaśākārāḥ pṛthak satyaika lakṣaṇāḥ। bhajante satyam eva iha bṛṃhayanti ca bhārata॥12-156-22॥
O Bhārata, these thirteen forms, each with the single characteristic of truth, separately partake of truth alone here and also cause it to flourish.
nāntaḥ śakyo guṇānāṃ hi vaktuṃ satyasya bhārata। ataḥ satyaṃ praśaṃsanti viprāḥ sapitṛdevatāḥ ॥12-156-23॥
O Bhārata, the end of the qualities of truth cannot indeed be spoken; therefore, the sages, together with the ancestors and gods, praise truth.
nāsti satyāt paro dharmo nānṛtāt pātakaṃ param। sthitir hi satyaṃ dharmasya tasmāt satyaṃ na lopayet ॥12-156-24॥
There is no dharma greater than truth, nor any sin greater than falsehood. Truth is indeed the foundation of dharma; therefore, one should never abandon the truth.
upaiti satyāddānaṃ hi tathā yajñāḥ sadakṣiṇāḥ। vratāgnihotraṃ vedāśca ye cānye dharmaniścayāḥ ॥12-156-25॥
Indeed, gifts that arise from truth, as well as sacrifices with proper gifts, vows, Agnihotra, the Vedas, and all other determinations of dharma, are attained.
aśvamedhasahasraṃ ca satyaṃ ca tulayā dhṛtam। aśvamedhasahasrāddhi satyamevātiricyate ॥12-156-26॥
When a thousand horse sacrifices and truth are weighed in a balance, truth alone is found to surpass even a thousand horse sacrifices.
