TELLING THE TRUTH ALWAYS
In our scriptures, repeated stress is laid on speaking the truth always. Our national motto is Satyameva Jayate (Truth only succeeds). In Mahabharata, we have heard of Dharmaraj, the eldest amongst Pandavas, who always spoke the truth, but, once in life he told a lie and, therefore, had to spend few hours in hell. Sai Baba was always practical and realistic in His teachings. He never told His devotees by words not to tell a lie and speak the truth always. But, the devotees knew that Sai Baba was Antardnyani (knew the secrets of every being's heart) and would certainly catch them, if they told a lie, hence, they dared not to speak untruth in His presence. Hemadpant in his original Marathi Shri Sai Satcharita rightly says:
Asatya chalena Sainprati /
Asatyen nahin Sainchi prapti /
Asatyen janen adhogati /
Antin durgati asatye //
Adhyay 38, 138
(Untruth does not work before Sai and Sai cannot be procured with untruth. Untruth means downfall. Untruth in the end takes you to hell.)
Khote sanguni bhagena kaj /
Sai Maharaj sarvasakshi //
Adhyay 51, 159
(Success is not possible by telling a lie. Sai Baba is omniscient.)
However, there are some instances in Sai Baba's life, where Sai Baba Himself has told lies. In Ch. 27, Sai Baba wanted to give one Ramdasi's Vishnu-Sahasra-Nama (a book, giving a thousand names of Vishnu and held second in importance to Bhagwat Geeta) to His devotee Shama for initiating him in its recitation. So, He called Ramdasi and told him a lie, that He was suffering from intense stomach-pain and asked him to go to the bazaar and bring some sonamukhi (a mild purgative drug). When Ramdasi went to bazaar, Sai Baba got up from His seat, picked up the copy of Vishnu-Sahasra-Nama and gave it to Shama-although he was not willing to take it.
Similarly, in Ch. 33 for reaching Udi and Arati urgently for the safe delivery of Nanasaheb Chandorkar's daughter at Jamner, Sai Baba Himself look the form of tonga-driver and told a lie to Bapugir, that the tonga and the refreshments also was sent by Nanasaheb Chandorkar himself from Jamner.
Now, how do we interpret such acts? Firstly, the saints do not have to bear the consequences of their acts - whether good or bad, since the saints do not claim the doership of these acts to themselves. Secondly, even if such acts are sinful, the saints are prepared to bear their consequences for the sake of their devotees. In the first instance, Sai Baba wanted to favour His devotee Shama with some religious practice and hence, He enacted this drama. Normal advice by words would not have been that effective. In the second instance, Sai Baba wanted to respond to Nanasaheb Chandorkar's fervent prayers to save the life of his pregnant daughter Mainatai, who was having severe labour pains and not delivering at Jamner. In this case, there was urgency to reach Udi and Arati more than 100 miles away and that too in the night. Hence, not only Baba prompted Bapugir to go to his native place at that odd hour but helped him to reach Jamner from Jalgaon Railway station in a tonga by even speaking all sorts of lies to convince Bapugir. Thus, saints would do anything to favour their devotees or to help them in their calamities. Haven't we heard a number of instances, where saints have taken on themselves serious and painful diseases of their devotees and suffered them willingly!
Sai Baba Himself in Ch. 7 had taken on Himself four fully-developed bubos of Dadasaheb Khaparde's young son and suffered them. How then saints would ever hesitate to perform sinful acts for the sake of their devotees and suffer the consequences if any?
Telling the truth - nothing but the truth - sometimes becomes problematic in everyday life. Now-a-days there is a shortage of change, while travelling in a bus or rickshaw. The conductor or the rickshaw-driver always demands the exact amount saying he has no change. Now, even if we have the change, we would need it for the return journey. So, we are tempted to tell a lie, since telling the conductor or rickshaw-driver, that we need the change for return journey will not work, and thus telling the truth will end in serious difficulties on our return journey. Actually, the conductor or the rickshaw-driver himself, many a times, bluffs, that he has no change. So, what should we do? Follow the principle of 'Satyam Vad' (Tell the truth always) or not?
Another instance is our grandsons asking for blank papers for drawing pictures. Normally, once or twice we can always spare. But, when our stock is coming to an end, what do we tell them? If we give away every paper from our stock, there would be a problem of getting it from the market in this our old age. If we tell the grandson that there is no paper left with us, we transgress the principle of truth. Then, how should we add?
From the above discussion, personally my views are as follows. One must always speak the truth. Never tell a lie - at least not for one's own self-interest. However, sometimes for the benefit of others. There is no harm in sometimes telling a little lie. For example, if telling some sad news is likely to shock a person, there is no harm in telling a lie that such a thing has not happened or that we do not know about it. Similarly, if somebody has offered with love and care some food and even if it is not relished by us, will it not be wiser to praise the food smilingly rather than bluntly telling the truth and hurting the feelings of that person! Such acts are even supported by our scriptures:
Satyasya vachanam shreyaha
satyadapi hitam vadeta!
Yadbhutahitmatyamanta
metatsatyam matam mama//
- Mahabharata, Shanti Parva
(Telling the truth is good, but telling what is beneficial to others is better. In my opinion, what results in the ultimate welfare of all beings, is the real truth.)
Satyam bruyat priyam bruyat na bruyat satyampriyam !!34!!
- Manusmruli, Adhyay 4
(One should speak the truth and speak what is pleasing and agreeable to others. Never speak the truth, which is not pleasing and agreeable to others.)
In our scriptures, repeated stress is laid on speaking the truth always. Our national motto is Satyameva Jayate (Truth only succeeds). In Mahabharata, we have heard of Dharmaraj, the eldest amongst Pandavas, who always spoke the truth, but, once in life he told a lie and, therefore, had to spend few hours in hell. Sai Baba was always practical and realistic in His teachings. He never told His devotees by words not to tell a lie and speak the truth always. But, the devotees knew that Sai Baba was Antardnyani (knew the secrets of every being's heart) and would certainly catch them, if they told a lie, hence, they dared not to speak untruth in His presence. Hemadpant in his original Marathi Shri Sai Satcharita rightly says:
Asatya chalena Sainprati /
Asatyen nahin Sainchi prapti /
Asatyen janen adhogati /
Antin durgati asatye //
Adhyay 38, 138
(Untruth does not work before Sai and Sai cannot be procured with untruth. Untruth means downfall. Untruth in the end takes you to hell.)
Khote sanguni bhagena kaj /
Sai Maharaj sarvasakshi //
Adhyay 51, 159
(Success is not possible by telling a lie. Sai Baba is omniscient.)
However, there are some instances in Sai Baba's life, where Sai Baba Himself has told lies. In Ch. 27, Sai Baba wanted to give one Ramdasi's Vishnu-Sahasra-Nama (a book, giving a thousand names of Vishnu and held second in importance to Bhagwat Geeta) to His devotee Shama for initiating him in its recitation. So, He called Ramdasi and told him a lie, that He was suffering from intense stomach-pain and asked him to go to the bazaar and bring some sonamukhi (a mild purgative drug). When Ramdasi went to bazaar, Sai Baba got up from His seat, picked up the copy of Vishnu-Sahasra-Nama and gave it to Shama-although he was not willing to take it.
Similarly, in Ch. 33 for reaching Udi and Arati urgently for the safe delivery of Nanasaheb Chandorkar's daughter at Jamner, Sai Baba Himself look the form of tonga-driver and told a lie to Bapugir, that the tonga and the refreshments also was sent by Nanasaheb Chandorkar himself from Jamner.
Now, how do we interpret such acts? Firstly, the saints do not have to bear the consequences of their acts - whether good or bad, since the saints do not claim the doership of these acts to themselves. Secondly, even if such acts are sinful, the saints are prepared to bear their consequences for the sake of their devotees. In the first instance, Sai Baba wanted to favour His devotee Shama with some religious practice and hence, He enacted this drama. Normal advice by words would not have been that effective. In the second instance, Sai Baba wanted to respond to Nanasaheb Chandorkar's fervent prayers to save the life of his pregnant daughter Mainatai, who was having severe labour pains and not delivering at Jamner. In this case, there was urgency to reach Udi and Arati more than 100 miles away and that too in the night. Hence, not only Baba prompted Bapugir to go to his native place at that odd hour but helped him to reach Jamner from Jalgaon Railway station in a tonga by even speaking all sorts of lies to convince Bapugir. Thus, saints would do anything to favour their devotees or to help them in their calamities. Haven't we heard a number of instances, where saints have taken on themselves serious and painful diseases of their devotees and suffered them willingly!
Sai Baba Himself in Ch. 7 had taken on Himself four fully-developed bubos of Dadasaheb Khaparde's young son and suffered them. How then saints would ever hesitate to perform sinful acts for the sake of their devotees and suffer the consequences if any?
Telling the truth - nothing but the truth - sometimes becomes problematic in everyday life. Now-a-days there is a shortage of change, while travelling in a bus or rickshaw. The conductor or the rickshaw-driver always demands the exact amount saying he has no change. Now, even if we have the change, we would need it for the return journey. So, we are tempted to tell a lie, since telling the conductor or rickshaw-driver, that we need the change for return journey will not work, and thus telling the truth will end in serious difficulties on our return journey. Actually, the conductor or the rickshaw-driver himself, many a times, bluffs, that he has no change. So, what should we do? Follow the principle of 'Satyam Vad' (Tell the truth always) or not?
Another instance is our grandsons asking for blank papers for drawing pictures. Normally, once or twice we can always spare. But, when our stock is coming to an end, what do we tell them? If we give away every paper from our stock, there would be a problem of getting it from the market in this our old age. If we tell the grandson that there is no paper left with us, we transgress the principle of truth. Then, how should we add?
From the above discussion, personally my views are as follows. One must always speak the truth. Never tell a lie - at least not for one's own self-interest. However, sometimes for the benefit of others. There is no harm in sometimes telling a little lie. For example, if telling some sad news is likely to shock a person, there is no harm in telling a lie that such a thing has not happened or that we do not know about it. Similarly, if somebody has offered with love and care some food and even if it is not relished by us, will it not be wiser to praise the food smilingly rather than bluntly telling the truth and hurting the feelings of that person! Such acts are even supported by our scriptures:
Satyasya vachanam shreyaha
satyadapi hitam vadeta!
Yadbhutahitmatyamanta
metatsatyam matam mama//
- Mahabharata, Shanti Parva
(Telling the truth is good, but telling what is beneficial to others is better. In my opinion, what results in the ultimate welfare of all beings, is the real truth.)
Satyam bruyat priyam bruyat na bruyat satyampriyam !!34!!
- Manusmruli, Adhyay 4
(One should speak the truth and speak what is pleasing and agreeable to others. Never speak the truth, which is not pleasing and agreeable to others.)
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