The Shastras declare “सत्य वद । धर्मं चर । स्वाध्यायान् मा प्रमदः ।” (Speak the Truth. Follow Dharma.
अहिंसा परमो धर्मः – Ahimsa is declared as the foremost Dharma. Ahimsa does not merely refer to refraining from physical harm. One should not hurt another’s feelings. Doing so constitutes sin.
When it comes to speaking the truth, it is unfortunate that some have the habit of lying at all times. Even lawyers express their inability to refrain from lying giving the excuse that lying helps them win a trial. However, let not people forget that this constitutes transgression of Dharma.
However, there are certain subtleties regarding speaking the truth –
सत्यं ब्रूयात् प्रियं ब्रूयात् न ब्रूयात् सत्यमप्रियम् ।
प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयात् एष धर्मः सनातनः ॥
Speak the truth. Speak sweetly. Avoid speaking the truth that hurts. Never speak a lie that is good to hear. This constitutes the eternal Dharma.
If you hide the fact that a friend of yours has failed in an examination and lie to him saying he has passed the examination with flying colors, that constitutes a sin. That is why it is said प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयात् – Never speak a lie that is good to hear. Similarly it is better to refrain from speaking the truth that hurts.
A man whose life was in danger by pursuing soldiers took shelter in a Rishi’s Ashram. When the soldiers came to the Rishi and enquired, the Rishi lied that such a man had not come. If the Rishi had spoken the truth, the innocent man would have lost his life. Hence speaking a lie in this scenario did not constitute a sin for the Rishi.
It is the general rule that you should not kill. However, it is the duty of a soldier in the military to kill his enemy in a battle. Even Arjuna who hesitated to fight his enemies just because they were his kith and kin, was instructed by Bhagavan that he was blessed to be in such a situation and must perform his duty.
यदृच्छया चोपपन्नं स्वर्गद्वारमपावृतम् ।
सुखिनः क्षत्रियाः पार्थ लभन्ते युद्धमीदृशम् ॥
The Shastras instruct us to engage in charity. Wealth has been bestowed upon us for engaging in charity and serving Bhagavan. How can we keep quiet when we see a person suffering from the pangs of hunger? This does not mean you must engage in charity even when a drunkard asks for money.
Hence the subtleties in Dharma must be learnt by us and we must act accordingly.
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