Satya – truthfulness. Like all the Yamas, is prescribed by all religions. In yoga, this is an absolute vow that requires transforming one’s character. Here I will explain why Satya is such a deep practice.
Vyasa’s Definition
Vyasa, the first and foremost commentator of Patanjali, says (in his comment to Sutra II.30):
“Satya (truthfulness) is corresponding of speech and mind to fact, i.e., saying and thinking what has been seen, heard or inferred. Words uttered for the purpose of communicating one’s thoughts to others are true, provided they do not appear deceitful, delusive and meaningless to the listeners. The words should, however, be uttered not for inflicting harm on creatures, but for their benefit; because if they hurt others, they do not produce piety, as truth would, but only sin… Therefore, truthful words beneficial to all creatures should be uttered after careful consideration”
I am using Hariharananda Aranya’s translation
Absolute and Atomic Satya.
As for Ahimsa, Prashant Iyengar differentiates between Absolute Satya (Mahavrata—great or absolute vow) and Atomic Satya (Anuvrata—atomic vow)(See: Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali, Prashant Iyengar, published by RIMYI in 2014).
Prashant writes “For absolute Satya there should be truthfulness not only in the words uttered, but also in the mind. Truth must be without trick, deceit, deception, hoax, or vice, vile or imposture. The adherence must be honest, and there should be no riddle or enigma in truth, nor there should be any hindrance. The inner speech and the external speech of the mouth must have a cohesiveness”.
This is the difference between speaking the truth or truthfulness in speech and the vow of speech. Remember that Patanjali says (in II.31) that the Yamas are great vows unrestricted by any consideration of class, place, time, or concept of duty.
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Satya in our Daily Life
Absolute Satya, as well as all the Yamas, should be followed in all circumstances and without considering the consequences. In our business of life, it is hard to adhere to the vow of Satya.
For example, if a policeman stops you on the road and asks: “at what speed did you drive?”, and suppose you drove faster than is allowed, will you respond truthfully? Or, if someone who is unwelcome for a party we organize, wants to join and asks about the details of the party, will we tell them all that we know, or will we try to avoid him?
Think about a salesman who claims that their product is the best in market, would we believe that? Untruth became so common in our business of life, in advertisement, business negotiation, and so on. If salesman get used not to adhere to truth in their professional life, will they be able to adhere to truth in other realms of their life?
Technical truth and essential truth
There is a vast difference between technical truth and essential truth. In technical truth one can have one thing in mind, and another thing on the tongue. The Shanti Mantra from the Upanishads says: “Let my speech be cohesive with my mind and my mind be cohesive with the speech”.
An example for technical and nor essential truth is the famous story from the Mahabharata, where there is an elephant called Ashwatthama, and a person – Drona’s son – with the same name. Drona is a warrior from the Kuruvas in the great war described in this epos. The Pandavas killed the elephant and Yudhishthira – which was virtuous, and known to always speak the truth – manipulated Drona, to believe that it was his son that was killed, and not the elephant. Drona believed him and in his grief, stop fighting against the Pandavas.
An example for technical and nor essential truth is the famous story from the Mahabharata, where there is an elephant called Ashwatthama, and a person – Drona’s son – with the same name. Drona is a warrior from the Kuruvas in the great war described in this epos. The Pandavas killed the elephant and Yudhishthira – which was virtuous, and known to always speak the truth – manipulated Drona, to believe that it was his son that was killed, and not the elephant. Drona believed him and in his grief, stop fighting against the Pandavas.
Technically, Yudhishthira spoke truth, but he had one thing in mind, that it was the elephant that was killed, but his words conveyed the message that it was Drona’s son that was killed.
Manu’s Definition
Manu-smriti says that the truth must be spoken but that it should also be pleasing. One should always utter what is truthful and pleasant. Truth should not be spoken just for the sake of truth. (The Manu-smriti, or Laws of Manu, are of the most authoritative codes of Hinduism in India, dating back to approximately 100 C.E.. Traditionally, the Manu-smriti was given by Manu, the first man and lawgiver, and are a commentary on the legal and social systems of India, including the caste system).
This is very similar to what the Buddha had taught about right speech:
If what you want to say is true and beneficial, find the right time to say it and say it with kindness and endearing manner.
Specifically, one has to consider the following.
Is what I am about to say is:
- Factual and true
- Helpful, or beneficial
- Spoken with kindness and good-will (that is, hoping for the best for all involved)
- Endearing (that is, spoken gently, and in a way the listener can hear and understand)
- Timely (occasionally something true, helpful, and kind will not be endearing, or easy for someone to hear, in which case we need to think carefully about when to say it).
Satya should not violate Ahimsa
Prashant brings this example: You are in a forest and a robber comes and asks: Did you just see two men who passed from here? Could you tell me which of these three roads they took? If you answer truthfully, you violate Ahimsa, and hence also Satya.
Violation of Satya
(Asatya) can happen:
- Directly
- Indirectly – convincing or influencing someone else to be untrue
- Applauding someone who is untruthful
Untruth may come out spontaneously or fabricated on account of Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed, lust), or Moha (infatuation). Only by controlling and eliminating these tendencies can we adhere to Satya.
If we speak the truth just for our gain or fame, this again isn’t Satya.
Violation of Satya can be of several degrees. If one lies for selfish reason, where someone else will be at loss, and he is joyful of the other’s loss, then it’s a severe violation.
If the violation is done to get something, but no one is at loss, then it’s a mild violation.
Lastly, one can lie for the benefit of someone else, then it’s a mild violation.
Developing Infrastructure for Satya
Prashant writes that in order to absolutely truthful, we should change our conduct and developing the following qualities:
- Samata – equality
- Dama – sensual restraint
- Absence of Matsarya – hatred
- Kshama – a kind heart
- Lajja – Sense of abashment
- Titiksha – Capacity to endure
- Anasuyata – having no envy
- Tyagabhave – sense of renunciation
- Dhyana – meditation
Adhering to Satya can makes our life difficult since we lack the required infrastructure, hence we must develop the required yogic qualities and attitude.
Selfishness and truth can’t coexist.
Imagine someone who is selfless, desireless, free from expectations, will he have difficulty to speak the truth? So, yoga psychology says that you need to develop a thirstless, quiet, serene mind – only then Satya becomes possible.
Effects of adhering to Satya
Patanjali mentions the effect of being well established in Satya:
satya pratisthayam kriya phala ashrayatvam (II.36)
“When the Sadhaka is firmly established in the practice of truth, his words become so potent that whatever he says is realized”
This English rendering is from The Light on Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by B.K.S. Iyengar
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