satyam bruyat priyam bruyat na bruyat satyam apriyam…

satyam bruyat priyam bruyat
na bruyat satyam apriyam
priyam ca nanrutam bruyat
esha dharmah sanatanah

-Manusmriti

Speak the truth, speak pleasantly,
Do not speak the truth in an unpleasant manner
Even if pleasant, do not speak untruth,
This is the path of eternal righteousness.

13 thoughts on “satyam bruyat priyam bruyat na bruyat satyam apriyam…”

  1. Namaskar
    Great teaching -truly our scriptures teach us to be Truthful and also Not hurt any one- in speech or action.
    Taittriya Upanishad-“Satyam Vadaa Dharmam Chara”.
    This Manusmriti sloka gives us a way and path to speech that will not hurt. This teaching was a subject in our Satsangh many years ago-
    Thank you
    Rgds TR

  2. I have a concern regarding “na bruyat satyam apriyam”. If the truth is unpleasant, but that is unfortunately true, and we don’t do anything about it, will justice have been served? Example: If someone has been unfairly treated by an individual in authority whom most people like or fear. Can’t the person who’s been treated unfairly not say it and raise awareness or seek remediation? Did what he experienced become false?

  3. One should tell truth and hold back truth for the greater good of the world……but should not hurt people individually….let your neighbours, family and
    friends happy…..

  4. It is not correct to say that unplessnt truth should not be told. It should be told but not in a unplessnt manner, need to be told by reducing the unplessntness. e.g. how krishna tells about death of Abhimanyu during Kurukshetrs

  5. “Na Bruyat Satyam Apriyam” is translated as ‘Do not speak the truth in an unpleasant manner’. It does not say ‘do not speak the truth if unpleasant’. Rather, the sloka’s basic essence is:
    Always speak in a beautiful manner, but never lie.
    The truth (whether pleasant or unpleasant) must be spoken – only beautifully, at the same time do not make the truth a lie.

  6. There would be situations in life that demand speaking out bitter truth..hurtful truth. In the interest of society, if it is required not to follow tanvient wisdom, one cannot find fault.his

  7. Satyam bruyat:- speak the truth
    Priyam bruyat:- speak the truth that is pleasant
    Na bruyat asatyam:- do not speak that is not the truth
    Ch bruyat apriya satyam:- and do not speak the truth that is unpleasant.

  8. This is a jewel from the Manusmriti!
    Satyam bruyat, priyam bruyat – Speak the truth and speak pleasantly.
    na bruyat satyam apriyam – do not speak the truth that is unpleasant. Here we should not confuse between a truth and crime. An offence committed by someone will always be unpleasant to the criminal. This verse is not telling us to suppress the truth related to offences of any kind. What it is essentially trying to teach us is to check the mentality of ” I don’t care whether you are hurt, I will speak the truth” or “Hum to sach bolenge, tumhe bura laga to laga”.

    priyam ca nanrutam bruyat – even if it is pleasant, do not speak the untruth. As we should not speak the unpleasant truth we should also not speak utter lies however they may be pleasant.

    esha dharmah sanatanah – this is the philosophy of eternal righteousness. the Sanatan Dharma teaches us this principle.

  9. *Art of speech*
    Always speak truth never lie in any circumstances
    Truth agreed or disagreed must be said for the welfare of the being in pleasant full manner – Manusmriti

  10. Sukant Sarkarji my opinion.
    Here Na bruyat satyam apriyam does not mean do not speak truth that is unpleasant.
    You have to speak the truth all the time,
    but speak the truth in a pleasant manner. Thanks.

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