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The Concept of Pancasila in Indian Thought
of insistence on the principle of truth the principle of 'sarvabhūta-hita' (well being of all living being) is emphasized side by side.1 Tilak has remarked that truth speaking is good, but better is the well being and life of the living beings. "In fact the greatest good of all living beings is the real truth in our opinion." It has also been pointed out that mere congruency of speech with facts does not signify the whole truth. Both speech and meaning of speech should be such that they help others, and do not hurt others. Veracity depends upon the goodness of motive in speech. It is not a motive as is shown in the classical example of Udhiṣṭhira who led Droṇa to believe falsely that the latter's son had died by muttering inaudibly that it was an elephant having the same name that had died.2 This was the first and the last falsehood of Udhişthira which had brought his carriage to the earth which used to be a little above it.
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Among the modern Western ethicians both Sidgwich and J. S. Mill, whose criterion of moral act is 'the greatest happiness for the greatest number', accept that in some places falsehood is also acceptable; for example, telling the truth to a sick person with regard to his health, which may produce an adverse effect, is not the real truth, and telling a falsehood is no vice in such cases. It is clear, therefore, that Western ethicians also cannot think of an absolute moral principle of truth which is completely exceptionless.
In the Indian scriptures a careful and detailed survey is made of this principle and its exceptions, but one point is obvious, i. e. there works a constant anomaly and ambiguity सत्यस्य वचनं श्रेयः सत्यादपि हितं वदेत् यद्भूतहितमत्यन्तं एतत्सत्यं मतं मम ।
1.
--Mahābhā., Santiparva, 329.13; 287.19.
2.
3.
-Mahābhā., Dronaparva, 190-191.57.
Method of Ethics-H. Sidgwick, Book III, Chap.
XI,
p. 355.
नरो वा कुंजरो वा ।
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