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[ Ch. VII
DASAVEALIYA SUTTA
CHAPTER VII
St. 1. The Genitive case I can be taken in the sense of the object, construed with q (having known); or the word can be understood and i can be connected with it. fau [Sk. fa] Use, employment. The monk should make only two (i. e. the first and the fourth) out of the four assertions: (a) what is i. e. quite true and definite which is the first (d) what is 3. e. neither quite true nor quite false as found in the ordinary talks of daily routine affairs referring to invitation and the like-which is the fourth. The monk should carefully avoid the second, i. e. 3 untrue assertion as well as the third viz. सत्यामृषा or मिश्र which is partly true and partly untrue as found in our daily talks where there is no mathematical accuracy, as for example when one saysthere were born ten babies to-day in the village' or 'twenty deaths occur in the city every day. Regarding the first and the fourth assertions also, he should make only those assertions which are not harmful in any way when made.
St. 2. Four utterances are always to be avoided-(a) true (H) in cases when the assertion is improper to be made as causing harm like the assartion of Kausika here is the hamlet.'; (b) absolutely untrue (c), (c) partly true, and partly false () being indefinite such as 'ten births take place every day in this town.' and lastly (d) neither true nor untrue, i. e. indifferent as in cases where it is not admitted by the Prophet such as mandates or invitations. It is pointed out here that although (a) (true) and (d) (indifferent) asserations are ordinarily permissible, still they should not be made if they are likely to be harmful, unpalatable, etc. They should be made only when they are faultless, mild, considerate and definite.
St. 4. This stanza simply wants to state that any assertion which comes in the way of for eternal good