Satya (सत्यम्)

The meaning of the term Satya is truthfulness. It means to be truthful in thought, speech and action to self and others. This is considered as a Yama as per Patanjali Yoga Sutra.

Scriptural Occurance

1.   Satya is mentioned in Rigveda .

अस्मे ता त इन्द्र सन्तु सत्याहिंसन्तीरुपस्प्र्शः | asme tā ta indra santu satyāhiṁsantīrupasprśaḥ |

Meaning: May those soft impulses of thine, O Indra, be fruitful and innocent to us. 2.   Patanjal Yoga Sutras (2.29) enlists Yama as one of the limbs of Ashtanga Yoga as below.

यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोऽष्टावङ्गानि ।। २.२९ ।। yamaniyamāsanaprāṇāyāmapratyāhāradhāraṇādhyānasamādhayo'ṣṭāvaṅgāni ।। 2.29 ।।

Meaning: The 8 limbs of yoga are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayam, Pratyahar, Dharna, Dhyana, Samadhi. 3.   Further Patanjali mentions the 5 Yamas in Sutra 2.30

अहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः ।। २.३० ।। ahiṁsāsatyāsteyabrahmacaryāparigrahā yamāḥ ।। 2.30 ।।

Meaning: The five Yama as per Patanjali are Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha. As per other texts the number may vary. 4.   The 10 Yamas as per Shandilya Upanishad are as below.

“.... तत्राहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यदयाजप- क्षमाधृतिमिताहारशौचानि चेति यमादश ....” ".... tatrāhiṁsāsatyāsteyabrahmacaryadayājapa- kṣamādhr̥timitāhāraśaucāni ceti yamādaśa ...."

Meaning: Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, Daya, Japa, Kshama, Dhriti, Mitahara and Shauch are 10 Yamas. 5.   Bhagvad Gita mentions Ahimsa is below verses .

अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् |

स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते || 17.15||

anudvegakaraṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priyahitaṁ ca yat |

svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ caiva vāṅmayaṁ tapa ucyate || 17.15||

Meaning : Words which cause no annoyance to others and are truthful, agreeable and beneficial, as well as the study of the Vedas and other Shastras and the practice of the chanting of the Divine Name

this is known as penance of speech.

6.    M. K. Gandhi in "The Young India" , wrote,

"I am not a 'statesman in the garb of a saint'. But since Truth is the highest wisdom, sometimes my acts appear to be consistent with the highest statesmanship. But, I hope I have no policy in me save the policy of Truth and ahimsa. I will not sacrifice Truth and ahimsa even for the deliverance of my country or religion. That is as much as to say that neither can be so delivered. "

7.   Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swatmaram also mentions Satya as below.

“Non-violence, truth, non-stealing, continence (being absorbed in a pure state of consciousness), forgiveness, endurance, compassion, humility, moderate diet and cleanliness are the ten rules of conduct (yama). (ii)”

Why Satya is required?

Ahimsa is a virtue that a person is expected to bear. It is a Yama that a person can follow. Below are reasons for it.

a. Bhagvad Gita explains as per below verse,

बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोह: क्षमा सत्यं दम: शम: |

सुखं दु:खं भवोऽभावो भयं चाभयमेव च || 10.4||

अहिंसा समता तुष्टिस्तपो दानं यशोऽयश: |

भवन्ति भावा भूतानां मत्त एव पृथग्विधा: || 10.5||

buddhirjñānamasammoha: kṣamā satyaṁ dama: śama: |

sukhaṁ du:khaṁ bhavo'bhāvo bhayaṁ cābhayameva ca || 10.4||

ahiṁsā samatā tuṣṭistapo dānaṁ yaśo'yaśa: |

bhavanti bhāvā bhūtānāṁ matta eva pr̥thagvidhā: || 10.5||

Meaning : Reason, right knowledge, unclouded understanding, forbearance, veracity, control over the senses and mind, joy and sorrow, evolution and dissolution, fear and fearlessness, non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame and obloquy, these diverse traits of creatures emanate from Me alone.

अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्याग: शान्तिरपैशुनम् |

दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् || 16.2||

ahiṁsā satyamakrodhastyāga: śāntirapaiśunam |

dayā bhūteṣvaloluptvaṁ mārdavaṁ hrīracāpalam || 16.2||

Meaning: Non-violence in thought, word and deed, truthfulness and geniality of speech, absence of anger, even on provocation, disclaiming doership in respect of actions, quietude or composure of mind, abstaining from slander, compassion towards all creatures, absence of attachment to the objects of senses even during their contact with the senses, mildness, a sense of shame in transgressing the scriptures or social conventions, and abstaining from frivolous pursuits. b.  Bhagvad Gita - Commentary by Sri Ramanujacharya gives a definition and also requirement as below,

सत्यं यथादृष्टार्थगोचरभूतहितवाक्यम्। satyaṁ yathādr̥ṣṭārthagocarabhūtahitavākyam। Meaning in Hindi: देख-सुनकर समझी हुई बात को ठीक वैसे ही बतलाने के लिये कहे जाने वाले प्राणियों के हितकर वचन का नाम ‘सत्य’ है।

c.  Gandhiji in "The story of my experiments with Truth" gives the requirement of the Satya as below,

Just about this time, I had secured my father's permission to see a play performed by a certain dramatic company. This play Harishchandra- captured my heart. I could never be tired of seeing it. But how often should I be permitted to go? It haunted me and I must have acted Harishchandra to myself times without number. 'Why should not all be truthful like Harishchandra?' was the question I asked myself day and night. To follow truth and to go through all the ordeals Harishchandra went through was the one ideal it inspired in me. I literally believed in the story of Harishchandra. The thought of it all often made me weep. My common sense tells me today that Harishchandra could not have been a historical character. Still, both Harishchandra and Shravana are living realities for me, and I am sure I should be moved as before if I were to read those plays again today.

d. Osho also discusses about Satya in “Amrit Kan (अमृत कण)”

“ जेम्स लावेल ने कहा हैः ‘सत्य को हमेशा सूली पर लटकाए जाते देखा और असत्य को हमेशा सिंहासन पाते! मैं कहता हूं कि यह बात तो सत्य है, किंतु आधी सत्य है, क्योंकि सत्य सूली पर लटका हुआ भी सिंहासन पर होता है और असत्य सिंहासन पर बैठकर भी सूली पर ही लटका रहता है।  सत्य विश्वास नहीं है। सब विश्वास अंधे होते हैं और सत्य तो आत्म चक्षु है। वह विश्वास नहीं, विवेक है। और विवेक के जन्म के लिए समस्त विश्वासों की जंजीरें तोड़ देनी होती हैं, क्योंकि जिसे सत्य को जानना है उसे सत्य को मानने का अवकाश ही नहीं है। क्या कोई अंधा अंधा रहकर भी प्रकाश को देखने में समर्थ हो सकता है और क्या कोई तट पर जंजीरों से बंधा हुआ जहाज भी सागर की यात्रा कर सकता है?  सत्य सिद्धांत नहीं, अनुभूति है। इससे शास्त्र में नहीं, स्वयं में ही उसे खोजना है। शब्दों से हुआ उसका ज्ञान तो अक्सर अज्ञान से भी घतक है। क्योंकि अज्ञान में एक पीड़ा है और उसके ऊपर उठने की आकांक्षा है, लेकिन तथाकथित थोथा शास्त्रीय ज्ञान तो उल्टे अहंकार की दृष्टि बन जाता है, अहंकार अज्ञान से भी घतक है वस्तुतः तो ज्ञान का अहंकार, अज्ञान का ही अत्यंत घनीभूत रूप है- इतना घनीभूत कि वह फिर अज्ञान ही प्रतीत नहीं होता है।  सत्य शक्ति है। असत्य अशक्ति इसलिए असत्य को चलने के लिए सत्य के ही पैर उधार लेने होते हैं। सत्य के सहारे के बिना यह एक पल भी जीवित नहीं रह सकता। “