This sutra from Bible has a very deep significance in day to day life. The truth is ever lasting and always ends up in internal happiness and self-realization. And, in the long run, it always gives you happiness and an all-win situation. A lying tongue, on the contrary, will only give you a momentary pleasure but will lead to or create some difficulty later in life. Spoken words cannot come back just as in the case of a released arrow from the bow. Once lost, one cannot get back his youth, virginity, or respect. Similarly, spoken bad words cannot be taken back and once spoken will create negative waves in the other persons (on whom they were spoken) mind which will persist as repressed thoughts or memory in the people’s mind forever. Such bad memories will keep on coming back in the person’s mind causing damage to the personal relationships. A spoken word is a karmic expression. For every karmic action there is an opposite and equal reaction. For every negative karmic action, one has to pay the debt either now or in future. The law of karma says that every debt has to be paid. It is always better to avoid negative language both in spoken words as well as in the mind. The yoga sutras of Patanjali describe thinking, speaking or doing anything wrong as having the same karmic significance. We should not only purify ourselves in actions and spoken words but also in the mind. If a person keeps negative thoughts in the mind, sooner or later the same will be reflected to the outside world. The momentary pleasure which one gets by “lying” has no spiritual significance as it only satisfies your ego sense or makes you attached to any of the five senses. The transient pleasure experienced by the body stimulates a chain of reactions, consisting of action, memory and desire leading to action again, which will only intensify the greed & attachments.

In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna has given only two examples, which work as an exception to such a situation. Any truth, which harms others, may not be spoken and any lie which does not harm anyone but benefits a few may be spoken. Truth is the opposite of doubt and it is always better to clear all the doubts from the mind as any repressed doubts can end up into causation of heart attack, paralysis and cancer. Truth also means taking conscious-based decisions as the consciousness will never lie. While taking any decision one should always ask oneself— Is it the truth? Is it necessary? And will it bring happiness to me and the people around? Lord Krishna is also described as “Satchitanand”, which only indicates qualities like truthfulness, conscious-based decisions and internal happiness. Truthfulness has to be practiced for over a period of time and made a part and parcel of your daily life. To start with a person may have bad experiences but in the long run truthfulness will always win.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this write up are my own).