NOR SHALL ONE SAY WHAT IS UNTRUTH EVEN IF IT BE AGREEABLE"
This saying is a mixed truth, and like many statements in Sanskrit it is often quoted without deep examination and unfortunately also followed as though it were a part of our sruti (dharma; fundamental scriptures) although it is indeed only part of a smriti (religion/practical advice given for the transactional world) intended for a specific time whose many pronouncements are now rightly challenged for the greater value of equality of human beings as a creation of the Supreme.
The specific part I take exception to is the one saying 'na brooyaat satyam apriyam (do not say truth that is unpleasant).' Certainly, no one can question the practical wisdom of this saying in terms of the peril a person violating it may encounter if the truth said is against a powerful, cruel, uncouth, or unprincipled person. So, what I take exception is not as much to the saying itself but to the attempted universal application and censorship through quoting of it. And, I can't ignore what cowardice may bring.
Much harm is caused in familial relationships as also in friendship when "elders" maintain silence in the belief that truth is unpleasant and should not therefore be said. From the tale of Draupadi's disrobing in our great epic Mahabharata to many present day situations in every family and friend circles, this fact is relived time and again. We - elders particularly - do have a responsibility to speak up and stand up for truth and what is right even if what we must say may become unpleasant and inconvenient to some.
I have, in my public and voluntary service, often found the silence of many good thinking people even in the presence of obvious violations of trust, good behavior, etc., an impediment to good governance. I have often called it 'TamBrahm hypocrisy' although this failing is certainly not restricted to TamBrahms alone. I am sure that most will resonate with my angst irrespective of their race, class, creed, etc.
In the arena of arts, this saying and the threats of lawsuits (even frivolous) in certain countries have created an environment where reviews are nothing but empty platitudes and praises only. The real victims are truth and the arts. [Such frivolity is not possible in the US - I thank its founders for the First Amendment guaranteeing Free Speech and the courts that protect it with great force] . For the benefits of honest reviews both to the arts and to the artist, see my earlier blog "A critique of critics and criticisms" [ https://veeraam.blogspot.com/2017/10/a-critique-of-critics-and-criticisms.html ].
So, I appeal to you all. Please do not take something as God given just because it is said in Sanskrit or Latin or whatever. Please do not shy from speaking up when you must. There is a real scriptural saying from the sruti: "asatO mA sat gamaya, tamasO maa jyOtirgamaya" [May we go from untruth to truth and from darkness to light] that should guide us when dilemmas do arise a lot more than the smriti saying that forms the title of this blog.
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This author also wrote the books 'Innovation by India for India, the Need and the Challenge' as also 'Bhaja Govindam - A Topical Exposition' besides writing and editing several books in his fields Applied Probability & Telecommunications. He is a former President & Secretary of CMANA, the Carnatic Music Association of North America under whose Presidency its Sangeethasagara award was instituted. He has penned over 40 compositions in Carnatic music. A probabilist by profession, he has been a serial inventor with many patents, and among his positions was one as Chief Scientist at Bellcore. He was named a Distinguished Science Alumnus by Purdue University, an honor given to a very small percentage of its graduates.
