satyaṁ puṣpa-phalaṁ vidyād
satyaṁ puṣpa-phalaṁ vidyād
ātma-vṛkṣasya gīyate
vṛkṣe 'jīvati tan na syād
anṛtaṁ mūlam ātmanaḥ
One should know from scriptures that the fruits and flowers of the tree of the body are true. If the body does not live, there can be no fruits and flowers. Therefore it is permissible to maintain it by any means. Untruth is the root of the body.
Truth cannot be perfected without a slight amount of untruth. One should know that the fruit and flowers of the tree consisting of the body are truth, since this is stated in scripture. If the tree does not live, there will be no fruits and flowers. Therefore make efforts to maintain the body. The body must live even by untruth, by not maintaining truth at all times.
|| 8.19.40 ||
tad yathā vṛkṣa unmūlaḥ
śuṣyaty udvartate 'cirāt
evaṁ naṣṭānṛtaḥ sadya
ātmā śuṣyen na saṁśayaḥ
When a tree is uprooted it immediately dries up and dies. Similarly, if one does not partake of untruth, the body undoubtedly dies up.
Just as a tree when uprooted dries up and quickly dies, the body which is completely without untruth dries up. Śruti says:
om iti satyaṁ nety anṛtaṁ tad etat-puṣpaṁ phalaṁ vāco yat satyaṁ saheśvaro yaśasvī kalyāṇa-kīrtir bhavitā; puṣpaṁ hi phalaṁ vācaḥ satyaṁ vadaty athaitan-mūlaṁ vāco yad anṛtaṁ yad yathā vṛkṣa āvirmūlaḥ śuṣyati, sa udvartata evam evānṛtaṁ vadann āvirmūlam ātmanāṁ karoti, sa śuṣyati sa udvartate, tasmād anṛtaṁ na vaded dayeta tv etena.
Om indicates truth. Lack of oṁ indicates untruth. The fruits and flowers of the body are truth. The health body makes one powerful, famous and fortunate. It is said that the fruits and flowers are truth, and the root of the body is untruth. Just as a tree with root uncovered dries up and dies, by speaking lies one uproots the body. It dries up and dies. Therefore one should not speak untruth. But one should protect the body by untruth.
Vācaḥ means the body represented by words. Anṛtaṁ vadan means telling lies. Just as by the tree with root uncovered dries up and dies, telling lies uproots the body. For that reason one should not speak untruth, but one should protect the body in difficulties by untruth (dayeta).
|| 8.19.41 ||
|
