Satyameva Jayate

I originally posted the following on 9 April 2006
"Satyameva Jayate": truth shall always prevail. As far as I know, the Indian government is the only one in the world which has used this slogan as its motif, its faith. It behaves as if this phrase is fundamental in all spheres of Indian life, especially in politics. But in fact, the Indian government declares “Satyameva Jayate", and at the same time is its ultimate violator.

Where does the compulsion come from, to make mockery of our national symbol, the Ashoka chakra, by the ultimate lie shown as proclamation under it. It is so ubiquitous that most people don’t even know that it exists everywhere, where they work and transact their day to day business. Surely our conquerors did not compel us, nor did the United Nations. Nobody would blame us if we lied without claiming that we are telling the truth. If we lied and believed that we lied, and accepted that others lie, as an essential component for survival in this environment. Why, then, this ultimate lie?

Because of the synergy between lies and corruption, our country is one of the most rampantly corrupt. We are automatically a country with among the largest number of liars. Where does truth reside, let alone prevail? In a slogan on the wall behind the torso of a politican giving a speech? On our currency notes? In a court of law, in the Parliament, at the police station, in a teaching institution, in the electricity board, water supply, construction, commerce, industry, temples of gods and religions and spirituality, income tax office? Where?

Can this slogan, which presides over pervasive corruption, not be removed? Does it serve any purpose, or is it an irony, a cruelty, a joke? Dishonesty and corruption are endemic to mankind everywhere in the world. Truth has increasingly been at a premium in the evolution of human civilisation, and its purveyors’ travails are countless.

One can say many different things without being contradicted: Hum aage bhadenge; we shall prevail. May truth prevail. Many others can be coined. Should this lie, therefore, not be removed, and therefore the blemish, especially as it is not required by, or believed in, by anyone, in authority or from the public?

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I received this question: How do you differentiate betwen an ideal and a statement? If "satyameva jayate" is a statement, can you give an example as to how the same statement can be converted to an ideal?

My Answer: Yes indeed I can: "May truth prevail" is an expression of an ideal, and therefore even if not achievable or practical or practiced, people cannot take an exception to it. On the other hand, "Truth always triumphs", being a statement, implying a fact and being therefore factual, if provably not so, can not only be objected to, but be rejected.

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I also received this question: Which Truth are we talking about here? In this relative world there are only relative truths. A can have A's truth B can have B's. Can there be an absolute Truth? By saying "Satyameva Jayate", which Truth they are talking about? Any thoughts...?

My Answer: The world is not relative; the manner in which we humans interpret it and then conduct ourselves across the length of our sojourn, is relative. Truth is erroneously but conveniently assumed to be absolute,while in reality it not only differs, but is notoriously inconstant and fickle.

When men make announcements on truth, through spoken or written pronouncements as a dogma, they imply and impute the sublimity of the absolute to it, and even if they cannot prove it to be so, they are too frightened to accept the notion and live with it in peace. Satyameva Jayate, truth will ALWAYS triumph, is intrinsically untrue, as an edict, or proclamation,both because it contains the assumption that truth is absolute, but also that it is invincible.

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Charu wrote:
Bhai,
I certainly wish the Truth of this article to prevail.