Satyam means

Expressions researched:
"satyam means"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Satyam means brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11].

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Bombay, March 31, 1974: Anyway... Then Śaṅkarācārya came. Śaṅkarācārya wanted... Because by the propagation of Lord Buddha, whole India became Buddhist. And Śaṅkarācārya wanted to establish Vedas again. So they were temporary necessities, for certain reason. Because people were addicted so much in violence, in killing the animals, therefore Buddha philosophy was needed. Again, this Buddha philosophy was driven out. The Śaṅkara, impersonal philosophy was established. But again, the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya and other Vaiṣṇava ācāryas.. . At last, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They established that brahma satyam means brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. Both, three, Absolute Truth.

So these are the philosophical development. So Kṛṣṇa is summarizing this philosophical development here in this one line, that mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ. Either you follow Buddha philosophy or Śaṅkara philosophy or Vaiṣṇava philosophy, the ultimate goal is Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. So you have to approach Kṛṣṇa through these different types of philosophy. They are partial realization. Just like Brahman realization means eternity realization. Paramātmā realization means eternity and knowledge. And Bhagavān realization means eternity, knowledge and blissfulness. Sac-cid-ānanda. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. If you realize Kṛṣṇa, then you realize simultaneously... Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. You realize Brahman, you realize Paramātmā, and you realize Bhagavān.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the definition of truth, Absolute Truth, is given there. What is that? Janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] "The Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates, the original source of all." That is Absolute Truth. So you should understand what is satyam, Absolute Truth, satyam. And para-hita-bhāṣaṇam. You should speak truth also.

Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967: In this process you can go on chanting. Nobody will disturb you. Because as soon as you take to spiritual life, there will be so many disturbances. Because it is a declaration of war with the illusory energy, so as soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the illusory energy sees, "Oh, this man is going out of my hand, out of my control. Oh, give him all impediments." Therefore you have to learn this tolerance. Therefore next two words after kṣamā, satyam. Satyaṁ yathā dṛṣṭy-artha-viṣayaṁ para-hita-bhāṣaṇam.(?) Satyam means you should speak the actual truth. You should not flatter. You should not flatter for sense gratification. Satyam.

Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the definition of truth, Absolute Truth, is given there. What is that? Janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] "The Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates, the original source of all." That is Absolute Truth. So you should understand what is satyam, Absolute Truth, satyam. And para-hita-bhāṣaṇam. You should speak truth also. What is that truth? That truth is "God is great, and we are subservient. So our duty is to abide by the orders of God," the simple truth. "God is great." You can say, "Why we should abide by the orders of God?" Because you are subservient. "No, I am not subservient." That is untrue. You are subservient. If you don't accept your subordinate position before God, then you have to accept your subordinate position under these material stringent laws. You have to become subservient. There is no other alternative. You cannot become absolute.

Practically you have to behave; then you can preach. Otherwise you cannot become ācārya. Ācārya means one who practices the ācāra and then teaches. He is ācārya. So ācāra. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyam. Satyam means truthfulness. He is preaching something and doing something. That is not truthfulness. Truthfulness means what you preach, you must do.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hyderabad, December 15, 1976: But these asuras, they do not know it. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca [Bg. 16.7]. They do not know. Where we shall stop our activities and where we shall continue our activities, that they do not know. They are increasing their activities on the platform where they will continually suffer. That has to be changed, and then our life will be successful. So na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ. Ācāra. Ācāra and vicāra, there are two things. Vicāra means consideration. That is vicāra. Just like vicāra prati. The high-court judge is called vicāra prati. Two opposite party presenting their grievances and he will consider and give his judgment. So vicāra-paṇḍita. Unless one is very learned, he cannot consider things. But ācāra. Ācāra everyone can do. Ācāra means just like to rise early in the morning, to take bath, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, have tilaka, observe maṅgala-ārati. This is called ācāra. Then there is hygienic. And vicāra means consideration. So in the asuras, both things are lacking. Neither there is ācāra nor vicāra. Therefore it is said, na śaucaṁ nāpi ca ācāraḥ. Ācārya, you have heard the name ācārya. Ācārya means he teaches by personal behavior. Just like I teach you, "no intoxication." So if I am addicted to intoxication and if I say that "You don't take any intoxication," then who will care for me? This is therefore ācāra. Ācārati. Practically you have to behave; then you can preach. Otherwise you cannot become ācārya. Ācārya means one who practices the ācāra and then teaches. He is ācārya. So ācāra. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyam. Satyam means truthfulness. He is preaching something and doing something. That is not truthfulness. Truthfulness means what you preach, you must do. So these things are lacking in the asuric life, so we have to be careful that we must be very neat and clean. We must behave according to injunction of the śāstra and guru. Then we can get out of the jurisdiction of asuras. Then we can come to the platform of sura, or devatā. Then we can make advance in spiritual life. If you keep yourself in the asuric platform there is no possibility of making advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is warning here. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate. Asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram [Bg. 16.8]. Because we are rascals, not cleansed, inward, outward... Externally one has to be cleansed.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

To make one's life successful, to reach to the goal of life, it is very difficult. [break] ...discharge all these principles, tapasā, brahmacarya. Śamo damaḥ titikṣa satyam. Satyam means truthfulness. One should be so truthful that if a rogue comes to him and if he asks, "What money you have got?" he will say, "I have got so much money." This is called satyam.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975: To make one's life successful, to reach to the goal of life, it is very difficult. [break] ...discharge all these principles, tapasā, brahmacarya. Śamo damaḥ titikṣa satyam. Satyam means truthfulness. One should be so truthful that if a rogue comes to him and if he asks, "What money you have got?" he will say, "I have got so much money." This is called satyam. He will not conceal even to the enemies. That is called truthfulness. Everything should be plainly and truthfully presented. These are satyam. And śaucābhyām, cleanliness. Cleanliness means if you go to the latrine, the injunction is that you will have to wash your hands, legs, so many times. Not with water, but with earth. Nowadays it is soap. So if we cannot wash our hands and legs for many times, at least we should wash once or twice with soap. This is called śaucam. A brahminical qualification is he is very neat and clean, three times taking bath, and keeping the body very neat, cloth, everything. Where he lives, his bedding, his place—all must be cleansed. And yamena niyamena vā: sex control, mind control, and senses control by regulative principles.