We all know the meaning of lies and fake. Lie means untruth, fib, distort, fabricate and so on. Fake means bogus, phony, pseudo, false, contrived and there are many more words.

How do you view the word fake? I am taking it first as one has to understand its meaning. It is a strong word for wrong responses and actions.

How often are you faking your responses? I will start with our fake feelings. Why do we have to have fake or pretend feelings? Is it because we wish to appear special in someone’s eyes? Do we think by giving a false compliment, we benefit the receiver.

Have you ever been involved in some kind of fakery? The answer may be ‘Yes’, which is most often the case. Very few of us can answer in the negative, ‘No’, never. What do we see on social media? I am not going on a rant about it but you know what you see.

What does lying do? Lying by itself is not adharma (immoral, sin). The intent behind a lie is important in determining whether it’s dharma or adharma. In a life-threatening situation to protect oneself, one can lie or just remain silent (not speaking the truth).

There is a story which depicts this very well. A hunter was hunting an animal. He went to the sage and asked him whether he had seen the prey? The sage replied, “what the eyes can see, the mouth can’t speak, the eyes can’t see”. He did not utter a lie and he saved the animal.

So, is this adharma?

Dharma is practicing right conduct. Dharma means being true to one’s nature. Adharma means acting contrary to one’s nature. One has to always examine the intention. What is our motivation, when we cheat or give an answer which is not correct?

Therefore, adharma is that you are hurting yourself by lying.

There is complexity here. A lie is not a lie; unless one is benefitting from it. A lie is morally wrong. Why are you lying? Are you lying to avoid the bitter truth? Then No. If your actions prove that you are lying, then it is a lie. Finally, a lie is a lie, whether you use words or actions.

Krishna in Mahabharata—Karna Parva. A falsehood spoken in jest is not sinful; nor one that is spoken to a woman or a king; nor one that is spoken on occasion of marriage; nor one spoken for benefitting one’s preceptor, nor for one spoken for saving one’s own life. These five kinds of falsehoods in speech, it is said that they are not sinful. The intent behind the statement is important in determining whether it is an act of dharma or adharma. The Karna Parva explores the complex nature of truth and falsehood through philosophical discussions and consequences of actions and lies.

Many people maintain that morality can be learned from the scriptures alone; I do not find fault with that, but then everything is not provided in the scriptures. Moral precepts have been made for the wellbeing of all creatures… that it is moral to keep creatures from injuries. An untruth spoken to save creatures from injuries is in the cause of morality and does not amount to falsehood. . Ch. 69, Karna Parva

Bhishma –Santi Parva. Appadharma Parva: discusses ethical conduct during times of crisis, acknowledging that dharma may need to be flexible under extreme circumstances.

Let us be true to others and ourselves.

Aim Hrim Klim

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