When the Kurukshetra war between the Kauravas and Pandavas was over, Sri Krishna instructed Yudhishthira to seek knowledge from Bhishma, who was lying on his deathbed of arrows in the battlefield. The Shanti Parva of Mahabharata says Yudhishthira went to the battlefield and asked questions about dharma and good governance. Bhishma and the rishis who had gathered there answered these questions.
One of the questions Yudhishthira asked was, ‘What’s beneficial for one that is unconversant with the truths of the scriptures, that is always in doubt, and that abstains from self-restraint and the other good practices?’
Bhishma replied by telling him about an old conversation between Rishi Galva, son of Vishwamitra, and Devrishi Narada. Galva had asked Narada to instruct him about good conduct. Among other things, Narada had told him, Satyasya vachanam shreyah, satyagyanam tu dushkaram Yad bhutahitamatyantametat satyam bravimyaham It is best to speak the truth, but what really is the truth is exceedingly hard to know. I call only that truth that serves universal good.
Most religions place a great emphasis on truth. Buddha said, “Three things cannot be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” Jesus Christ said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
Despite such injunctions, it is common to find people not being able to agree on what is the truth. For example, if you asked people in the US who won the 2020 presidential election, you are likely to get different answers. While Democrats will insist that Joe Biden won it, many Republicans (though not all) claim Donald Trump won the election and it was unfairly snatched from him. It is obvious that both claims could not be true — two people cannot win an election. What then explains this dichotomy?
It is as the Mahabharata says. Most people will agree that one should always speak the truth, but what they see as the truth is shaped by their beliefs, interests, and desires; in short, the kind of life they have. Since no two people have the same life, no two people will have exactly the same truth; only their version of the truth. This begs the question: if there is your truth and my truth and his truth and her truth, is there any ‘universal’ truth?
For subjective things, like which is the best colour, there may not be a universal truth, but for objective things, like who got more votes, there does exist a universal truth—a fact which holds true, irrespective of how many people believe in it. To see the truth as it is, however, we need to shed our tinted glasses of prejudice, insecurity, jealousy and greed.