Comments shall be based on truth only

By B.E.Sampath Kumar, Sri Ramachandrji Seva Trust, Kadapa.

A comment is something that expresses our opinion of something or which gives an explanation of it. It may be a verbal or written remark, criticism, or observation expressing an opinion or reaction. It is a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief and it may be a report about the behavior of other people. 

Nowadays in social media i.e., on Whatsapp, Facebook, etc., a number of messages, pictures, or videos are being shared on smart cell phones. Generally, people tend to post reply comments on the messages, pictures, or videos, without knowing the fact or truth whether those messages, pictures, or videos are real or the content of the said videos is picturized on real happenings or its contents morphed.

People are mostly carried away by sensational or popular news and, more often than not, are quick to share fake posts, videos, or articles without analyzing the truth in those things.

Everything that is viral may not be real. People should understand that it is adharmic to share fake news and post fake messages or comments. 

Even to speak the truth how care should be taken by people is clearly stated in Manu Smriti. 

satyam bruyat priyam bruyan na bruyat satyam apriyam 

priyam cha nanritam bruyat esha dharmah sanatanah. (Manu Smriti 4.138) 

Speak the truth in such a way that it is pleasing to others. Do not speak the truth in a manner injurious to others. Never speak untruth, though it may be pleasant. This is the eternal path of morality and Dharma. 

The following is a story that tells us about how our comments without knowing the truth, change our fate.

Once there lived a Brahman with his family in a village. He intends to perform the annual death ceremony of his mother. For which he required milk and curd and so requested the milkmaid to supply them. 

According to his request, the milkmaid was carrying milk and curd in two vessels covered with cloth, keeping them in a basket on her head to the Brahman’s house. On the way due to heavy wind, the cloth-covered on the vessels moved aside. At that time an Eagle was carrying a snake with its claws in the sky. Due to the fear of death, the snake shed its venom which fell straight away in the vessel containing the curd.

All these happened within seconds. Not knowing this, the milkmaid delivered the milk and curd to the Brahman. After concluding the ceremony rituals, the Brahman served curd along with other items of food to the other Brahmans whom he invited to the ceremony. After eating the food, all the Brahmans fell dead due to consuming the poisoned curd. 

This news spread in the village within no time. Some villagers commented that the Brahman committed Sin. Some villagers who saw the eagle carrying a snake in the sky, presumed that the venom of the snake might have fallen in the vessel, commented that the milkmaid has committed a sin by supplying the poisoned curd to the Brahman. Some commented that the eagle committed a sin and some others attributed sin to the snake. 

This news reached Hell, where Chitragupta, the Assistant of Yama Dharma Raja, the Ruler of Hell also under the confusion that to whose account the Sin has to be credited. So he asked Yama Dharmaraja to clarify his doubt. Then Yama clarified that the incident has happened without nobody’s knowledge and it is caused due to Nature’s will. So Yama told Chitra Guptha, to credit the sin equally to the account of the villagers who without knowing the subtlety of Dharma commented about the Sin. 

If we keep aside the above-said story whether it has happened really or not, we can understand that without knowing the subtlety of Dharma, we should not comment without knowing the truth or about anything which we have not witnessed and make others responsible. 

We should be very careful in assuming everything we hear to be true and never accuse without knowing all the facts or both sides of a story. The best option is to stay silent if we did not witness something happened in our absence.

Accusations can ruin lives. Before we accuse and condemn, we better know what we are talking about. Only a fool speaks without having all the facts.

Before we judge or comment on a message we read or on a picture or video we see, we must make it sure that the message is real and there is truth in it and the picture or video is not morphed. Because there is every possibility of hurting someone, or ruin someone’s reputation or might end up losing something with our comments.

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