thumb|360px| is an important concept and [[virtue in Indian religions. Rigveda, dated to be from , offers the earliest discussion of . Across Indian religions, satya is a deeply valued virtue, signifying the alignment of one's thoughts, speech, and actions with reality. In Yoga philosophy, particularly in Patañjali's Yoga Sutras', Satya is one of the five yamas—moral restraints designed to cultivate truthfulness and prevent the distortion of reality through one’s expressions and behavior.
Etymology and meaning
has cognates in a number of diverse Indo-European languages, including the words "sooth" and "sin" in English, "" ("") in Russian, "" (truthful) in Danish, "" in Swedish, and "" in Avestan, the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism.
In the Vedas and later sutras, the meaning of the word evolved into an ethical concept about truthfulness. It means being true and consistent with reality in one's thought, speech, and action.
- "Absolute reality"
- "Fact"
- "Brahman" (not to be confused with Brahmin)
- "that which is unchangeable"
- "that which has no distortion"
- "that which is beyond distinctions of time, space, and person"
- "that which pervades the universe in all its constancy"
is a common prefix in ancient Indian literature. It implies variously that which is good, true, genuine, virtuous, being, happening, real, existing, enduring, lasting, or essential. For example, means true doctrine, means one devoted to the truth.
The negation of is , meaning delusion, distorted, untrue, the fleeting impression that is incorrect, invalid, and false. The concepts of and are famously expressed in the Pavamana Mantra found in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad| (1.3.28):
is one of the three characteristics of Brahman as described in . results from in the Vedas, as it regulates and enables the operation of the universe and everything within it. is considered essential, and without it, the universe and reality falls apart and cannot function. In the Vedas, includes current, future, and past contexts. states, that in Rigveda, " is the modality of acting in the world of , as the truth to be built, formed or established".
Taittiriya Upanishad's hymn 11.11 states, "Speak the (truth), conduct yourself according to the (morality, ethics, law)".
Yoga Sutras
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, it is written, “When one is firmly established in speaking truth, the fruits of action become subservient to him." In Yoga sutra, is one of the five , or virtuous restraints, along with (restraint from violence or injury to any living being); (restraint from stealing); (celibacy or restraint from sexually cheating on one's partner); and (restraint from covetousness and craving). Patanjali considers as a restraint from falsehood in one's action (body), words (speech, writing), or feelings / thoughts (mind). In Patanjali's teachings, one may not always know the truth or the whole truth, but one knows if one is creating, sustaining, or expressing falsehood, exaggeration, distortion, fabrication, or deception.
Jainism
is one of the five vows prescribed in Jain Agamas. was also preached by Mahavira. According to Jainism, the underlying cause of falsehood is passion and therefore, it is said to cause (injury).
According to the Jain text Sarvārthasiddhi: "That which causes pain and suffering to the living is not commendable, whether it refers to actual facts or not".
According to the Jain text Puruşārthasiddhyupāya:
Buddhism
The term (Pali: ) is translated into English as "reality" or "truth." In terms of the Four Noble Truths (), the Pali can be written as , , , and .
'The Four Noble Truths' () are the briefest synthesis of the entire teaching of Buddhism, since all those manifold doctrines of the threefold Pali canon are, without any exception, included therein. They are the truth of suffering (mundane mental and physical phenomenon), of the origin of suffering (, craving), of the extinction of suffering ( or ), and of the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the extinction of suffering (the eight supra-mundane mind factors).
Sikhism
Sat or truthfulness is one of the 5 virtues in Sikhism.
Indian emblem motto
thumb|x216px|right|[[National Emblem of India]]
The motto of the republic of India's emblem is Satyameva Jayate which is literally translated as 'Truth alone triumphs'.