Page 65 - Mystic Pathways through the Bible

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chapter one 59
preparing to walk through pools of water. These and similar actions of Duryodhana were observed by Draupadi, who then laughed at him and cried out, “Behold, the son of a blind king!”
These words of Draupadi were perfectly truthful in a factual sense. Duryodhana was indeed the son of King Dhritarashtra, who had been born blind. Nevertheless, the words were spoken to injure the feelings of Duryodhana, and they caused great animosity. In the course of time, Duryodhana’s desire to avenge these words of ridicule was one of the main causes of the Mahabharata War.
Thus, one must understand that in speaking the truth, one’s intention is more important than mere factual observation. The great gift of speech is a powerful tool of your personality. It should not be misused due to egoistic aberrations. The “truth” you convey to another person can encourage or discourage him. If you disparage a person by your words, then you have not understood the importance of being artistic in your speech, and you are not practicing truth on the verbal level.
Being artistic with your speech requires maturity and deep insight and is a re ection of great spiritual advancement. There is a saying in Sanskrit: “Satyam vada, priyam vada”—“Speak the truth, but only that truth that is pleasant.” Be careful: If your truth is twisting your tongue, don’t