83. Falsehood Thrives on Truth

The world as we perceive it consists of both truth and falsehood. A careful examination reveals that falsehood is often nothing more than a misinterpretation of truth, arising from our circumstances or from the limitations of our senses and mind. For example, our image in a mirror is ‘asat’ or unreal, for it has no existence of its own and depends entirely on our presence before the mirror. Similarly, in the well-known rope and snake analogy, the rope is the truth, and the snake is the falsehood that cannot exist without the rope. But, till this realisation dawns, all our thoughts and actions would be based on falsehood, oftentimes, continuing for generations across society.

Similarly, if we consider any technology as the metaphorical truth, its malefic use is falsehood. A loudspeaker can be used to propagate good and also to instigate the gullible into violence. Similarly, today’s social media, the metaphorical truth, is falsehood when used malevolently.

The insight into the truth and falsehood is essential to understand the following verse where Krishna says, “I have created four varnas (social classifications) based on differentiation of gunas and karmas but know Me to be the non-doer and immutable” (4.13).

Krishna clearly says that such division is caused by the gunas and karma but not a function of birth. The message is that they are neither water-tight compartments nor hierarchical. The three gunas are present in all of us in different proportions and these give rise to the four broad divisions, in terms of karma. As we look around us, we find that some people are knowledge and research oriented; some are in politics and administration; some are into agriculture and businesses; and some are in service and jobs. This division brings different flavours to the physical world like Einstein, Alexander, Picasso and Mother Teresa; like colours in the rainbow.

While the truth is that humans are of four types because of the gunas and karmas, a falsehood was built that the division is hierarchical and is based on birth.


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