SB 8.19.38 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

अत्रापि बह्वृचैर्गीतं श‍ृणु मेऽसुरसत्तम । सत्यमोमिति यत् प्रोक्तं यन्नेत्याहानृतं हि तत् ॥ ३८ ॥

Verse text

atrāpi bahvṛcair gītaṁ śṛṇu me ’sura-sattama satyam om iti yat proktaṁ yan nety āhānṛtaṁ hi tat

Synonyms

atra api — in this regard also (in deciding what is truth and what is not truth) ; bahu — ṛcaiḥ — by the śruti-mantras known as Bahvṛca-śruti, which are evidence from the Vedas ; gītam — what has been spoken ; śṛṇu — just hear ; me — from me ; asura — sattama — O best of the asuras ; satyam — the truth is ; om iti — preceded by the word om ; yat — that which ; proktam — has been spoken ; yat — that which is ; na — not preceded by om ; iti — thus ; āha — it is said ; anṛtam — untruth ; hi — indeed ; tat — that .

Translation

One might argue that since you have already promised, how can you refuse? O best of the demons, just take from me the evidence of the Bahvṛca-śruti, which says that a promise is truthful preceded by the word om and untruthful if not.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

O best of the demons! Hear from me the evidence of the Bahvṛca-śruti in this regard. A promise is truthful preceded by the word oṁ and untruthful if not. “If I have something to give, and I say I have nothing, how can I avoid the sin of lying?” This is explained in six verses and a half. In regards to truth and untruth, what is preceded by oṁ is true. What is not preceded by oṁ is untrue. Śruti says oṁ iti satyaṁ nety anṛtam: oṁ indicates truth and lack of it indicates untruth.