[Advaita-l] Rtam and Satyam

[Praveen R. Bhat]

Namaste,

On Fri, Jul 1, 2022 at 6:13 PM Anand N via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Bhaskarji gave an example where Satyam is Parmarthika  and Rtam is
> Vyavaharika.
> Subbuji gave an example where Satyam is the practical aspect and Rtam is
> the potential aspect of truth.
> Are these not contradictory?
> Could anyone please clarify.
>

I hope this doesn't end up confusing like the other thread! I've always
found satya as truth whereas Rta as fact quite appropriate, and better
understood through an explanation that our Acharyaji gave perhaps in the
context of the same Taittiriya mantra that Subbuji quoted: if someone asks
you for information regarding something and you express it as you know it
in your understanding, that is satya. Rta is how that something is
regardless of whether your information was right or wrong. If it was right,
then satya and Rta are in sync. If it is not, then  your statement is still
satya, but it is not Rta. Elsewhere, satyam vachmi, Rtam vachmi is also to
say that not only do I state what is true as I know (without twisting
words), but it is also a fact.

gurupAdukAbhyAm,
--Praveen R. Bhat
/* येनेदं सर्वं विजानाति, तं केन विजानीयात्। Through what should one know
That, owing to which all this is known! [Br.Up. 4.5.15] */