Satyameva Jayate!

Some days back, while explaining our National Emblem to students of Hawthorne Middle School, I stressed on these words as being an integral part of our emblem. Literally translated, they mean "Truth alone triumphs." Morally they mean a lot more.

We are awarded a wealth of knowledge through this simple quote. It stands not only for the end that is always achieved by the righteous but it also stands for the battle that we must fight for achieving that end.

India's history teems with sacrifices, wars and broken hopes to achieve this message. The Ramayana, the Mahabharata all describe the fight for truth. Our stories from the Panchatantra and plays like Bhasa's Swapna-Vasavadutta all describe this very ambition at their core. The beauty of this phrase is reflected in world-wide literature with Romeo-Juliet, Illiad and Odyssey and even If Tomorrow Comes.

Why am I quoting a mixture of love stories, thrillers, mythology and history to illustrate this straight-forward term? Because I believe that "truth" has a different meaning to each person, each situation. For Ram it may be defeating Ravan, for Udayana it was a refusal to teach Pradyota, for Tracy Whitney it was getting back at an unjust system. Depending on the way you look at it, "Saytameva Jayate" translates to a picture of bloodshed and misery or to a rosy picture of flowers and love.

There have been numerous occasions in my life when I was faced with a battle, however insignificant, to uphold this ideal I firmly believe in. 'If you are right, make sure everyone knows it, no matter how long it takes and how high its price.' Perhaps I should change that to everyone who matters. Sometimes it just close friends and people and at other times its everyone I know.

This very principle has of course been applied numerous times in my academics since that's where you can be reasonable and logical yet the grader isn't always so. Maybe 4 years with Mumbai University and a spate of its depressing results led me away from believing in this adage and trying to achieve it my way but it was my continuous effort to try and enforce this.

No amount of deterrent has ever stopped me from pursuing what I believe is right, whether it is to more marks, a better project or no material gains atall! So comeon folks, get up and follow me, to make "Satyameva Jayate"!