Truth and Beauty
“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” said Keats. “That is all ye know on earth, and
all ye need to know.” Or is it? In this charming yet cutting essay, which first
appeared in the old tabloid version of Back to Godhead (November 20,
1958), Srila Prabhupada tells the unforgettable story of “liquid beauty.”

There may sometimes be arguments about whether ‘“‘truth’’ and
““beauty”’ are compatible terms. One would willingly agree to express the
truth, one might say, but since truth is not always beautiful —indeed, it is
frequently rather startling and unpleasant—how is one to express truth
and beauty at the same time?

In reply, we may inform all concerned that ‘‘truth’’ and ‘‘beauty”’ are
compatible terms. Indeed, we may emphatically assert that the actual
truth, which is absolute, is always beautiful. The truth is so beautiful that
it attracts everyone, including the truth itself. Truth is so beautiful that
many sages, saints, and devotees have left everything for the sake of
truth. Mahatma Gandhi, an idol of the modern world, dedicated his life
to experimenting with truth, and all his activities were aimed toward
truth only.

Why only Mahatma Gandhi? Every one of us has the urge to search for
truth alone, for the truth is not only beautiful but also all-powerful, all-
resourceful, all-famous, all-renounced, and all-knowledgeable.

Unfortunately, people have no information of the actual truth. Indeed,
99.9 percent of men in all walks of life are pursuing untruth only, in the
name of truth. We are actually attracted by the beauty of truth, but since
time immemorial we have been habituated to love of untruth appearing
like truth. Therefore, to the mundaner ‘“‘truth”’ and ‘‘beauty”’ are incom-
patible terms. The mundane truth and beauty may be explained as
follows.

Once a man who was very powerful and strongly built but whose
character was very doubtful fell in love with a beautiful girl. The girl was

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