[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Religion and philosophy](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion) › [The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads)](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.bloomfield-1908) › c8.72 # The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c8.72 The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c8.72 - **Language:** English ### [c8.72](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.bloomfield-1908.c8.72) Finally in man’s activity the \*ṛta\* manifests itself as the moral law. Here it takes by the hand the closely kindred idea of truth, \*satya\*. Untruth, on the other hand, is \*anṛta\*, more rarely \*asatya\*, the same two words with prefix of negation. The two words \*satya\* and \*anṛta\* form a close dual compound, “truth and lie,” “sincerity and falsehood,” both zealously watched over by God Varuṇa.⁴ They remain the standard words for these twin opposites for all Hindu time. Varuṇa is the real trustee of the \*ṛta\*. When God Agni struggles towards the \*ṛta\* he is said in a remarkable passage to become for the time being God Varuṇa.⁵ - [Previous: c8.71](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.bloomfield-1908.c8.71) - [Next: c8.73](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.bloomfield-1908.c8.73) - [Up: c8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.bloomfield-1908.c8) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.bloomfield-1908.c8.72](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.bloomfield-1908.c8.72) · Pramāṇa