anṛta vadana

 Anṛta vadana (अनृतवदन) in Sanskrit means “speaking falsehood” or “lying,” derived from the combination of anṛta (untruth, falsehood) and vadana (mouth, speech, or face) 

Wisdom Library

.

Etymology and Composition

Anṛta (अन्-ऋत) refers to falsehood, untruth, or what is not in accordance

with ṛta, the cosmic or moral order. Vadana (वदन) literally means “mouth” 

or “face,” but by extension, it also refers to speech or 

utterance

Wisdom Library

. Together, anṛta-vadana forms a tatpurusha

compound in Sanskrit, literally “false-speaking” or “the act of speaking 

an untruth”

Wisdom Library

. Derivable forms include 

anṛtavadanam (अनृतवदनम्).

Related Terms

• Anṛtabhāṣaṇa – speaking falsely or giving false statements.
• Anṛtākhyāna – telling untruthful stories or accounts.

Usage in Texts

The term is primarily used in Hindu and Sanskrit literature to denote

lying or deceitful speech. It is employed to describe persons engaging

in untruthful acts or discourse and is conceptually linked to ethical and

moral discussions in Dharmic contexts, wherein truth (ṛta or satya)

is virtuous and falsehood (anṛta) is considered morally negative

Wikipedia

.

Semantic Extensions

While vadana can mean “mouth” or “face” in general, in 

moral-philosophical contexts it represents the speaker and the 

speech produced, making anṛta vadana specifically about speech 

acts that violate truth

Wisdom Library+1

.

In summary, anṛta vadana is a Sanskrit term used to describe lying, 

speaking untruth, or false declaration, emphasizing the ethical 

significance of truthful speech in classical Indian thought. Its literal

components, anṛta + vadana, reinforce the idea of mouth/speech

being devoted to untruth.