---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Truth is elusive, subtle, manysided. You…"
description: "\"“Truth is elusive, subtle, manysided. You know, Priscilla, there’s an old Hindu story about Truth. It seems a brash young warrior sought the hand of a ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/shashi-tharoor-2698_hinduism_truth-is-elusive-subtle-manysided-you-kn_2540840.png"
---

#  Truth is elusive, subtle, manysided. You know, Priscilla…

![“Truth is elusive, subtle, manysided. You know, Priscilla, there’s an old Hindu story about Truth. It seems a brash young warrior sought the hand of a beautiful princess. Her father, the king, thought he was a bit too cocksure and callow. He decreed that the warrior could only marry the princess…” quote by Shashi Tharoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/shashi-tharoor-2698_hinduism_truth-is-elusive-subtle-manysided-you-kn_2540840.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/shashi-tharoor-2698_hinduism_truth-is-elusive-subtle-manysided-you-kn_2540840.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/shashi-tharoor-2698_hinduism_truth-is-elusive-subtle-manysided-you-kn_2540840.png)

> ““Truth is elusive, subtle, manysided. You know, Priscilla, there’s an old Hindu story about Truth. It seems a brash young warrior sought the hand of a beautiful princess. Her father, the king, thought he was a bit too cocksure and callow. He decreed that the warrior could only marry the princess after he had found Truth. So the warrior set out into the world on a quest for Truth. He went to temples and monasteries, to mountaintops where sages meditated, to remote forests where ascetics scourged themselves, but nowhere could he find Truth. Despairing one day and seeking shelter from a thunderstorm, he took refuge in a musty cave. There was an old crone there, a hag with matted hair and warts on her face, the skin hanging loose from her bony limbs, her teeth yellow and rotting, her breath malodorous. But as he spoke to her, with each question she answered, he realized he had come to the end of his journey: she was Truth. They spoke all night, and when the storm cleared, the warrior told her he had fulfilled his quest. ‘Now that I have found Truth,’ he said, ‘what shall I tell them at the palace about you?’ The wizened old creature smiled. ‘Tell them,’ she said, ‘tell them that I am young and beautiful.””

[Shashi Tharoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-tharoor/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Truth is multifaceted and can appear in unexpected forms; the quest for absolute truth may end in recognizing truth in the humble and overlooked.

**In simple terms:** Truth can be found in unlikely places and people.

Key Takeaway

Seek truth beyond appearances and be open to humility.

Themes

philosophy spirituality humility

Mood

contemplative thoughtful

Type

narrative inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- critical thinking
- accepting paradox
- valuing diverse perspectives
- learning from the marginalized

Key Concepts

mythology subjectivity

Questions to Reflect On

- What does truth look like in your life?
- How do you handle contradictory truths?

A Different Perspective

The story may oversimplify complex philosophical debates about truth.

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[Hinduism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hinduism/) [India](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/india/) [Princess Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/princess-truth-1432087/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Story Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-truth-1025641/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) [Truth Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-warrior-1432086/) [Warrior Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warrior-told-1432085/) [Young and beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-and-beautiful/)

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