Shloka 64

Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ

Devanagari script

यः पुनर्वितथं ब्रूयाद्‌ धर्मदर्शी सभां गत: । अनृतस्य फल कृत्स्नं सम्प्राप्रोतीति निश्चय:,इसी प्रकार जो धर्मज्ञ मानव सभामें जाकर किसी प्रश्नपर झूठा निर्णय देता है, वह निश्चय ही असत्यभाषण-का पूरा फल (दण्ड) पाता है

Transliteration

yaḥ punar vitathaṃ brūyād dharmadarśī sabhāṃ gataḥ | anṛtasya phalaṃ kṛtsnaṃ samprāpnotīti niścayaḥ ||

Translation

Vidura declares that if a person who knows what is right enters the royal assembly and nevertheless speaks falsely—delivering an untrue judgment on a matter—he certainly incurs the entire consequence of falsehood.

Word by Word

यःwho

पुनःagain; moreover

वितथम्false (thing/statement)

ब्रूयात्should say; would speak

धर्मदर्शीone who sees/knows dharma; righteous

सभाम्assembly; court

गतःgone; having gone

अनृतस्यof untruth; of falsehood

फलम्fruit; result; consequence

कृत्स्नम्entire; whole

सम्प्राप्नोतिattains; incurs; receives

इतिthus (quotative)

निश्चयःcertainty; definite conclusion

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vidura

sabhā (royal assembly)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Truthful speech is a binding duty in the public assembly; a dharma-knowing person who still speaks falsely—especially in judgment—incurs the full moral and punitive consequence of untruth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura is instructing the court on standards of righteous conduct in the sabhā, warning that false testimony or a dishonest decision in an official setting brings complete culpability.