Shloka 41
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
सत्येन तुल्यो दोषः स्यादसत्याद्दोषवान्भवेत् । नृणां मिथ्याभिशस्तानां पतंत्यश्रूणि रोदनात्
satyena tulyo doṣaḥ syādasatyāddoṣavānbhavet | nṛṇāṃ mithyābhiśastānāṃ pataṃtyaśrūṇi rodanāt
Kesalahan dapat ditimbang dengan neraca kebenaran; tetapi melalui dusta seseorang menjadi sungguh tercela. Bagi mereka yang dituduh secara palsu, air mata jatuh ketika mereka menangis.
Unspecified (context not provided for dialogue attribution)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: syādasatyād → syāt asatyāt; doṣavānbhavet → doṣavān bhavet; pataṃtyaśrūṇi → patanti aśrūṇi; mithyābhiśastānām treated as mithyā + abhiśasta (upapada-tatpuruṣa).
FAQs
It elevates satya (truthfulness) as the standard for judging wrongdoing and condemns asatya (falsehood), especially in the form of false accusation, as a serious moral fault.
It highlights the real human suffering caused by slander or wrongful blame, underscoring that false speech creates harm beyond mere words.
It advises restraint and verification in speech—do not accuse without truth, and weigh faults carefully rather than amplifying them through untruth.