Shloka 14
Adhyāya 203 — Tilottamā-sṛṣṭiḥ
Creation and Commissioning of Tilottamā
दुष्टेन मनसा यो वै प्रच्छन्नेनान्तरात्मना । ब्रूयान्नि:श्रेयसं नाम कथं कुर्यात् सतां मतम्,जो अपने अन्तःकरणके दुर्भावको छिपाकर, दोषयुक्त हृदयसे कोई सलाह देता है, वह अपने ऊपर विश्वास करनेवाले साधुपुरुषोंके अभीष्ट कल्याणकी सिद्धि कैसे कर सकता है?
duṣṭena manasā yo vai pracchannenāntarātmanā | brūyān niḥśreyasaṃ nāma kathaṃ kuryāt satāṃ matam ||
Karna said: “How could a man, whose mind is wicked and whose inner self is concealed, offer counsel in the name of ‘the highest good’ and actually accomplish the welfare desired by the righteous—those who place their trust in him?”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Advice aimed at true welfare (niḥśreyasa) requires inner integrity. If one’s intention is hidden and corrupt, even words that sound beneficial cannot reliably produce the good sought by the righteous, because the counsel is compromised at its source.
Karna is speaking critically about the reliability of counsel: he questions how someone with concealed, ill intent can claim to guide others toward their good and still fulfill what virtuous people seek—highlighting suspicion toward hypocritical or self-serving advisers.