Shloka 373
आचार्य उक्तो भवता हत: कुज्जर इत्युत । परंतु आपने सत्यका चोला पहनकर आचार्यसे झूठे ही कह दिया कि “अश्व॒त्थामा मारा गया।” उसी नामका हाथी मारा गया था, इसलिये आपने उसकी आड़ लेकर झूठ कहा
ācārya ukto bhavatā hataḥ kuñjara ity uta | parantu āpane satyakā colā pahanakara ācāryase jhūṭhe hī kaha diyā ki “aśvatthāmā mārā gayā” | usī nām kā hāthī mārā gayā thā, isaliye āpane uskī āṛ lekar jhūṭ kahā |
Arjuna said: “You told the Teacher, ‘The elephant has been slain,’ and yet, wearing the guise of truth, you effectively lied to him by declaring, ‘Aśvatthāmā has been killed.’ It was only an elephant bearing that name that had died; using that ambiguity as a cover, you spoke falsehood.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical tension between literal truth and truthful intent: using technically correct words to create a false belief is treated as a moral failing, especially when directed toward a revered teacher.
Arjuna reproaches the speaker for telling Droṇa that ‘Aśvatthāmā is dead’ by exploiting the fact that an elephant named Aśvatthāmā had been killed, thereby misleading Droṇa and contributing to his collapse in battle.