Shloka 14

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 69: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Reverential Address to Sañjaya on Vāsudeva

Devanagari script

अतत्त्वं कुरुते तत्त्व तेन मोहयते प्रजा:,वे अपनी सत्ता-स्फूर्ति देकर असत्यको भी सत्य-सा कर देते हैं और इस प्रकार सारी प्रजाको मोहमें डाल देते हैं

Transliteration

atattvaṁ kurute tattvaṁ tena mohayate prajāḥ |

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ພຣະອົງເຮັດໃຫ້ສິ່ງທີ່ບໍ່ຈິງປາກົດເປັນຄວາມຈິງ; ໂດຍພະລັງນັ້ນເອງ ພຣະອົງເຮັດໃຫ້ປະຊາຊົນຫຼົງໄຫຼ. ໃນກອບຈິດທຳຂອງເຫດການນີ້, ນີ້ແມ່ນຄຳເຕືອນວ່າ ອຳນາດແລະສະເໜ່ອາດເຮັດໃຫ້ຄວາມເທັດດູເໝືອນມີຄວາມຊອບທຳ, ແລະນຳສັງຄົມໄປສູ່ຄວາມສັບສົນແລະຄວາມຜິດທາງທຳມະ.

Word by Word

• अतत्त्वम्: untruth, non-reality
• अतत्त्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कुरुते: makes, does
• कुरुते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• तत्त्वम्: truth, reality
• तत्त्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तेन: by that, thereby
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• मोहयते: deludes, confuses
• मोहयते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Causative

• प्रजाः: the people, subjects
• प्रजाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• prajāḥ (the people/subjects)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Falsehood can be made to look like truth when backed by power, prestige, or persuasive speech; such distortion creates moha (delusion) in society. The verse cautions that leaders bear special responsibility to protect truth, because their influence can normalize error.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, reporting and reflecting within the Udyoga Parva’s tense pre-war diplomacy, comments on how a figure’s authority can make the untrue seem true, thereby misleading the populace—an observation relevant to the moral and political confusion surrounding the impending conflict.