Shloka 14

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

Санджая сказал: он заставляет ложное казаться истинным; и этой же силой вводит людей в заблуждение. В нравственной рамке эпизода это — предостережение о том, как власть и харизма способны придать неправде видимость законности и повести общество к смятению и моральной ошибке.

Word by Word

अतत्त्वम्untruth, non-reality

कुरुतेmakes, does

तत्त्वम्truth, reality

तेनby that, thereby

मोहयतेdeludes, confuses

प्रजाःthe people, subjects

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

prajāḥ (the people/subjects)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

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.