स सत्यकज्चुकं नाम प्रविष्टेन ततोडनृतम्
sa satyakajcukaṁ nāma praviṣṭena tato 'nṛtam
स सत्यकञ्चुकं नाम प्रविष्टेन ततोऽनृतम्।
अजुन उवाच
The verse warns that untruth does not become righteous merely by being wrapped in the appearance of truth; ethical evaluation must look beyond outward justification to the actual nature of the act.
Arjuna comments on a situation where a claim or strategy is presented as truthful (a ‘cloak of truth’), but its outcome or intent is falsehood—reflecting the strained morality and tactical speech of the battlefield.