Shloka 58
न युक्त तु मृषा वाणी त्वया वक्तुमरिंदम | तथा मयाप्यभिहितं मिथ्या कर्तु न शक््यते,शत्रुदमन नरेश! आपके लिये भी झूठ बोलना उचित नहीं है और मैं भी अपनी कही हुई बातको मिथ्या नहीं कर सकता
na yukta tu mṛṣā vāṇī tvayā vaktum ariṃdama | tathā mayāpy abhihitaṃ mithyā kartuṃ na śakyate, śatrudamana nareśa |
O manlulupig ng mga kaaway, hindi nararapat sa iyo ang magsalita ng kasinungalingan. At gayundin, O haring pumapaimbabaw sa mga kaaway, hindi ko rin magagawang gawing di-totoo ang aking nasabi na—ang aking salita’y hindi maibabaligtad upang maging kasinungalingan.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truthful speech is a dharmic obligation for both ruler and Brahmin: the king should not resort to falsehood, and the speaker must not invalidate his own declared word. Integrity of speech is presented as a moral constraint that binds all, regardless of power.
A Brahmin addresses a king using royal epithets (‘tamer of enemies’) and refuses any move toward lying or retracting truth. The exchange frames an ethical tension—pressure to alter statements versus the duty to uphold satya—within a didactic setting typical of Śānti Parva.