Shloka 16
Rājā–Rāja-Śabda-Prabhavaḥ — The Origin and Rationale of Kingship and Daṇḍanīti
ते मोहवशमापन्ना मनुजा मनुजर्षभ । प्रतिपत्तिविमोहाच्च धर्मस्तेषामनीनशत्,नरश्रेष्ठी जब सारे मनुष्य मोहके वशीभूत हो गये, तब कर्तव्याकर्तव्यके ज्ञानसे शून्य होनेके कारण उनके धर्मका नाश हो गया
te mohavaśam āpannā manujā manujarṣabha | pratipatti-vimohāc ca dharmas teṣām anīnaśat ||
毗湿摩说道：“人中雄牛啊，当众人陷于迷妄之势，对当为与不当为茫然失措之时，他们的达摩——正当的秩序与道德的自制——便被毁坏了。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When delusion dominates, people lose discernment about duty and wrongdoing; that confusion erodes dharma itself, leading to moral and social collapse.
In Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Bhishma explains to his listener that widespread moral decline begins when humans become deluded and cannot distinguish proper action from improper action.