Verse 18.32
अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते तमसावृता ।
सर्वार्थान्विपरीतांश्च बुद्धिः सा पार्थ तामसी ॥
Transliteration
adharmaṃ dharmamiti yā manyate tamasāvṛtā |
sarvārthānviparītāṃśca buddhiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī ||
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3
Translation
That, which, enveloped in darkness, sees Adharma as Dharma and all things perverted that intellect, O Arjuna, is Tamasic (dark).
From the owner's sheet · +1 more
The understanding which, covered by darkness, takes adharma to be dharma and sees all things in reverse, son of Pritha, is tamasic.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08 · +1 more
Word by word
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08
Explanation
Tamasic understanding, covered by darkness, takes adharma to be dharma and sees everything in reverse. This is the most dangerous state, because wrong appears right and confusion feels like certainty. The verse explains how people can commit serious wrongs while believing themselves justified. In the context of the war, it recalls the conduct of those who had wronged the Pandavas while claiming legitimacy. The threefold picture of understanding is now complete.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08