Chapter XVIII · Śloka 32
अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते तमसावृता |
सर्वार्थान्विपरीतांश्च बुद्धिः सा पार्थ तामसी ||
सर्वार्थान्विपरीतांश्च बुद्धिः सा पार्थ तामसी ||
adharmaṃ dharmam iti yā manyate tamasāvṛtā |
sarvārthān viparītāṃś ca buddhiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī ||
sarvārthān viparītāṃś ca buddhiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī ||
That intellect which, covered by darkness, takes adharma to be dharma, and all things as their opposite — that intellect, O Pārtha, is tāmasic.
Tamas inverts understanding entirely: the darkened intellect calls evil good and good evil, confusion wisdom and wisdom folly. When the very instrument of discernment is corrupted, every judgment it makes compounds the error.