पुरुषँ सोम्योत हस्तगृहीतमानयन्त्य-पहार्षीत्स्तेयमकार्षीत्परशुमस्मै तपतेतिस यदि तस्य कर्ता भवति तत एवानृत-मात्मानं कुरुते सोऽनृताभिसंधोऽनृतेना-त्मानमन्तर्धाय परशुं तप्तं प्रतिगृह्णातिस दह्यतेऽथ हन्यते ॥ १ ॥
In plain words
My dear, consider how they bring a man accused of theft, holding him by the hand, and cry, 'He has stolen! Heat the axe for him!' If he is indeed guilty, he wraps himself in falsehood. Clinging to that lie, hiding behind untruth, he grasps the red-hot iron. His hand is burned, his guilt is exposed, and he is put to death.
Close to the Sanskrit
O gentle one, they bring a man held by the hand, saying, 'He has stolen, he has committed theft; heat the axe for him.' If he is the doer of that, then indeed he makes himself untruthful. Clinging to untruth, covering himself with untruth, he grasps the heated axe; he is burned, and then he is killed.