Shloka 53
कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
भूयिष्ठं कूटमानैश्व पण्यं विक्रीणते जना: । वणिजकश्न नरव्यात्र बहुमाया भवन्त्युत,लोग बाजारमें झूठे माप-तौल बनाकर बहुत-सा माल बेचते रहेंगे। नरश्रेष्ठीी उस समयके बनिये भी बहुत माया जाननेवाले (धूर्त) होंगे
bhūyiṣṭhaṃ kūṭamānaiś ca paṇyaṃ vikrīṇate janāḥ | vaṇijaś ca naraśreṣṭha bahumāyā bhavanty uta ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dit : «En ce temps-là, les gens vendront le plus souvent leurs marchandises avec des poids et des mesures falsifiés. Et les marchands aussi, ô le meilleur des hommes, seront pleins de ruses et de tromperies, experts en maintes formes de fraude.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that honest trade is part of dharma, and that using false weights, measures, and deceptive practices is adharma. It portrays widespread commercial fraud as a symptom of ethical degeneration in society.
Vaiśampāyana is describing conditions of a deteriorating age: ordinary people and merchants alike will increasingly rely on dishonest weights and cunning tricks to sell goods, indicating a broader collapse of moral standards.