Shloka 56
कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
नगराणां विहारेषु विधर्माणो युगक्षये । अधर्मिष्ठिरुपायैश्व प्रजा व्यवहरन्त्युत,युगान्तके समय नगरोंके उद्यानोंमें पापी पुरुष अड्डा जमायेंगे और पापपूर्ण उपायोंद्वारा प्रजाके साथ दुर्व्यवहार करेंगे
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: nagarāṇāṁ vihāreṣu vidharmāṇo yugakṣaye | adharmiṣṭhir upāyaiś ca prajā vyavaharanti uta ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : « À la fin de l’âge, dans les jardins de plaisance des cités, les hommes déchus du dharma se rassembleront et en feront leurs repaires ; puis, par des stratagèmes entièrement iniques, ils maltraiteront le peuple. »
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that when dharma declines (yugakṣaya), public spaces meant for wholesome recreation become occupied by lawless people, and society suffers because the populace is exploited through unrighteous and deceptive means. It frames ethical governance and social conduct as indicators of an age’s moral health.
Vaiśampāyana is describing ominous characteristics of the end of an age: in city gardens and pleasure-grounds, irreligious men congregate, and they deal with the people through adharma—harassing, exploiting, and behaving unjustly—signaling widespread social disorder.