Shloka 53
कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
भूयिष्ठं कूटमानैश्व पण्यं विक्रीणते जना: । वणिजकश्न नरव्यात्र बहुमाया भवन्त्युत
bhūyiṣṭhaṃ kūṭamānaiś ca paṇyaṃ vikrīṇate janāḥ | vaṇijaś ca naraśreṣṭha bahumāyā bhavanty uta ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໃນເວລານັ້ນ ຜູ້ຄົນສ່ວນໃຫຍ່ຈະຂາຍສິນຄ້າດ້ວຍຕາຊັ່ງແລະມາດຕາວັດທີ່ປອມ. ແລະພໍ່ຄ້າທັງຫຼາຍ ໂອ ຜູ້ປະເສີດໃນມະນຸດ ຈະເຕັມໄປດ້ວຍກົນລະຍຸດແລະການຫຼອກລວງ—ຊ່ຽວຊານໃນມາຍາຫຼາຍປະການ».
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.