Shloka 55
कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
अल्पायुषो दरिद्राश्न॒ धर्मिष्ठा मानवास्तथा । दीर्घायुष: समृद्धाश्व विधर्माणो युगक्षये,युगान्तकालमें धर्मिष्ठ मानव अल्पायु तथा दरिद्र देखे जायँगे और अधर्मी मनुष्य दीर्घायु तथा समृद्धिशाली देखे जायँगे
vaiśampāyana uvāca | alpāyuṣo daridrāś ca dharmiṣṭhā mānavās tathā | dīrghāyuṣaḥ samṛddhāś ca vidharmāṇo yugakṣaye ||
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—یُگ کے اختتام پر دھرم پر قائم لوگ بھی کم عمر اور مفلس دکھائی دیں گے؛ اور جو دھرم کے خلاف چلتے ہیں وہ دراز عمر اور خوشحال نظر آئیں گے۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
In an age of decline, external markers like wealth and longevity can become unreliable indicators of virtue: the righteous may suffer, while the unrighteous may flourish. The verse warns against judging dharma by worldly success and points to a broader breakdown of moral order at yugānta.
Vaiśampāyana is describing characteristics of the yuga’s end—an inversion of expected moral outcomes—where dharmic people appear impoverished and short-lived, and adharmic people appear prosperous and long-lived.