Yudhishthira said “When virtue is deteriorated and is transgressed by all, when sin is considered as virtue, and virtue become vice, when all healthy restraints are washed a way, and all truths regarding righteousness are disturbed and confounded, when people are oppressed by kings and robbers, when men of all the four modes of life become stupefied about their duties, and all works are shorn of merit, when men see cause of fear on all sides for lust and covetousness and folly, when all creatures cease to trust one another, when they kill one another by deceitful means and impose upon one another, when houses are consumed throughout the country, when the Brahmanas are greatly assailed, when the clouds do not discharge a drop of rain, when every one's hand is turned against his neighbour, when all the necessaries of life are misappropriated by robbers, when, indeed, such a season of dreadful distress sets in by what means should a Brahmana live who is reluctant to renounce mercy and his children? How, indeed, should a Brahmana maintain himself at such a time? Tell me this, O grandfather! How also should the king live at such a time when iniquity possess the world? How, O scorcher of enemies, should the king live so that he might not deviate from both virtue and profit.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच हीने परमके धर्मे सर्वलोकाभिलचिते। अधर्मे धर्मतां नीते धर्मे चाधर्मतां गते॥ मर्यादासु विनष्टासु क्षुभिते धर्मनिश्चये। राजभिः पीडिते लोके परैर्वापि विशाम्पते॥ सर्वाश्रमेषु मूढेषु कर्मसूपहतेषु च। कामाल्लोभाच्च मोहाच्च भयं पश्यत्सु भारत॥ अविश्वस्तेषु सर्वेषु नित्यं भीतेषु पार्थिव। निकृत्या हन्यमानेषु वञ्चयत्सु परस्परम्॥ सम्प्रदीप्तेषु देशेषु ब्राह्मणे चातिपीडिते। अवर्षति च पर्जन्ये मिथो भेदे समुत्थिते॥ सर्वस्मिन् दस्युसाद् भूते पृथिव्यामुपजीवने। केनस्विद् ब्राह्मणो जीवेज्जघन्ये काल आगते॥ अतितिक्षुः पुत्रपौत्राननुक्रोशान्नराधिप। कथमापत्सु वर्तेत तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह।॥ कथं च राजा वर्तेत लोके कलुषतां गते। कथमर्थाच्च धर्माच्च न हीयेत परंतप।॥