Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 29: Rāma Breaks Khara’s Mace
Text 3.29.7
न चिरं पापकर्माणः क्रूरा लोकजुगुप्सिताः।
ऐश्वर्यं प्राप्य तिष्ठन्ति शीर्णमूला इव द्रुमाः॥
na ciraṁ pāpa-karmāṇaḥ krūrā loka-jugupsitāḥ
aiśvaryaṁ prāpya tiṣṭhanti śīrṇa-mūlā iva drumāḥ
na = not; ciram = for long; pāpa-karmāṇaḥ = persons who act sinfully; krūrāḥ = cruel; loka-jugupsitāḥ = and who are despised by the world; aiśvaryam = opulences; prāpya = even after attaining; tiṣṭhanti = do stay; śīrṇa-mūlāḥ = whose roots have withered; iva = like; drumāḥ = trees.
Like trees whose roots have withered, cruel persons who act sinfully and who are despised by the world do not stay for long even after attaining opulences.
Those who exclusively engage in sinful activities experience the results [of those sinful activities] in another life. But cruel [people engaged in sinful activities] do not stay for long even after attaining opulences due to slight piety; they are quickly destroyed.