people who always engage in cruelty, will not stay in good status

न चिरं पापकर्माणः क्रूराः लोकजुगुप्सिताः।

ऐश्वर्यं प्राप्य तिष्टन्ति शीर्ण्णमूलाः इव द्रुमाः॥

श्रीमद्वाल्मीकिरामायणे आरन्यकाण्डे २९-७

na ciraṁ pāpakarmāṇaḥ krūrāḥ lokajugupsitāḥ |

aiśvaryaṁ prāpya tiṣṭanti śīrṇṇamūlāḥ iva drumāḥ||

śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇe āranyakāṇḍe 29-7

This is a quote from Srimad Valmikiramayanam

Rama, Sita and Laksmana are in the forest.. Shurpanakha, the sister of Ravana once approached the brothers with a request that one of them should marry her.. She also demanded that Sita should be abandoned.. Her request was spurned.. And when she turned violent, she was immolated.

The demoness Shurparanakha approached her another brother and a Vassal of Ravana, the Demon Khara and complained to him about the insult she received at the hands of the princes, and asked Khara to wage a battle against Rama..

Khara, an evil demon, a cruel person who ruled the Dandaka causing a lot of difficulties and damages to the peace loving hermits and sages occupying the forest and doing penance, immediately started for a battle with Rama with fourteen thousand armed soldiers.. Rama confronted the army single handed, after leaving Lakshmana to guard Sita..

A fierce battle was the result.. Rama finished off all the soldier with his arrows, and broke the armour and chariot of Khara.. Khara was now standing before Rama, without any arms or assistance..

Rama is addressing this message to the demon Khara at this stage.

Meaning of the Sloka

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You Demon, Please take note that people who can only do sinful work, who engage themselves in activities which are condemned by all, people who always engage in cruelty, will not stay in good status even if they have acquired great wealth and power.. they would perish soon.. Their just stand there like huge trees whose roots are all rotten..

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Sinfulness, public contempt, and cruelty, all erode the foundation of wealth and goodwill of any person, however powerful he is .. A clean character and goodwill of all are the roots of ones existence.. If such roots are rotten then the person perishes, like a tree..

Rama later on slays Khara too..

Analysis

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पापकर्माणः those who act sinfully

क्रूराः those who are cruel

लोकजुगुप्स्तिताः those who are condemned by one and

all in the world

पुरुषाः people

ऐश्वर्यं प्राप्य having acquired state of power and wealth

चिरं न तिष्टन्ति. would not remain erect for long

ते they

शीर्ण्णमूलाः whose roots have become rotten

द्रुमाः इव like trees

नाशं यान्ति.. face destruction..