एकेन शुष्कवृक्षेण
दह्यमानेन वह्निना ।
दह्यते तद्वनं सर्वं
कुपुत्रेण कुलं यथा ॥
ekena śuṣkavṛkṣeṇa
dahyamānena vahninā ।
dahyate tadvanaṃ sarvaṃ
kuputreṇa kulaṃ yathā ॥
एकेन शुष्कवृक्षेण (ekena śuṣkavṛkṣeṇa) = by one dry tree
वह्निना दह्यमानेन (vahninā dahyamānena) = by that which is burning with fire
तत् सर्वं वनं दह्यते (tat sarvaṃ vanaṃ dahyate) = that entire forest is burnt
यथा (yathā) = just as
कुपुत्रेण कुलम् (kuputreṇa kulam) = entire clan by one wicked son.
Meaning: Just as one dry tree burning with fire is enough to burn the entire forest, one ill-mannered child is enough to burn / destroy the entire clan. (Example: Rāvaṇa)
Credits: Courtesy Brahmachari Ved Chaitanya of Chinmaya International Foundation (CIF)
Image courtesy: Flaticon
P.S.: All errors / mistakes are my own