In plain words
It has thrown down, root and all, the moral values that a human being in human society should have. Indeed, it is true that it has brought progress in science, in worldly life and in material things. But it is leaving no passage to the world beyond, to selflessness, to divinity and to the Ātma principle. In a way, it has been throwing down nothing other than humanness itself. That is why the young women and young men of today cannot recognise their own nature, their own divinity. They have come to regard self-interest and their own advantage as the goal of life. In keeping with this, demonic tendencies such as show, idle talk and Ahaṅkāra have been dancing the dance of destruction in society. In the land of Bhārata, renowned as the seat of the guru in the spiritual life, the great demons of injustice, wrongdoing, misconduct and Asatya now roam as they please. Becoming nothing but slaves to modern culture, giving not a thought to the sacred culture of Bhārata, not keeping to Satya and Dharma, man behaves with his worldly life alone as his aim.
What students must protect today is not the country. They must protect Satya and Dharma alone. Satya and Dharma themselves will protect the country. Putting Satya and Dharma wholly out of mind, crying 'Protect the country, protect the country!', the educated people of today are devouring the country. Merely by mastering learning, they do not become wise. They study for the sake of a livelihood, but they forget the truth that is the supreme goal of life. You must keep the supreme goal of life in view as well.
Though great learning be there, if there is no virtue, what is it worth, and what is its fruit? What use are ten acres of land that grow no crop? Good land, even a little, is enough.
Becoming a person of virtue is far more essential than becoming greatly learned. Today people make the effort needed to gather wealth, friends and strength, but no one tries to nourish virtue. Wealth, friends and strength are passing clouds. What shows the path of Satya for all time is virtue. You must become an example in virtue; you must not become an example in strength or in wealth.
Many elders who wish the world well and seek its good have themselves bowed to this modern culture and are forgetting the ancient way of things.