Shloka 16
Mahāprasthānika-parva Adhyāya 2: The Northward March, Sight of Himavat and Meru, and the Sequential Falls
रूपेण मत्समो नास्ति कश्रिदित्यस्य दर्शनम् अधिकश्चाहमेवैक इत्यस्य मनसि स्थितम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | rūpeṇa matsamo nāsti kaścid ity asya darśanam adhikaś cāham evaika ity asya manasi sthitam | bhīmasena! nakulasya dṛṣṭiḥ sadā evaṃrūpā āsīt—rūpeṇa mama samo dvitīyo nāsti; manasi ca tasya niścayaḥ sthitaḥ—“ekamātraḥ aham eva sarvādhika-rūpavān” iti | tasmān nakulaḥ patitaḥ | tvam āgaccha | vīra! yasya yādṛśī karaṇī, sa tādṛśaṃ phalam avaśyaṃ bhuṅkte |
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «La mirada de Nakula era siempre ésta: “En belleza no hay nadie igual a mí”. En su mente se había asentado la convicción de que “sólo yo soy el más hermoso de todos”. Por esa razón Nakula ha caído. Ven, Bhīmasena. Oh héroe, sea cual sea la conducta de una persona, esa persona experimenta sin falta el fruto que le corresponde.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pride and self-exaltation (here, vanity about beauty) become a moral fault that leads to downfall; one inevitably experiences the fruit of one’s own conduct (karma-phala).
During the Pāṇḍavas’ final journey, Nakula falls. The speaker explains to Bhīma that Nakula’s inner vanity—believing no one matched him in beauty—was the cause, and urges Bhīma to continue, emphasizing inevitable moral consequence.