Shloka 19
Prabhāsa-tīrthe Vṛṣṇi–Pāṇḍava-saṅgamaḥ; Halī Rāmasya dharma-vimarśaḥ
Meeting at Prabhāsa and Balarāma’s Reflection on Dharma
यः पार्थिवानेकरथेन जिग्ये दिशं प्रतीचीं प्रति युद्धशौण्ड: । सो<यं वने मूलफलेन जीव- उ्जटी चरत्यद्य मलाचिताड्र:,जिस युद्धकुशल नकुलने एकमात्र रथकी सहायतासे पश्चिम दिशाके समस्त भूपालोंको जीत लिया था, वही आज वनमें फल-मूलसे जीवन-निर्वाह करता हुआ सिरपर जटा धारण किये मलिन शरीरसे विचर रहा है
yaḥ pārthivān eka-rathena jigye diśaṃ pratīcīṃ prati yuddha-śauṇḍaḥ | so 'yaṃ vane mūla-phalena jīvan jaṭī caraty adya malācitāṅgaḥ ||
Baladeva said: “He who, a master of battle, once conquered the kings of the western quarter with but a single chariot—he now wanders in the forest, living on roots and fruits, wearing matted locks, his body begrimed. Such is the reversal that exile brings even upon the mighty.”
बलदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the instability of worldly status: even a victorious kshatriya who once subdued many rulers can be reduced by circumstances to an ascetic-like life in exile. It evokes reflection on endurance, humility, and the ethical weight of dharma amid changing fortune.
Baladeva points to the contrast in Nakula’s condition: formerly he conquered the western kings with only one chariot, but now he lives in the forest on roots and fruits, with matted hair and a dirt-covered body—an image underscoring the Pandavas’ hardship in exile.