Shloka 14
Mahāprasthānika-parva Adhyāya 2: The Northward March, Sight of Himavat and Meru, and the Sequential Falls
योअड्यमक्षतधथर्मात्मा भ्राता वचनकारक: । रूपेणाप्रतिमो लोके नकुल: पतितो भुवि
yo ’dhyam akṣata-dharmātmā bhrātā vacana-kārakaḥ | rūpeṇāpratimo loke nakulaḥ patito bhuvi ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「なぜナクラは大地に倒れたのか――われらの兄弟ナクラは、正しき法にいささかの汚れもなく、つねに我らの命に従い、容姿の美において世に比ぶ者なき者であったのに？」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even conspicuous virtues—beauty, outward righteousness, and dutiful service—do not guarantee freedom from downfall if subtle inner faults remain. In the Mahāprasthāna sequence, each fall points to a specific attachment or pride that obstructs the final ascent.
During the Pāṇḍavas’ great departure, Nakula collapses on the path. The speaker (through Vaiśampāyana’s narration) voices the astonishment: Nakula seemed flawless in dharma, obedient to his brothers, and unmatched in beauty—so why has he fallen?