Mahabharata 3.69.8 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 69, Shloka 8
ऋतुपर्णस्य विदर्भयात्रा-निश्चयः तथा बाहुकस्य हयपरिक्षा (Ṛtuparṇa’s resolve to go to Vidarbha and Bāhuka’s examination of horses)
न चास्या नश्यते रूप॑ वपुर्मलसमाचितम् । असंस्कृतमभिव्यक्त भाति काञ्चनसंनिभम्
na cāsyā naśyate rūpaṁ vapur malasamācitam | asaṁskṛtam abhivyaktaṁ bhāti kāñcanasaṁnibham ||
യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ശരീരം മലിനത കൊണ്ട് നിറഞ്ഞിരുന്നാലും അവളുടെ രൂപം നശിക്കുന്നില്ല. അലങ്കാരവും പരിചരണവും ഇല്ലാതിരുന്നാലും അവളുടെ ദേഹം വ്യക്തമായി തിളങ്ങുന്നു; സ്വർണ്ണസദൃശമായി ഭാസിക്കുന്നു.
युदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Outer neglect, dirt, or hardship does not erase inner worth. True nature (rūpa in the sense of inherent radiance) can remain evident even when external conditions are degraded; ethical perception looks beyond surface appearance.
Yudhiṣṭhira observes a woman whose body is soiled and ungroomed, yet he notes that her innate beauty still shines like gold. The remark functions as recognition of enduring nobility despite visible distress.
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