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 berkata: “Pandangan Nakula sentiasa begini: ‘Tiada siapa setara denganku dalam ketampanan.’ Dalam hatinya telah berakar keyakinan bahawa ‘akulah seorang sahaja yang paling tampan.’ Oleh sebab itu Nakula rebah. Marilah, Bhīmasena. Wahai wira, bagaimana pun perbuatan seseorang, demikianlah juga hasilnya pasti dialami.”
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.