Shloka 15

Mahāprasthānika-parva Adhyāya 2: The Northward March, Sight of Himavat and Meru, and the Sequential Falls

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तो भीमसेनेन प्रत्युवाच युधिष्ठिर: । नकुलं प्रति धर्मात्मा सर्वबुद्धिमतां वर:,भीमसेनके इस प्रकार पूछनेपर समस्त बुद्धिमानोंमें श्रेष्ठ धर्मात्मा युधिष्ठिरने नकुलके विषयमें इस प्रकार उत्तर दिया--

Transliteration

ity ukto bhīmasenena pratyuvāca yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | nakulaṃ prati dharmātmā sarvabuddhimatāṃ varaḥ ||

Translation

భీమసేనుడు ఇలా అడుగగా, ధర్మాత్ముడైన యుధిష్ఠిరుడు—సర్వ బుద్ధిమంతులలో శ్రేష్ఠుడు—నకులుని విషయమై ప్రత్యుత్తరం పలికెను.

Word by Word

इतिthus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

भीमसेनेनby Bhimasena

प्रत्युवाचreplied

युधिष्ठिरःYudhishthira

नकुलम्Nakula

प्रतिtowards / regarding

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled

सर्वबुद्धिमताम्of all the wise

वरःbest / foremost

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīmasena

Yudhiṣṭhira

Nakula

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds Yudhiṣṭhira as the exemplar of dharma and discernment: when questioned, he responds not impulsively but with ethical clarity, indicating that even in moments of loss and hardship one should interpret events through the lens of dharma and right understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Mahāprasthāna (the Pāṇḍavas’ final departure), Bhīma asks a question, and Yudhiṣṭhira answers specifically regarding Nakula—introducing the explanation that follows about the moral or spiritual reason connected with Nakula in the unfolding journey.