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 ||
婆罗提婆说道：“那位精于战阵、仅凭一乘战车便征服西方诸王的人——如今却在林中徘徊，以根与果为食，发结纠缠，身躯尘垢满布。流放之苦，竟使强者也遭此翻覆。”
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.