Srimad Bhagavatam, Volume 3

activities of Vidura within the palace politics, made him wellknown as partial
to the Pandavs and Maharaja Yudhistira has relerred to the past history of
Vidura before his going away from home for prolonged pilgim's journey.
Maharaj Yudhisthira reminded him whether he was equally kind and partial to
his grown up nephews even after the battle of Kurukshetra a great disaster of
family quarrel.
Before the battle of Kurukshetra Dhritarastra's policy was peaceful
annihilation of his nephews and therefore he ordered Purochana to build up a
house of lac at Varanabat and when the building was finished Dhritarastra
desired that his brother's family may live there for some time. When the
Pandavas were going there in the presence of all the members of the royal
family, Vidura tactfully gave instructions to the Pandavas about the future
plan of Dhritarastra. This is specifically described in the Mahabharata (Ch.
144 Adiparva.) He gave hint indirectly "that even an weapon not made of
steel or any other material element can be more sharpen to kill the enemy and
who knows this is never killed". That is to say he gave hint that the party of
the Pandavas was being sent to Varanabat for the sake of being killed and thus
he gave hint to Yudhisthira to become very careful in their new residential
palace. He also gave indication of fire and said that fire cannot extingush the
soul but it can do so for the material body but one who peotects the soul can
live on!y. Kunti could not follow such indirect conversations between
Maharaj Yudhisthira and Vidura and thus when she enquired from her son
about the purport of the conversation, Yudhisthira replied that from the talks
of Vidura it is understood that there is hint of fire in the house where they
were proceeding. Later on Vidura came in disguise to the Pandavas and
informed them that the house keeper was going to set fire in the house on the
fourteenth night of waning moon. It was an intrigue of Dhritarastra that the
Pandavas might die all together with their mother. And by his warning the
Pandavas escaped through a tunnel underneath the earth so that their escape
was also unknown to Dhritarastra so much so that after setting in the fire the
Kouravas became as sure as anything about the death of the Pandavas and
Dhritarastra performed the last rites of death with great cheerfulness. And
during the mourning period all the members of the palace became
overwhelmed with lamentation but Vidura did not become so on account of
his knowledge that the Pandavas were alive somewhere underneath the sky.
There are many such incidences of calamities and in each of them Vidura
gave protection to the Pandavas on one hand and on the other he tried to
restrain his brother Dhritarastra from such intriguing policy. Therefore, he
was always partial to the Pandavas as much as the bird protects its eggs by the
wing.
Kaya vrittya vartitam vas charadbhi kshitimandalam
Teerthani kshetramukhyani sevitani iha bhutale.
While travelling on the surface ofthe earth how did you maintain your
livelihood and while doing so which of the principal holy places and
pilgrimages on the earth you have served.
Vidura went out from the palace for detaching himself from the household
affairs especially in the matter of political intrigues. As referred to
hereinbefore, he was practically insulted by Duryodhone by calling him the
son of a Sudrani although it was not out of place to talk loosely in the case of
one's grandmother. Vidura's mother although a Sudrani she was grand-mother
of Duryodhone and funny talks are sometimes allowed in the matter of grandmother
and grandchildren. But because the remark was actual fact and figure
it was unpalatable talk for Vidura and it was accepted as direct insult for him.
He therefore decided to quit his paternal house and prepare himself for the
renounced order of life. This preparatory stage is called Vanaprastha Ashram
or retired life for travelling and visiting the holy places on the surface of the
earth. In the holy places of India like Vrindaban, Haridwar, Jagannath Puri,
Prayag etc, there are many great devotees and still there are free kitchen
houses for persons who desire to advance spiritually. Maharaj Yudhisthira
was inquisitive to learn whether Vidura maintained himself by the mercy of
the free kitchen houses (chhatras).
Bhavat vida bhagwatas teertha bhutah swayam bibho
Teerthi kurvanti teerthani swantasthena gadabhrita.
Bhavat—your goodself, Vida—like, Bhagwatas—devotees, Teertha—the
holy places of pilgrimage, Bhuta—converted into, Swayam—personally,
Bibho—oh the powerful, Teertha—made into holy place, Kurvanti—do
render, Teerthani—the holy places, Swantasthena—having been situated in
the heart, Gadabhrita—the personality of Godhead.
My Lord! devotees like your goodself are themselves holy places in
person. Because you carry with you, within your heart, the Personality of
Godhead and as such you render all places into a pilgrimage.
The Personality of Godhead is omnipresent by His diverse potencies
everywhere just like the electricity power is distributed everywhere within the
space. Similarly the Lord's omnipresence is perceived and manifested by His
unalloyed devotees like Vidura as much as the electricity power is manifested
in the electric bulb. A pure devotee like Vidura always feel the presence of the
Lord everywhere. He sees everything in the potency of the Lord and the Lord
3
Thirteenth Chapter - Dhritarastra Quits Home
in everything. The holy places all over the earth are meant for purifying the
poluted consciousness Of the human being by an atmosphere surcharged with
the presence of the Lord's unalloyed devotees. If any one visits a holy place he
must search out for the pure devotees residing in such holy places, take
lessons form them try to aply such instructions in practical life and thus
gradually prepare oneself for the ultimate salvation of going back to Godhead.
To go to some holy place of pilgrimage does not mean only to take bath in the
Ganges or Jamuna or to visit the temples situated in those places. One should
find out also representatives of Vidura who have no other desire in life save
and except to serve the Personality of Godhead. The Personality of Godhead
is always with such pure devotees on account of such pure devotee's
unalloyed service without any tinge of fruitive action or utopians peculation.
They are in the actual service of the Lord specifically by the process of
hearing and chanting. The pure devotees hear from the authorities and chant
them by singing and writing the glories of the Lord. Mahamuni Vyasdeva
heard it from Narada and then he chanted in writing: Sukhdev Goswami
studied it from his father and he described it to Parikshit: that is the way of
Srimad Bhagwatam. So by their actions only the pure devotees of the Lord
can render any place turned into a pilgrimage and the holy places become
worth the name only on their account. Such pure devotees are able to rectify
the poluted atmosphere of any place and what to speak of a holy place
rendered unholy by the questionable actions of interested persons who try to
adopt a professional life at the cost of the reputation of a holy place.
Api nah suhridas tata bandhavah krishnadevatah
Dristah sruta va yadavah swapuryam sukhamasate.
Api--whether, Nah--our, Suhridas--well wishers, Krishnadevatah--those who
are always wrapt in the service of the Lord Sri Krishna, Dristah--by seeing
them, Sruta--or by hearing about them, Va--either, Yadavah--the descendants
of Yadu, Swapuryam--along with their residential place, Sukhamasate--if they
are all happy.
My uncle! you must have visited the holy pilgrimage Dwarka and in that
holy place there are our friends and well wishers the descendant of Yadu
who are always wrapt in the service of the Lord Shri Krishna. You might
have either seen them or heard about them. Are they all living happily in
their abode ?
The particular word 'Krishnadevata' i.e. those who are always wrapt in the
service of Lord Krishna is significant. The Yadavas, the Pandavas who were
always wrapt in the thought of Lord Krishna by His different transcendental
activities were all pure devotees of the Lord like Vidura. Vidura left home
inorder to devote himself completely in the service of the Lord but the
Pandavas and the Yadavas were always wrapt in thought of Lord Krishna. As
such there is no difference in their pure devotional qualities. Do remain at
home or go out of home the real qualification of a pure devotee is to become
wrapt in thought of Krishna favourably i.e. knowing well that Lord Krishna is
the absolute Personality of Godhed. Kanasa, Jarasandha, Sisupala and other
demons like them were also always wrapt in thought of Lord Krishna but they
did it in a different way namely unfavourably or thinking Him to be a
powerful man only (?) Therefore, Kansas and Sisupalas are not on the same
level of pure devotees like Vidura, the Pandavas or the Yadavas.
Maharaj Yudhisthira was also always wrapt in thought of Lord Krishna and
his associates at Dwarka. Otherwise he would not have asked first of all about
them from Vidura. Maharaj Yudhisthira is, therefore, on the same level of
devotion like Vidura although he was engaged in the state affairs of the
kingdom of world.
Iti ukto dharmarajena sarvam tat samavarnayat
Yathanubhutam kramaso vina yadukulakshayam.
Iti--thus, Ukto--being asked, Dharmarajena--by king Yudhisthira, Sarvam--all,
Tat--that, Samavarnayat--properly described, Yathanubhutam--as he
experienced, Kramaso--one after another, Vina--without, Yadukulashayamannihilation
of the Yadu-dynasty.
Thus being asked by Maharaj Yudhisthir, Mahatma Vidura gradually
one after another described everything what he personally experienced
except the news of annihilation of the Yadu dynasty.
Nanwapriyam durvisaham nrinam swayam upastitham
Na avedayat sakaruno dukhitam drastum akshamah.
Nanu--as a matter of fact, Apriyam--unpalatable, Durvisaham--unbearable,
Nrinam--of the human kind, Swayam--in its own way, Upasthitamappearance,
Na--did not, Avedayat--expressed, Sakaruno--compassionate,
Duhkhitan-distressed, Akshamam--unable.
Compassionate Mahatma Vidura was unable to see the Pandavas
distressed at any time. As such he did not disclose this unpalatable and
unbearble incidence to the Pandavas because such calamities were to
come in their own way.
According to Nitisastra (civic laws) one may not speak unpallatable truth to
cause distress for others. Distress come upon us in its own way by the laws of
nature and one may not aggravate it by propaganda. For compassionate soul