Bhagavatha Vahini, Chapter 7 - Vidura the Counselor

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Bhagavatha Vahini

The story of God and his DevoteesWritten by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai BabaDownload this Vahini

 

Chapter 7

Vidura the Counselor

Vidura continued his admonition of Dhritharashtra: "You have reached this

advanced age, but still, without any shame or hesitation, you are leading a

dog's life. You may not be ashamed of it, but, I am. Fie upon you! Your method

of spending your days is worse than that of a crow."

Dhritharashtra could not hear more. He cried, "0! enough, enough. Please stop.

You are torturing me to death. These are not the words, that one brother should

address another. Hearing you, I feel you are not Vidura, my brother. He would

not have reprimanded me so cruelly. For, is Dharmaraja, with whom I now am, a

stranger? Have I taken refuge with an alien? What is this that you are saying?

Why these harsh words! Dharmaraja is fostering me with great love and care; how

can you declare that I am leading a dog's life or a crow's? It is a sin, if you

entertain such ideas. This is just my fate, and nothing else." Dhritharashtra

bent his head and moaned.

Vidura laughed in derision. He said, "Have you not sense of shame, that you

should talk thus? Dharmaraja might, out of his goodness, care for you more than

his own father. He might look after you with a love greater than your own sons.

This is but the reflection of his character. That is but the amplification of

the significance of his name. But, should you not plan for your own future? One

leg of yours is already in the grave and you are blindly filling your stomach in

comfort and rolling in luxury. Reflect for a moment how you tortured Dharmaraja

and his brothers, to fulfil the wicked intentions of your vile sons, how you

devised strategems for their extinction. You put them in a wax house and to set

fire to it, you attempted to poison them. You insulted their queen in the most

humiliating manner before a vast assembly. You and your abominable brood piled

grief over grief on the sons of Pandu, your own brother. Blind, senile,

thick-skinned elephant, you sat on

the throne, perpetually asking those beside you "What is happening now? What is

happening now?" How can you stay in this place enjoying Dharmaraja's

hospitality, rolling over your mind the iniquities perpetrated by you, for his

destruction? When you were devising their end, did they cease to be your

cousins? Or, did the cousinship emerge now, when you came to them for stay? You

tell me so proudly that they are treating you well, without a shred of shame!

Why speak so much? The disastrous game of dice took place at your initiative,

isn't it? Do you deny it? No, I was the witness of that game. I advised you

against it then, did you take it to heart? What happened then to the love and

sympathy which you are now freely pouring forth? Today, like a dog you are

gulping the food the Pandavas are placing before you and leading this

despicable life."

Hearing these words of Vidura which pained him like hammer-strokes,

Dhritharashtra developed a distaste for his style of living. Vidura's intention

was to prod him into the life of a recluse and the life of Sadhana, so that he

might realise His Self before it was too late. At last, he felt that Vidura was

speaking the truth and giving him a true picture of his low nature. He said,

"Brother! Yes; all that you have said is true, I admit. I have realised it now.

But, what am I to do? I am blind and therefore, I cannot go into the forests for

Sadhana, alone. I must have a companion. What shall I do? For fear that I may

suffer without food, Gandhari never leaves me even for a moment."

Vidura saw that he had modified his attitude and had seen light. He emphasised

his original advice. He said, "You have become blind due primarily to this

attachment to the body. How long can you be burdened with it? It has to be

dropped by the wayside same day, some place. Know that "you" are not this body,

this package of nauseating things. To identify yourselves with the physical

frame is the sign of extreme foolishness. The body is being besieged

perpetually by death with his army of diseases. But, you are unaware of it; you

do not care for the pro and the con; you snooze your fill and snore. This drama

has an end, remember. The curtain has to come down. So hie towards some holy

place without delay and meditate on God and save yourself. Let death come and

carry away your body there; that is the most excellent end. Do not die like a

dog or fox, somewhere, somehow. Arise and go, develop detachment. Give up this

delusion, escape from this house."

Thus was planted in the heart the seeds of renunciation. Dhritharashtra pondered

long, and broke into tears. His lips quivered. He moved his hands from side to

side to contact Vidura. At last, he held his hands and said, "Vidura! What can

I say to you who gave this most valuable advice, advice that is certain to

promote my best interests? Though you are younger in age, your Jnana makes you

senior to all of us. You have full authority to speak as you like. Do not

consider me as someone outside your circle. Hear me with patience. I shall

certainly follow your advice." He then began to describe his condition to his

brother.

"Vidura", he began, "How can I leave from here, without informing Dharmaraja who

is looking after me, with more care than even a son? It won't be proper to do

so. Then, he might insist on coming along with us, his nature is such. You must

save me from this dilemma. Take me to a place where I can engage myself in

Sadhana."

When he pleaded thus, Vidura replied, "Your words sound strange. You are not

going into the forest to eat banquets, to witness carnivals, or to enjoy the

beauty of the scenery. You are giving up everything with a full sense of

detachment. You are taking up a life of austerity and spiritual discipline.

And, in the same breath, you are talking of "taking leave" of kith and kin!

This is odd. You resolve to lay down the body in the pursuit of the ideal, but,

you are considering how to get the permission of men who are related to you

through the body. These bonds cannot help Sadhana. They can never liberate you.

Bundle them up and sink them deep. Move out of this place with just the clothes

you wear. Do not waste a single moment of your life."

Thus, Vidura advised him without mercy, he did not change the tune of his song,

he emphasised the importance of immediate renunciation. Dhritharashtra was on

his bed, listening intently and ruminating on the next step. He said, "Vidura,

what you say is quite true. I need not describe to you my special difficulties.

This body is decrepit, these eyes are blind. I must have some one at least to

guide my steps, isn't it? Your sister-in-law has 'blinded' her eyes by a

bandage, in order that she can share my handicap, and suffer similarly. How can

we two blind persons move about in the forest? We have to be dependent on others

all our lives,"

Vidura saw the tears rolling down the cheeks of the old man, he pitied his

plight, but, he never revealed his pity. He said assuringly, "Well, I am

prepared to take you to the forest. I am ready. What greater pleasure have I

than releasing you from here, for this sacred purpose? Come, arise. Start."

Vidura stood up. Dhritharashtra too rose from his bed and stood on the floor.

Gandhari too stood by his side, with a hand on his shoulder. She pleaded,

"Lord, I am also coming with you, ready for anything."

But, Dhritharashtra said, "0, it is very hard to guard women in the jungle. The

place is infested by wild beasts and life there is bound to be full of

privations." He spoke in this strain for a long time. But, she argued that she

could not desert her lord, that she could stand the privations as much as he,

that it was her duty to continue serving him until her death, that she was only

following the tradition set up by the gems of Indian womanhood, that it is not

Dharma to prevent her from observing her Dharma, that life in the zenana

without him would be unbearable for her, that she would welcome instead, life

in the jungle with her lord. She fell at the feet of her lord and demanded

permission to accompany him.

Dhritharashtra was silent, he did not know what to say. It was Vidura who spoke.

"This is not the time to discuss the niceties of Dharma, how can this lady who

never stayed away from you a single moment, suddenly leave your company and

live apart? It is not proper. Let her also come, we shall take her. For those

who march forward to do austerities, there should be no fear or delusion, no

hunger or thirst, no grief or suffering. It is not Thapas (asceticism) to

complain of these or anticipate these. When the body itself is being disowned,

what can privations do? Come, there is no justification for delay." Vidura

moved forward, leading Dhritharashtra silently followed by Gandhari who had her

hand on his shoulder. The saintly votary of God, Vidura, took the pair unnoticed

by the guards and the citizens through the side streets and out beyond the city

limits. He hurried them on so that they may reach the forest before dawn. But,

the Ganga had to be crossed in a boat

and no boatman was there to take them across before sunrise. So, they had

perforce to wait on the bank of that holy river. Vidura made them rest for a

while in a bower and himself arranged for a boat to take them all to the other

bank in the dark.

Bhajan: He Madhava He Madhusûdana

 

 

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