teachings of Sri Vidura

[mahak]

<CENTER>TEACHINGS OF SRI VIDURA</CENTER>

 

 

Dedication and author note:

Haribol, readers. It is quite metaphysical that last week, I was strongly thinking of a friend I have had discussions with over the years on the internet. I was, out of the blue, filled with thoughts of my godbrother, Sriman Puru das. Maybe it is simply appreciation for his dynamic preaching effort on the internet, and especially the content over the last few weeks. Yet, the content of the project that was somehow inspired by Sri Puru das is this discourse between Sri Vidura and King Dhrtarastha. And this godbrother suddenly leaves our presence, called back to Godhead, a life successfully performed. Leaving me weeping at the world's loss, yet with the treasure of his association never to be lost.

I only know Sri Puru das thru the cyber waves. He is a writer who freely practices his art. We had many discussions on the whole range of topics from the science of Bhakti Yoga, and neither of us could keep quiet. I used a quip on him once, "everyone is entitled to my opinion", and he truely enjoyed that one. He is a lion on the cyber waves, and many lambs had to face this reality. Under this strong surface, there is also the key element that many may have missed due to the impersonal mnature of the internet, his sweet vaisnava quality of humility. The authority he speaks with is never thought of as his own. He never presumes to be better than others, but always gives fully documented evidence from those WHO ARE better than others, the Vaisnava acaryas.

Of the great teachings of our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, the one I find most reassuring as a slave to time is the devotion of Krsna to his devotee, the reciprocation. For one who surrenders his forgetful life to be a vaisnava, there is never any loss. There is no need to artificially place a picture of Krsna before ones face at the time of death. There is no need to mechanically chant wracked with great physical pain. We remember the passing of Srila Haridas Thakura. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave him instruction "reduce your vow and chant less". The devotees who give their lives to serve Krsna actually become the object of Krsna's worship. At the time of death, Krsna is thinking of his devotee, protecting him, sending Sri Puskara or another even grander chariot to bring his devotee back, for consultation, for another even grander project.

Srila Prabhupada speaks of his disciples as gosthyanandis, preachers. Puru das, you preached to me, brother, and I heard you very well. Our unity is the issue here, our diversity is, as you always say, "of no consequence". I am honored that you took the time to be a true vaisnava associate, a true friend in every sense of the word. Hare Krsna, your servant in cooperation, mahaksadasa

<CENTER>(part 1)</CENTER>

 

 

(From Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's Srimad Bhagavatam 1.13)

1-17: Sri Suta Gosvami said: While traveling on a pilgrimage, Vidura received knowledge of the destination of the self from the great sage Maitreya and then returned to Hastinapura. He became as well versed in the subject as he desired. After asking various questions and becoming established in the transcendental loving service of Lord Krishna, Vidura retired from putting questions to Maitreya Muni.

When they saw Vidura return to the palace, all the inhabitants -- Maharaja Yudhishthira, his younger brothers, Dhritarashtra, Satyaki, Sanjaya, Kripacarya, Kunti, Gandhari, Draupadi, Subhadra, Uttara, Kripi, many other wives of the Kauravas, and other ladies with children -- all hurried to him in great delight. It so appeared that they had regained their consciousness after a long period. With great delight they all approached him, as if life had returned to their bodies. They exchanged obeisances and welcomed each other with embraces. Due to anxieties and long separation, they all cried out of affection. King Yudhishthira then arranged to offer sitting accommodations and a reception. After Vidura ate sumptuously and took sufficient rest, he was comfortably seated. Then the King began to speak to him, and all who were present there listened.

Maharaja Yudhishthira said: "My uncle, do you remember how you always protected us, along with our mother, from all sorts of calamities? Your partiality, like the wings of a bird, saved us from poisoning and arson. While traveling on the surface of the earth, how did you maintain your livelihood? At which holy places and pilgrimage sites did you render service? My Lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage. My uncle, you must have visited Dvaraka. In that holy place are our friends and well-wishers, the descendants of Yadu, who are always rapt in the service of the Lord Sri Krishna. You might have seen them or heard about them. Are they all living happily in their abodes?

Thus being questioned by Maharaja Yudhishthira, Mahatma Vidura gradually described everything he had personally experienced, except news of the annihilation of the Yadu dynasty. Compassionate Mahatma Vidura could not stand to see the Pandavas distressed at any time. Therefore he did not disclose this unpalatable and unbearable incident because calamities come of their own accord. Thus Mahatma Vidura, being treated just like a godly person by his kinsmen, remained there for a certain period just to rectify the mentality of his eldest brother and in this way bring happiness to all the others. As long as Vidura played the part of a sudra, being cursed by Manduka Muni, Aryama officiated at the post of Yamaraja to punish those who committed sinful acts. Having won his kingdom and observed the birth of one grandson competent to continue the noble tradition of his family, Maharaja Yudhishthira reigned peacefully and enjoyed uncommon opulence in cooperation with his younger brothers, who were all expert administrators to the common people. Insurmountable, eternal time imperceptibly overcomes those who are too much attached to family affairs and are always engrossed in their thought.

Srila Bhaktivedanta purport

"I am now happy; I have everything in order; my bank balance is quite enough; I can now give my children enough estate; I am now successful; the poor beggar sannyasis depend on God, but they come to beg from me; therefore I am more than the Supreme God." These are some of the thoughts which engross the insanely attached householder who is blind to the passing of eternal time. Our duration of life is measured, and no one is able to enhance it even by a second against the scheduled time ordained by the supreme will. Such valuable time, especially for the human being, should be cautiously spent because even a second passed away imperceptibly cannot be replaced, even in exchange for thousands of golden coins amassed by hard labor. Every second of human life is meant for making an ultimate solution to the problems of life, i.e. repetition of birth and death and revolving in the cycle of 8,400,000 different species of life. The material body, which is subject to birth and death, diseases and old age, is the cause of all sufferings of the living being, otherwise the living being is eternal; he is never born, nor does he ever die. Foolish persons forget this problem. They do not know at all how to solve the problems of life, but become engrossed in temporary family affairs not knowing that eternal time is passing away imperceptibly and that their measured duration of life is diminishing every second, without any solution to the big problem, namely repetition of birth and death, disease and old age. This is called illusion.

But such illusion cannot work on one who is awake in the devotional service of the Lord. Yudhishthira Maharaja and his brothers the Pandavas were all engaged in the service of the Lord Sri Krishna, and they had very little attraction for the illusory happiness of this material world. As we have discussed previously, Maharaja Yudhishthira was fixed in the service of the Lord Mukunda (the Lord, who can award salvation), and therefore he had no attraction even for such comforts of life as are available in the kingdom of heaven, because even the happiness obtained on the planet Brahmaloka is also temporary and illusory. Because the living being is eternal, he can be happy only in the eternal abode of the kingdom of God (paravyoma), from which no one returns to this region of repeated birth and death, disease and old age. Therefore, any comfort of life or any material happiness which does not warrant an eternal life is but illusion for the eternal living being. One who understands this factually is learned, and such a learned person can sacrifice any amount of material happiness to achieve the desired goal known as brahma- sukham, or absolute happiness. Real transcendentalists are hungry for this happiness, and as a hungry man cannot be made happy by all comforts of life minus foodstuff, so the man hungry for eternal absolute happiness cannot be satisfied by any amount of material happiness. Therefore, the instruction described in this verse cannot be applied to Maharaja Yudhishthira or his brothers and mother. It was meant for persons like Dhritarashtra, for whom Vidura came especially to impart lessons.</B>

mahaksadasa commentary:

In the old days under excellent disciple leadership, we were given the opportunity to prepare for and give the morning class to our peers. This was a great hands on education for us who were initiated to carry out this mission. The assignment required the disciple to choose a subject, study Srila Prabhupada's version, and give commentary, inviting istagosthi at all times. The subject I choose here is leaving the body, and the teacher of the futility of hanging on is none other than my hero, Lord Yamaraja, who has taken part in the travelling show called Krsna Katha as Sri Vidura. Lord Yamaraja, who is present in Sri Vidura as well as King Yudhisthira, is the penultimate authority on Death, and his credentials are clear, as he is depicted as one of the twelve authorities on the science of Bhakti Yoga.

Any comment is quite welcome. My peers have much to offer here, as the pangs hit us every day. There is nothing but nectar to be found in the research of my chosen subject. This is the assignment. I guess the first place to start is with the story of the birth of Death.

<CENTER>The Birth of Death, by mahaksadasa 1999</CENTER>

 

 

In the beginning of time, the human beings lived in the clear air, and as their sustenamce, they moved within the air without effort. The Earth was then made of pure honey, and, first a few, then many more, descended by the desire to taste the sweet flavor. An addiction developed, and though they did not require the honey, they began to eat more and more. Gradually, the human beings became too heavy to fly any more, and their wings fell off to become the world's mountains. These mountains formed a crust over the Earth's surface as well as harnessed the clouds to deliver the rains and the seeds of vegetation.

When the last human had landed to fly no more, male and female forms began to develop as compatible with terrestrial living. These forms developed desire for one another and were thus able to procreate the species.

Since at this time, the human beings were immortal, the increase of their kind created an unbearable situation for the Earth. Hearing the cries of the humans on Her surface, the Earth approached Lord Brahma, the creator. Lord Brahma was perplexed, and, finding no solution to the problem, He experianced great anger. This anger began to consume the entire cosmos with the fires of annihilation, and Lord Brahma was thus satisfied.

Lord Shiva arrived and immediately bowed to Lord Brahma's feet, begging, "Be merciful, O Lord, do not destroy what You have created."

Lord Brahma: "I have no mercy, just anger.

Lord Shiva: "If this were the case, I would not have come before You. Your whole creation is blasted with fire, please look upon the human beings in another way."

Lord Brahma: "Mata Earth begged for help, crying pitiously, but I cannot solve Her problem. I know why She cries, She is sinking in the Causal Ocean from the weight of Her people, but I have no solution."

Lord Shiva: "Then al creation is but ashes."

Lord Brahma: "I withdraw all anger and restore everything as before, but the problem remains, I have great doubt."

As Lord Shiva was about to leave, assured by the universal restoration, Lord Brahma noticed a being created by His six senses, a woman with red eyes and tanned skin, brilliant in beauty and ornaments. Smiling pleasantly to the Two Lords, She went her own way to the South.

Lord Brahma called out to Her, "Wait, Death. Kill all creatures, beginning with idiots and priests."

Death replied: "Never. It is cruel, go away from me."

She ran away, but Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva tolerated Her insistance, following her and persuading her, to no avail. Death was allowed to wander the creation without taking any life for 100,277,000,008,000 years. Lord Brahma again appeared before Her, Saying, "Death, I have not seen you for a moment, what are you doing?"

"I will never kill for You" was Her steadfast promise.

Lord Brahma looked at the winsome girl, and replied, "Then I must make them equal. You will not have to kill them, you will never kill gods, demons or human beings. I now create greed, envy, anger, and shame, jealousy and passion. From Your tears, I make war and disease. Do nothing, they will all come to You. You will not be the cause or the prevention of death, but You must greet all who come to You well in their hour. They will kill themselves, and only fools will weep over what none can avoid."

Upon hearing this solution to Lord Brahma's delimna, Lord Shiva began to dance, for until this time, though He had raised His foot, He had never put it down.

.........

I especially like this story. This story was told by one who was in the process of being "well greeted" by death, one most would not expect. This story was told by Duryodhana, mortally wounded, hiding by invisibility in the crystal lake. He was full of remorse, yet Sri Sanjaya, who was a mystic who could see everything hidden, and also was fully present while Krsna sang Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, came to him. It is stated that the acarya is inspired by God to appear to those sincerely desirous of Krsna, and Bhagavad Gita confirms that one who is fully miserable is one of the four types who can have such an appearance by the acarya. This story is why I have a soft spot for Duryodhana, despite his bad press. He has a major role in Krsna Katha (the reality). Not ordinary at all.

[mahak]

<CENTER> </CENTER>

 

 

<CENTER>(part 2)</CENTER>

 

 

18: Mahatma Vidura knew all this, and therefore he addressed Dhritarashtra, saying: My dear King, please get out of here immediately. Do not delay. Just see how fear has overtaken you.

Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada purport

Cruel death cares for no one, be he Dhritarashtra or even Maharaja Yudhishthira; therefore spiritual instruction, as was given to old Dhritarashtra, was equally applicable to younger Maharaja Yudhishthira. As a matter of fact, everyone in the royal palace, including the King and his brothers and mother, was raptly attending the lectures. But it was known to Vidura that his instructions were especially meant for Dhritarashtra, who was too materialistic. The word rajan is especially addressed to Dhritarashtra significantly. Dhritarashtra was the eldest son of his father, and therefore according to law he was to be installed on the throne of Hastinapura. But because he was blind from birth, he was disqualified from his rightful claim. But he could not forget the bereavement, and his disappointment was somewhat compensated after the death of Pandu, his younger brother. His younger brother left behind him some minor children, and Dhritarashtra became the natural guardian of them, but at heart he wanted to become the factual king and hand the kingdom over to his own sons, headed by Duryodhana. With all these imperial ambitions, Dhritarashtra wanted to become a king, and he contrived all sorts of intrigues in consultation with his brother-in-law Sakuni. But everything failed by the will of the Lord, and at the last stage, even after losing everything, men and money, he wanted to remain as king, being the eldest uncle of Maharaja Yudhishthira. Maharaja Yudhishthira, as a matter of duty, maintained Dhritarashtra in royal honor, and Dhritarashtra was happily passing away his numbered days in the illusion of being a king or the royal uncle of King Yudhishthira. Vidura, as a saint and as the duty-bound affectionate youngest brother of Dhritarashtra, wanted to awaken Dhritarashtra from his slumber of disease and old age. Vidura therefore sarcastically addressed Dhritarashtra as the "King," which he was actually not. Everyone is the servant of eternal time, and therefore no one can be king in this material world. King means the person who can order. The celebrated English king wanted to order time and tide, but the time and tide refused to obey his order. Therefore one is a false king in the material world, and Dhritarashtra was particularly reminded of this false position and of the factual fearful happenings which had already approached him at that time. Vidura asked him to get out immediately, if he wanted to be saved from the fearful situation which was approaching him fast. He did not ask Maharaja Yudhishthira in that way because he knew that a king like Maharaja Yudhishthira is aware of all the fearful situations of this flimsy world and would take care of himself, in due course, even though Vidura might not be present at that time.

mahaksadasa commentary:

An old VNN article is submitted herein for your consideration:

<CENTER>The Death Phenomena</CENTER>

EDITORIAL BY MAHAKSA DASA, Nov 11, 1999 (VNN)

Haribol, dear VNN readers and writers, PAMHO. This article is written for those who feel impending doom, either from speculations about Y2K, or from dabbling in the likes of Cayce, Scallion, Morton, and other seers. We should not give absolute truth status to the versions of the empiric scientist, but we need not reject them, either. Srila Prabhupada did not expect us to remain infants forever with overprotection.

We question and defeat them all, but their versions are not unfounded. Do we reject tornado warnings, do we stay on the beach just because a meat eater weatherman says the hurricane is coming? No, Srila Prabhupada raised practical children.

I have been cursed since birth with uncanny clairvoyance, it only gives me joy playing around with sports-page fascinations shared with my karmi friends at work, at other times, not so much joy seeing the future of Kali. Just more and more deterioration, more demoniac activity, more misinterpretation, more chaos, quarrel, and confusion. My work mates ask me, "Is it the volcano, the tornado, the solar ejecta, the tsunami, the comet, the earthquake, the nuclear holocaust? Tell us." The answer is "all of these things". The answer is that a noble green skinned mahajana in red robes, with matted hair riding on a buffalo carrying a silver thread to retrieve a soul under his jurisdiction follows our every move, because catastrophe is there. The answer is that Lord Sri Yamaraja, similar to us at work in our jobs, would like to sluff off, now and then, if given the opportunity, and we can help him in his desire by removing ourselves from his dutiful jurisdiction and becoming his friend instead. He is cent-percent pure Vaisnava acarya, so much so, that he is one of the twelve authorities on devotional service. Probably most of the readers here have read all of Srila Prabhupada's books, and a very nice project is to seek out the words of Sri Yamaraja (as well as his partial manifestations, Sri Vidura and Sri Yudhisthira) to find DHARMA. He is the first mahajana we deal with on the other side, and he would rather engage in joyful Krsna Consciousness with us at that time than just do his occupational duty, because He knows, He is the first created being to die.

This is not a doomsday scare story, just a realization of mortality given to me by my wife, who is not of Vaisnava persuasion, yet possesses Vaisnava qualities in her own right, that I cannot describe, nor properly understand. She is not interested in impending doom of the Ross Ice Shelf separating from Antarctica and raising global sea levels two-hundred feet, she cares not to hear of Popocatepetyl Volcano ready to give the earth a ring like Saturn. She tells me that I only got a few years, max, as do we all, so get with it.

Srila Prabhupada does not teach doomsday science, he does not teach us how to die. He teaches us how to live. He shows us that, if at all possible, even in an incapacitated condition, we should desire to circumambulate Sri Govardhana Hill in Remembrance of Sri Govinda, this act of life, and living, is what gives both the living entity and the stalking Lord Yamaraja transcendental happiness, destroys the time (and place, too) effect temporarily affecting our lives. The death phenomena is ONLY (my favorite word that Srila Prabhupada uses often) phantasmagoria, a will o' the wisp. I am remembering a dear friend, Bhava devi dasi, removed from our presence by the chemotherapy. She was young, full of life, and, though apparently only 80 pounds of dying flesh, taught fellow hospital patients in the same condition how to be pleasing to Yama, by pleasing his dear Sri Govinda.

Point is, when the lava flows and the water rises, the joy of performing bhakti yoga as taught by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada does not diminish. Because the word YOGA appears, all ideas of being ALONE are also phantasmagoria, a celluloid manifestation, illusion. Even as the body bursts into flames and the mind is disturbed by seeing such an event happen, Sri Govinda approaches, protects, rescues, never abandons. No artificial behavior influenced by loneliness is required, no need to place a picture of Krsna in front of the eyes. Srila Prabhupada teaches the facts that this process of devotional service is descending to us from the Groves of Goloka Vrndavana, our job is to take the wonderful gift only.

Some of us have lost a few as described, headed by our beloved Guru Maharaja himself, as well as dear disciples of his like Jayananda, Visnujana, Sudama, Gauragovinda, Bhava devi dasi, et al., yet we know Srila Prabhupada's Science (at least theoretically), therefore we do NOT say they are dead, and in some cases, imbued with advanced devotional symptoms, we do NOT even feel that they are away. The reason for this phenomena is the gift described, that bhakti yoga is SPIRITUAL LIFE, transcendental to both Samsara cycles and threefold miseries. So, though faced with doom, (collectively as I see in lucid dreams or appropriately as wonderful reality facing the individual), we can all take courage and give praise, again and again, for the fortune of association with the great gift-giver, Srila Prabhupada.

(note. Since this article, many have also passed away, Tusta Krsna, Sri Bahudaka, Srimati Jayaradhe dd. Many unnamed associates, but, as Srila Prabhupada tells us the great news, "Therefore one is a false king in the material world, and Dhritarashtra was particularly reminded of this false position and of the factual fearful happenings which had already approached him at that time. Vidura asked him to get out immediately, if he wanted to be saved from the fearful situation which was approaching him fast. He did not ask Maharaja Yudhishthira in that way because he knew that a king like Maharaja Yudhishthira is aware of all the fearful situations of this flimsy world and would take care of himself, in due course, even though Vidura might not be present at that time."

<CENTER>(part 3)</CENTER>

 

 

19: This frightful situation cannot be remedied by any person in this material world. My lord, it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead as eternal time [kala] that has approached us all.

Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada purport

There is no superior power which can check the cruel hands of death. No one wants to die, however acute the source of bodily sufferings may be. Even in the days of so-called scientific advancement of knowledge, there is no remedial measure either for old age or for death. Old age is the notice of the arrival of death served by cruel time, and no one can refuse to accept either summon calls or the supreme judgment of eternal time. This is explained before Dhritarashtra because he might ask Vidura to find out some remedial measure for the imminent fearful situation, as he had ordered many times before. Before ordering, however, Vidura informed Dhritarashtra that there was no remedial measure by anyone or from any source in this material world. And because there is no such thing in the material world, death is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as it is said by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavad-gita (10.34).

Death cannot be checked by anyone or from any source within this material world. Hiranyakasipu wanted to be immortal and underwent a severe type of penance by which the whole universe trembled, and Brahma himself approached him to dissuade Hiranyakasipu from such a severe type of penance. Hiranyakasipu asked Brahma to award him the blessings of immortality, but Brahma said that he himself was subject to death, even in the topmost planet, so how could he award him the benediction of immortality? So there is death even in the topmost planet of this universe, and what to speak of other planets, which are far, far inferior in quality to Brahmaloka, the residing planet of Brahma. Wherever there is the influence of eternal time, there is this set of tribulations, namely birth, disease, old age and death, and all of them are invincible.

mahaksadasa commentary:

Recently, on another discussion concerning the passing of yet another disciple of Srila Prabhupada, a devotee offered this amazing discussion. There was no information concerning when and where this discussion took place, but it is quite sublime, nevertheless. This discussion by Srila Prabhupada gives us an entirely different perspective on this individualized final solution

Harikesa: When people die, though, there is usually some cause. Like they have a heart attack or they get hit by a car or some disease. So that death is caused by the disease...

Prabhupada: That is not the cause. That is the effect. You foolish, do not know. You are taking it, cause.

Harikesa: Well, when you get hit by a car, that's a cause.

Prabhupada: Just like one man becomes insolvent, loses everything. So he said that "I had no money. Therefore I become insolvent." But that is not the fact. He could not manage; therefore there was scarcity of money and he became failure. So that is effect. On account of his bad management, he came to a position that he could not pay to his creditor, and his business is failure. So that insolvency is not the cause. It is the effect.

Pusta Krsna: Bhisma was able to remain in his body even on a bed of arrows.

Prabhupada: So when you are going to die, these are the... On account of imminent death, these are the effects.

Harikesa: But that means that the body breaks down.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Harikesa: The body breaks down.

Prabhupada: At a certain period it will break.

Harikesa: So that is the cause, the body breaking down.

Prabhupada: Yes. So you say heart failure is the cause. No. The body is breaking; therefore heart failure.

Harikesa: So death means the body breaks.

Prabhupada: No, no. First of all your answer... You say the heart failure is the cause. The man is dying. I say that because the man is dying, the heart is failure. So heart failure is not the cause. It is the effect.

<MAHAKSADASA: do mine.?Hare Krsna, thank you for considering the points made herein. I humbly invite all to comment, to give class on the selected verses. Especially us duryodhanas out there who regret our actions and are being "greeted well in our hour". Please send comments to mahaksa_d@hotmail.com