In the previous episode, we had witnessed Vidura explaining a few important aspects of “Dharma” yet again to King Dhritarashtra. This comes as an aftermath of the destructive Kurukshetra war wherein King Dhritarashtra has lost all his hundred sons to Yudishtra’s Pandava army. As King Dhritarashtra feels bad about the exorbitant loss that he has suffered, he still has a grudge upon Yudishtra and Bhagawan Krishna and thinks that they were the root cause of the entire misery. However, Vidura and Sanjaya echo the same point together that it is not Yudishtra and Bhagawan Krishna who are responsible, but the onus lies on King Dhritarashtra himself. If he would have curtailed his son’s atrocities, things wouldn’t have gone this awry. But, the one which prevented King Dhritarashtra from taking any decisive action against Duryodhana was his mind! His mind was confused. He did not take a stern decision, even after several people in the likes of Sage Vyaasa, Guru Dhronachaarya, Bhishmachaarya, etc. advised him. Bhagawan Krishna Himself came and begged him for giving five villages to Yudishtra, even then King Dhritarashtra did not relent. Now, after all these opportunities of course correction, how fair is it to blame Bhagawan Krishna or Yudishtra for this debacle?
Saying this, Vidura continues further thus, “Oh King Dhritatashtra! You’re mourning over the demise of your sons so much, aren’t you? Now let me tell you one more thing – Relationships in this world are extremely fickle! Today it might seem that you might have several people around you, but tomorrow none of them might be there! Oh King Dhritarashtra! Just think for a minute – The day when you were born – Did you know that you are going to have a son called Duryodhana or Ducchaasana? Did you know that you’re going to have a wife by name Gandhaari? Do you think all these people are going to come along with you till your last day? Didn’t your parents pass away in the course of your life? Even though they loved you so much, were they able to come along with you till date? Oh King Dhritarashtra! Life is full of uncertainties and you’ve to learn to move on with things. Nothing in this world is permanent. People were there yesterday, will come today, will leave tomorrow! This is how the world is extremely impermanent for all of us. All of us come to this world with a definitive purpose. Once that purpose is fulfilled, we’ve to face death and it is inevitable. Nobody is an exception for this. Hence, whatever you’ve experienced today is part and parcel of life. Whatever has been created, has to be destroyed some day, and please understand that the day of destruction had arrived for Duryodhana and Co.!”
Saying thus, Vidura continues further – “Oh King Dhritarashtra! Please understand this from a different angle now – All of us are created in this world and all of us have to be destroyed as well. All of us have a time for destruction. If that time comes, automatically destruction becomes inevitable. Oh King Dhritarashtra – I have a time for destruction. Similarly you have your own time for destruction. In the same lines, Duryodhana has already had the time of destruction. The only thing here is that all of us are in a queue to be destroyed. Some of them might have that destruction earlier, while some of them might have it late! Oh King Dhritarashtra – Think now from another angle as well – For all the bad deeds that Duryodhana had committed till now – If this war wouldn’t have taken place, Duryodhana would have definitely reached the “Naraka-Loka” without any doubt. However, the battle at Kurukshetra had been created by Bhagawan Krishna to send people like Duryodhana also to the “Svarga Lokha”. Had Duryodhana gone to the “Naraka Lokha”, do you think Duryodhana would have had a good time there? He would have suffered like hell! Oh King Dhritarashtra! In fact, rather than brooding over, you should feel thankful to Bhagawan Krishna for allowing a sinful person like Duryodhana to also attain “Veera-Svargam”!”
We can see in this, several perspectives of how to view and understand “Maranam” (Death) of a person, and Vidura brings out these perspectives beautifully for all of us to understand. He commenced from the fact that nothing is permanent in this world, to explaining how all of us are in the queue sooner or later to be destroyed, to explaining how relationships in this world are extremely fickle in nature, to finally explaining how Duryodhana is in a way fortunate enough to reach the “Svarga Lokha” even after committing several capital crimes against Yudishtra & Co. and acting against “Dharma” at all times! So for today, let us understand these four points very clearly and we shall wait till the next episode to continue this discussion further! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 