Mahatma Vidura [from iskcondc.org]

Jahnava Nitai Das · 05-30-2001, 03:49 PM

One of the most endearing figures in the epic Mahabharata is Vidura, the
strong but often helpless uncle of the Pandavas who tries to protect them
from all the intrigue perpetrated by the evil minded Duryodhana and at the
same time striving to serve King Dhrtarastra, the doting and ambitious
father of the Duryodhana. Vidura occupies a unique position in
Mahabharata, being constantly tossed between his duty as a minister to the
king, his loyalty to the throne, his affection for his family and his
adherence to religious principles.

Vidura is none other than Yamaraja (or Dharmaraja), the demigod
responsible for punishing or rewarding people based on their actions.
Yamaraja, as the lord of death, is one of the most powerful demigod and as
the dispenser of justice one of the wisest. Yamaraja is one of the twelve
Mahajans, and has complete understanding of the Vedic scriptures and their
conclusions, and is on the level of such exalted personalities as Brahma,
Narada, Siva, Kapila, Bhisma, Prahlada, etc.

Yamaraja cursed
**************
Once there was a great ascetic named Manduka Muni who lived in the forests
performing austerities. On a particular day, while the sage was deep in
meditation, a band of robbers being pursued by the soldiers, hid their
loot in his hut and also tried to hide in there. Eventually the soldiers
tracked the thieves and arrested them. Since the loot and the thieves were
found in the hut of Manduka Muni, they arrested him also.

As was the law at the time, the thieves as well as Manduka Muni were
sentenced to die, by being pierced by lances. However just as the sentence
was about to be executed, the king heard of this and immediately stopped
the execution. Then on behalf of his soldiers, who were ignorant of the
position of Manduka Muni, the king humbly apologized and begged for
forgiveness. Manduka Muni, enlightened after long austerities, understood
that all that is happening to him was a result of his own past karma, and
thus readily forgave the king and his subjects.

However, curious about what sins he had done for which he was to be
punished in this way, Manduka Muni went to the abode of Yamaraja and
inquired about this. At this time Yamaraja revealed that when Manduka Muni
was a child he had once killed an ant by piercing it with a thorn, thus he
was to be punished in this way. However Manduka Muni considered the
punishment not commensurate to the activities of an innocent young child.
Considering that Yamaraja had acted in a way befitting one who has no
knowledge, Manduka Muni cursed him to take birth as a sudra. As per the
curse, Yamaraja fell from his position and took birth as Vidura, a sudra.
In his absence, Aryama, one of the twelve Adityas (sons of Kasyapa Muni
and Aditi) officiated at the post of Yamaraja.

One may wonder that how is it possible for Yamaraja, the Lord of justice,
a Mahajana, to make such an error of judgment? The acaryas reveal the
hidden reason for this pastime. As the Lord of justice, Yamaraja is always
busy dealing with the sinners and does not get an opportunity to associate
with the Lord and His devotees. However as Vidura, he got the personal
association of Krishna and His pure devotees. He also got an opportunity
to witness and preach the glories of the Lord and to purify himself. After
living his life as Vidura he returned to his planet, Pitraloka and resumed
his duties as Yamaraja. Thus the curse by Manduka Muni was really a
benediction arranged by the Lord as a special favor to His devotee.

Birth of Vidura
************
Emperor Santanu, the king of the Kuru dynasty, was once very much taken by
the beauty of Satyavati, the daughter of a chief of fishermen. The
ambitious father of Satyavati placed the condition that the son of
Satyavati would be future king. Since Santanu had already crowned the
eminently qualified Bhisma (born from the union of Santanu with Ganga
devi, the presiding deity of the holy river Ganages), as the prince
regent, he refused to accept this condition. However, driven by the love
for his father, Bhisma voluntarily gave up all claims to the throne and
vowed to forever serve the throne. Since one of the requirements of
becoming a king is to marry and produce an heir, Bhishma effectively
relinquished all claims to the throne by taking the vow of celibacy.

From Satyavati, Santanu had two sons, Citrangada and Vicitravirya.
Citrangada was killed in a fight by the Gandharva king also bearing the
same name. Vicitravirya later married Ambika and Ambalika, the two
daughter of King Kasiraja. However he also died in an untimely manner,
without producing any heirs. Satyavati requested Bhisma to produce heirs
from the womb of Ambika and Ambalika, since at the time the Vedic
scriptures permitted a man to produce offsprings from the widow of his
brother (this is however forbidden in the present age). However Bhisma
declined because of his vows.

Satyavati then summoned Vyasa deva, who was also her son, produced by a
previous mystical union with Parasara Muni. Vyasa deva, was a perfected,
completely self-realized brahman and an empowered incarnation of Lord
Krishna. He agreed to his mother's request and approached the wives of his
deceased brother. Shocked by the austere appearance of Vyasadeva, Ambika
refused to open her eyes during the union and thus Dhrtarastra was born
blind. Similarly Ambalika was trembling with fear at the approach of Vyasa
deva, and thus her son Pandu was born very pale. When Satyavati requested
Ambalika to try again, the terrified queen instead send a maid servant, a
sudra woman.

Vyasadeva was very respectfully served by this woman. Pleased by her,
Vyasa deva gave her the benediction that the very personality of religion
would take birth in her womb, and thus from their union was born Vidura.
Since at the time, the child took the caste of his mother, Vidura was
considered to be a sudra. He was maintained by the royal family and
because of his keen intellect he became on of the closest minister of King
Dhrtarastra. He later married a woman with a similar lineage.

Vidura's role in Mahabharata
************************
Vidura was the personification of religion and treated every one fairly.
He always spoke out strongly against his evil minded nephew Duryodhana and
he always criticized Dhrtarastra for allowing his attachment for the
throne and his son to override his duties as a king and protector. In
other words he treated every one equitably. He saw that Pandavas as pious
and without a protector, so he sheltered them. In Duryodhana he saw greed
and evilness, so with equal compassion, he chastised him. In his brother
the king, he saw weakness, so he strongly advised him on what is right and
what is not. In all situations, he was calm and detached.

At the time Krishna came as a messenger for the Pandavas, requesting some
land for them to rule, Duryodhana bluntly refused. Vidura at this time
strongly criticized Duryodhana and advised Dhrtarastra to cast away his
irreligious son. Stung by this criticism, Duryodhana openly insulted
Vidura in the court, calling him an ungrateful sudra. Vidura accepted this
insult with his usual equanimity and used it as an opportunity to separate
himself from the intrigue. He calmly got up from the court, placing his
weapons on the door and walked away. Being a pure devotee of the Lord,
Vidura used this opportunity to visit places of pilgrimages and associate
with saintly men. In this way he carried on for close to thirty years,
traveling widely and taking the association of highly elevated sages and
devotees.

Purification of Vidura
******************
During his travels, Vidura met and inquired from the great sage Maitreya,
who was a close associate of Vyasa Muni, the father of Vidura. The
conversation between Vidura and Maitreya forms the foundation of the
Srimad Bhagavatam, and spans three cantos of the scripture. Since Maitreya
had been previously purified by the association of Uddhava, a pure devotee
of the Lord, and by none other that Sri Krishna Himself, he was eminently
qualified to answer the intelligent questions of Vidura. In this way,
Vidura who was eminently qualified to begin with, became a pure devotee by
the association of other pure devotees.

In his concluding pastimes, Vidura returned to Hastinapura to visit his
elder brother Dhrtarastra once again. Out of compassion for his brother,
Vidura instructed him strongly about the matters of life and death, sin
and punishment and finally convinced him to leave the comforts of his
palace. Deep in the jungle, under the expert guidance of Vidura,
Dhrtarastra perfected the astanga yoga and gave up his body in a burst of
flames generated by the fire of his yoga. His chaste wife Gandhari entered
the fire, meditating on her husband.

Vidura, a sadhu exemplified
***********************
Vidura exemplifies the qualities and behavior of a sadhu. He was always
calm and self controlled, even in the face of adversity and personal
insult. He was the well wisher of every one, irrespective of their
friendship or animosity towards him and his instructions were for the
ultimate material liberation. He was detached from both praise and insult
and completely absorbed in increasing his association with the Lord.