VIDURA ADVISES DHRITARASHTRA

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA > SABHA PARVA > DYOOTA PARVA > CHAPTER 61 - VIDURA ADVISES DHRITARASHTRA

“Vaishampaayana said, ‘During the course of this gambling, certain to bring about utter ruin, Vidura, that dispeller of all doubts said, ‘O Maharaja (Dhritarashtra), O you of the Bharata race, listen to what I say, although my words may not be agreeable to you, like medicine (Aushadham in Sanskrit) to one that is ill and about to breathe his last. When this Duryodhana of sinful mind had, immediately after his birth, cried harshly like a jackal (Gomaayum in Sanskrit), it was well known that he had been ordained to bring about the destruction of the Bharata race. O king, know that he will be the cause of death of you all. A jackal is living in your house, O king, in the form of Duryodhana. You do not know it in consequence of your foolishness.

“Listen now to the words of the Poet (Asura Guru Shukra) which I will quote. They that collect honey (in mountains), having received what they seek (honey), do not notice that they are about to fall. Ascending dangerous heights, distracted in the pursuit of what they seek, they fall down and meet with destruction. This Duryodhana also, maddened with the play at dice, like the collector of honey, distracted in what he seeks, sees not the consequences. Making enemies of these great warriors (Maharathaas in Sanskrit), he does not see the fall that is before him.

“O you of great wisdom (Dhritarashtra), it is known to you that among the Bhojaas, they abandoned, for the good of the citizens a son (Asamanja was the son of the king) that was unworthy of their race. The Andhakaas, the Yaadavaas, and the Bhojaas uniting together, abandoned Kamsa. Afterwards, when at the command of the whole tribe, the same Kamsa had been slain by (Sri) Krishna that slayer of enemies, all the men of the tribe became exceedingly happy for a hundred years. So, at your command, let Arjuna slay this Suyodhana (also known as Duryodhana). In consequence of the slaying of this wretch (Duryodhana), let the Kurus be glad and pass their days in happiness.

“O Maharaja (Dhritarashtra), in exchange of a crow buy these peacocks – the Paandavaas; and in exchange of a jackal, buy these tigers. For the sake of a family (Kula in Sanskrit), a member may be sacrificed; for the sake of a village a family may be sacrificed, for the sake of a province a village may be sacrificed and for the sake of one’s own soul the whole earth may be sacrificed. This was what the omniscient Kavya (Asura Guru Shukra) himself, familiar with the thoughts of every creature, and a source of terror to all enemies, said to the great Asuras to induce them to abandon Jambha at the moment of his birth.

“It is said that a certain king, having taken a number of wild birds that vomited gold to his own house, afterwards killed them from temptation. O slayer of enemies (Dhritarashtra), blinded by temptation and the desire of enjoyment, for the sake of gold, the king destroyed at the same time both his present and future gains. Therefore, O king (Dhritarashtra), do not prosecute the Paandavaas from desire of profit, like the king in story. For then, blinded by foolishness you will have to repent afterwards, like the person that killed the birds.

“Like a flower-seller that plucks (many flowers) in the garden from trees that he cherishes with affection from day to day, continue, O Bharata (Dhritarashtra), to pluck flowers day by day from the Paandavaas. Do not burn them to their roots like a fire-producing breeze that reduces everything to black charcoal. Go not, O king (Dhritarashtra), to the region of Yama, with your sons and troops, for who is there that is capable of fighting with the Paarthaas (Paandavaas), together? Not to speak of others, is the Marutaas at the head of Marutaas themselves, capable of doing so?’”