SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 3

(1) S'uka said: 'This is what formerly Vidura asked His Grace Maitreya Rishi when he entered the forest after renouncing his prosperous home: (2) 'What to say of the house [of the Pândavas] I am identified with? S'rî Krishna, the Supreme Lord and master of all, was accepted as the minister of its people and had given up entering the house of Duryodhana.

(3) The king said: 'Please tell us master, where and when did Vidura meet with His Grace Maitreya Muni to discuss this? (4) Certainly the questions Vidura asked the holy man cannot have been unimportant, they must have been full of the highest purpose as approved by the seekers of truth.'

(5) Sûta said: "He, the great sage S'ukadeva thus being questioned by King Parîkchit, fully satisfied replied him from his great expertise: 'Please listen to this'.

(6) S'rî S'ukadeva said: 'At the time when King Dhritarâshthra was nourishing his dishonest sons he, never being on the right path, had lost his sight with the sons of his younger brother [the deceased Pându, see family tree] in being their guardian. He made them enter the laquer house which he set on fire [see Mahâbhârata I 139-148]. (7) When in the assembly the wife of the saintly Kurus [Draupadî] was insulted by his son [Duhs'âsana] who grabbed her by her hair, the king did not forbid this, although his daughter-in-law shed tears that washed the red dust of her breast [see Mahâbhârata II 58-73]. (8) When by unfair means he who was without an enemy [Yudhishthhira] was defeated in a game of gambling and as one loyal to the truth went to the forest, he upon returning in due course never was given his right share by him who was overcome by illusion [Dhritarâshthra] . (9) Also Lord Krishna, when He on the plea of Arjuna came for them into the assembly as the teacher of the world, was, with His words as good as nectar, of all men of sense by the king not taken seriously in the dwindling of the last of their piety.

(10) When [formerly] called to the palace Vidura entered there for consultation upon the request of of course the elder brother [Dhritarâshthra] and the advice that he then gave was exactly suitable for what the ministers of state with his instructions knew to appreciate: (11) 'Return now the legitimate share to the one who has no enemy [Yudhishthhira] who was so forbearing to your unbearable offenses together with his younger brothers, of which we know Bhîma of anger wrathful like a snake and of whom you verily should be afraid. (12) The sons of Prithâ have now been taken in by the Supreme Lord of Liberation who, together with the brahmins and the godly, is now here along with His family, the worshipful Yadu dynasty, that conquered with Him an unlimited amount of kings. (13) He [Duryodhana], this offense in person, stepped, with the idea of him as your son, forward in your household as an enemy of the Original One, while he, bereft of all goodness, opposes Krishna - that inauspiciousness you must, for the sake of the family, give up as soon as possible.'

(14) After Vidura spoke thus he was there addressed by Duryodhana who, swollen with anger and with trembling lips, insulted the respectable one of good qualities in the company of Karna, his younger brothers and S'akuni [a maternal uncle]: (15) 'Who asked him to be here, this crooked son of a mistress, who grew up living on the subsistence of those with whom he's taking the position of an enemy spy? Throw him immediately out of the palace to be left with his breath only!' (16) Vidura on his turn consequently put his bow at the door and left the palace of his brother, being afflicted in the core of his heart with the external energy; but despite of these to the ear so severe arrows, about which he didn't feel sorry, he felt great.

(17) After having left the Kauravas and leaving Hastinâpura, achieved he the piety of the Supreme Lord in taking shelter in pilgrimages, desiring only the high grade of devotion as established by all those thousands of idols. (18) He traveled to holy places of devotion where the air, the hills and the orchards, waters, rivers and lakes are pure with temples decorated with the forms of the Unlimited. Thus he proceeded alone through the holy lands. (19) Traversing the earth pure and independent, he was sanctified by the ground he slept on and without his familiar dress one could not recognize him, for he was dressed like a mendicant performing to the vows to please the Lord. (20) Traveling this way through India only, he came to the holy land of Prabhâsa, which at the time was under the reign of King Yudhishthhira who by the mercy of the Invincible Lord ruled the world under one military force and flag [see 1-13]. (21) There he heard how all his kinsmen had perished [at Kurukshetra] in violent passion like a bamboo forest burned of igniting through its own friction, upon which he, silent with his thoughts, went westward towards the river Sarasvatî. (22) There at the bank of the river he visited and duly worshiped the holy places called Trita, Us'anâ, Manu, Prithu, Agni, Asita, Vâyu, Sudâsa, Go, Guha and S'râddhadeva. (23) There were also other places there established by the godly twice-born and devotees of the various forms of Lord Vishnu, who, as the chief, marked each and every part of the temples - which already seen from a distance reminded one of Lord Krishna. (24) From there passing through the wealthy kingdom of Surat, Sauvîra and Kurujângala (west of India), did he, as he after some time reached the Yamunâ river, also happen to see Uddhava, the Supreme Lord His greatest devotee [see Canto 11].

(25) He embraced the sober and gentle constant companion of Vâsudeva who was formerly a student of Brihaspati, the master of all ritual, and with great love and affection he questioned him about the family of the Supreme Lord: (26) 'Are the original personalities of Godhead [Krishna & Balarâma], who, on the request of the Creator who was born from the lotus, descended in the world for the elevation and well-being of everyone, all well in the house of S'ûrasena [the father of Queen Kuntî, aunt Prithâ]? (27) And, o Uddhava, is our greatest Kuru and brother-in-law, Vasudeva [the father of Lord Krishna] happy, who is truly like a father to his sisters and so generous in providing his wives to their pleasure with everything they desire? (28) Please, tell me whether the military commander-in-chief of the Yadus, Pradyumna, is all happy, o Uddhava - he was in his previous life the god of love and is now the great hero whom Rukminî bore as prince from the Supreme Lord after pleasing the brahmins. (29) And is Ugrasena all well, the king of the Sâtvatas of the Vrishni family from the Dâs'ârha race in the Bhoja-dynasty? He is the one to whom Lord Krishna restored the hope of the throne after he had to give it up being put at a distance [because of uncle Kamsa's reign]. (30) O grave one, is the son of the Lord, Sâmba, faring well? He, the foremost and best behaved among the warriors, is so much alike Him. Jâmbavatî [another wife of Krishna] so rich in her vows gave birth to after his previous life as the godly Kârttikeya who was born unto the wife of S'iva? (31) And how is Yuyudhâna [Sâtyaki], he who learned from Arjuna and achieved as one understanding the intricacies of the military art and as well surely of service attained to the destination of the Transcendental that even by the great renouncers is so difficult to achieve? (32) And the well learned faultless son of S'vaphalka, Akrûra, how is he - he is the one who in his surrender on the path of Krishna's lotus feet fell in the dust showing symptoms of transcendental love having lost his equilibrium. (33) Is everything well with the daughter of King Devaka-Bhoja; the way from the Vedas came about the purpose of sacrifice did she [Devakî], just like the mother of the demi-gods [Aditi] who gave birth to the Godhead, give birth to Vishnu. (34) And is also He, the Personality of Godhead all happy who of you all is the one devotee that is the source of all desires, Aniruddha, who from a long time past is accepted as the birth channel of the Rig-Veda, the creator of mind and the transcendental fourth plenary expansion of the Reality Principle [Vishnu-tattva]? (35) And o sober one, are others like Hridîka, Cârudeshna, Gada and the son of Satyabhâmâ, who accept the Divine of their own self as the soul in following with absolute faith, also all well passing their time?

(36) Does Yudhishthhira, with the principles of humanity, maintain the respect of religion under the protection of the arms of Arjuna and the Infallible One; with the opulence of his royal entourage and the service of Arjuna, he raised the envy of Duryodhana. (37) And did the unconquerable Bhîma, who is like a cobra, release his long-cherished anger upon the sinners? The battlefield could not bear his tread on the path of the wonderful play of his club. (38) Arjuna, the famous one among the chariot warriors with his bow the Gândîva who vanquished so many enemies, is he doing well? Once he satisfied Lord S'iva covering him with arrows when S'iva unrecognizable presented himself as a false hunter. (39) And do the twin sons of Prithâ [Nakula and Sahadeva] play carelessly protected as they are by their brothers as the eyelids do the eyes in their snatching back their own property in the fight with the enemy like Garuda [the carrier of Vishnu] did [with the nectar] from the mouth of Indra? (40) O dear one, is Prithâ still alive; she dedicated her life to the care for the fatherless children, living without King Pându, who alone as a commanding warrior could conquer the four directions with a second bow only.

(41) O gentle one, I am just lamenting him [Dhritarâshthra] who sliding down upon his brother's [Pându's] death revolted and drove me, his well-wisher, out of my own house in adopting the same line of action as his sons. (42) Therefore I travel without being recognized by the eyes of the common man through this world of the Lord, which is so bewildering for others to manage, to the grace of His feet, which I never missed to see being doubtless in this matter. (43) Of course, to the kings going astray out of the three kinds of false pride [from the hindrances of the self, others and the wordly influence] who constantly agitated the earth through the movement of their troops, He, being the Supreme Lord of the Kurus and willing to relieve the distress of the surrendered, waited to kill them despite of their offenses. (44) The appearance of the Unborn One, the One without any obligation in the world, is there to put an end to the upstarts so that each may understand; what other purpose would serve His taking up a body and all kinds of karma? (45) O my friend, sing the glories of the Lord of all the sacred places who for the interest of the unborn was born in the family of the Yadus and to whom all rulers of the universe surrendered in the control of His own Self.

S'uka said: 'This is what formerly Vidura asked His Grace Maitreya Rishi when he entered the forest after renouncing his prosperous home:

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: After renouncing his prosperous home and entering the forest, King Vidura, the great devotee, asked this question of His Grace Maitraya Rishi. (Vedabase)

Text 2

'What to say of the house [of the Pândavas] I am identified with? S'rî Krishna, the Supreme Lord and master of all, was accepted as the minister of its people and had given up entering the house of Duryodhana.'

What else is there to say about the residential house of the Pândavas? S'rî Krishna, the Lord of everything, acted as your minister. He used to enter that house as if it were His own, and He did not take any care of Duryodhana's house. (Vedabase)

Text 3

The king said: 'Please tell us master, where and when did Vidura meet with His Grace Maitreya Muni to discuss this?

The King asked S'ukadeva Gosvâmî: Where and when did the meeting and discussion take place between Saint Vidura and His Grace Maitreya Muni? Kindly oblige, my lord, and describe this to us. (Vedabase)

Text 4

Certainly the questions Vidura asked the holy man cannot have been unimportant, they must have been full of the highest purpose as approved by the seekers of truth.'

Saint Vidura was a great and pure devotee of the Lord, and therefore his questions to His Grace Rishi Maitreya must have been very purposeful, on the highest level, and approved by learned circles. (Vedabase)

Text 5

Sûta said: "He, the great sage S'ukadeva thus being questioned by King Parîkchit, fully satisfied replied him from his great expertise: 'Please listen to this'.

S'rî Sûta Gosvâmî said: The great sage S'ukadeva Gosvâmî was highly experienced and was pleased with the King. Thus being questioned by the King, he said to him, "Please hear the topics attentively. (Vedabase)"

Text 6

S'rî S'ukadeva said: 'At the time when King Dhritarâshthra was nourishing his dishonest sons he, never being on the right path, had lost his sight with the sons of his younger brother [the deceased Pându, see family tree] in being their guardian. He made them enter the laquer house which he set on fire [see Mahâbhârata I 139-148].

S'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: King Dhritarâshthra became blind under the influence of impious desires to nourish his dishonest sons, and thus he set fire to the lacquer house to burn his fatherless nephews, the Pândavas. (Vedabase)

Text 7

When in the assembly the wife of the saintly Kurus [Draupadî] was insulted by his son [Duhs'âsana] who grabbed her by her hair, the king did not forbid this, although his daughter-in-law shed tears that washed the red dust of her breast [see Mahâbhârata II 58-73].

The King did not forbid his son Duhs'âsana's abominable action of grabbing the hair of Draupadî, the wife of the godly King Yudhishthhira, even though her tears washed the red dust on her breast. (Vedabase)

Text 8

When by unfair means he who was without an enemy [Yudhishthhira] was defeated in a game of gambling and as one loyal to the truth went to the forest, he upon returning in due course never was given his right share by him who was overcome by illusion [Dhritarâshthra] .

Yudishthhira, who was born without any enemy, was unfairly defeated in gambling. But because he had taken the vow of truthfulness, he went off to the forest. When he came back in due course and begged the return of his rightful share of the kingdom, he was refused by Dhritarâshthra, who was overwhelmed by illusion. (Vedabase)

Text 9

Also Lord Krishna, when He on the plea of Arjuna came for them into the assembly as the teacher of the world, was, with His words as good as nectar, of all men of sense by the king not taken seriously in the dwindling of the last of their piety.

Lord Krishna was sent by Arjuna into the assembly as the spiritual master of the whole world, and although His words were heard by some [like Bhîshma] as pure nectar, it was not so for the others, who were completely bereft of the last farthing of past pious works. The King [Dhritarâshthra or Duryodhana] did not take the words of Lord Krishna very seriously. (Vedabase)

Text 10

When [formerly] called to the palace Vidura entered there for consultation upon the request of of course the elder brother [Dhritarâshthra] and the advice that he then gave was exactly suitable for what the ministers of state with his instructions knew to appreciate:

When Vidura was invited by his elder brother [Dhritarâshthra] for consultation, he entered the house and gave instructions which were exactly to the point. His advice is well known, and instructions by Vidura are approved by expert ministers of state. (Vedabase)

Text 11

'Return now the legitimate share to the one who has no enemy [Yudhishthhira] who was so forbearing to your unbearable offenses together with his younger brothers, of which we know Bhîma of anger wrathful like a snake and of whom you verily should be afraid.

[Vidura said:] You must now return the legitimate share to Yudhishthhira, who has no enemies and who has been forbearing through untold sufferings due to your offenses. He is waiting with his younger brothers, among whom is the revengeful Bhîma, breathing heavily like a snake. Surely you are afraid of him. (Vedabase)

Text 12

The sons of Prithâ have now been taken in by the Supreme Lord of Liberation who, together with the brahmins and the godly, is now here along with His family, the worshipful Yadu dynasty, that conquered with Him an unlimited amount of kings.

Lord Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, has accepted the sons of Prithâ as His kinsmen, and all the kings of the world are with Lord S'rî Krishna. He is present in His home with all His family members, the kings and princes of the Yadu dynasty, who have conquered an unlimited number of rulers, and He is their Lord. (Vedabase)

Text 13

He [Duryodhana], this offense in person, stepped, with the idea of him as your son, forward in your household as an enemy of the Original One, while he, bereft of all goodness, opposes Krishna - that inauspiciousness you must, for the sake of the family, give up as soon as possible.'

You are maintaining offense personified, Duryodhana, as your infallible son, but he is envious of Lord Krishna. And because you are thus maintaining a nondevotee of Krishna, you are devoid of all auspicious qualities. Relieve yourself of this ill fortune as soon as possible and do good to the whole family. (Vedabase)!

Text 14

After Vidura spoke thus he was there addressed by Duryodhana who, swollen with anger and with trembling lips, insulted the respectable one of good qualities in the company of Karna, his younger brothers and S'akuni [a maternal uncle]:

While speaking thus, Vidura, whose personal character was esteemed by respectable persons, was insulted by Duryodhana, who was swollen with anger and whose lips were trembling. Duryodhana was in company with Karna, his younger brothers and his maternal uncle S'akuni. (Vedabase)

Text 15

'Who asked him to be here, this crooked son of a mistress, who grew up living on the subsistence of those with whom he's taking the position of an enemy spy? Throw him immediately out of the palace to be left with his breath only!'

Who asked him to come here, this son of a kept mistress? He is so crooked that he spies in the interest of the enemy against those on whose support he has grown up. Toss him out of the palace immediately and leave him with only his breath. (Vedabase)

Text 16

Vidura on his turn consequently put his bow at the door and left the palace of his brother, being afflicted in the core of his heart with the external energy; but despite of these to the ear so severe arrows, about which he didn't feel sorry, he felt great.

Thus being pierced by arrows through his ears and afflicted to the core of his heart, Vidura placed his bow on the door and quit his brother's palace. He was not sorry, for he considered the acts of the external energy to be supreme. (Veda b ase)