TEXT 18
viduras tad abhipretya
dhrtarastram abhasata
rajan nirgamyatam sighram
pasyedam bhayam agatam
SYNONYMS
vidurahMahatma Vidura; tatthat; abhipretyaknowing it well; dhrtarastramunto Dhrtarastra; abhasatasaid; rajanO King; nirgamyatamplease get out immediately; sighramwithout the least delay; pasyajust see; idamthis; bhayamfear; agatamalready arrived.
TRANSLATION
Mahatma Vidura knew all this, and therefore he addressed Dhrtarastra, saying: My dear King, please get out of here immediately. Do not delay. Just see how fear has overtaken you.
PURPORT
Cruel death cares for no one, be he Dhrtarastra or even Maharaja Yudhisthira; therefore spiritual instruction, as was given to old Dhrtarastra, was equally applicable to younger Maharaja Yudhisthira. 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 Dhrtarastra, who was too materialistic. The word rajan is especially addressed to Dhrtarastra significantly. Dhrtarastra 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 Dhrtarastra 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, Dhrtarastra 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 Yudhisthira. Maharaja Yudhisthira, as a matter of duty, maintained Dhrtarastra in royal honor, and Dhrtarastra was happily passing away his numbered days in the illusion of being a king or the royal uncle of King Yudhisthira. Vidura, as a saint and as the duty-bound affectionate youngest brother of Dhrtarastra, wanted to awaken Dhrtarastra from his slumber of disease and old age. Vidura therefore sarcastically addressed Dhrtarastra 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 Dhrtarastra 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 Yudhisthira in that way because he knew that a king like Maharaja Yudhisthira 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.

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