Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.13.18

viduras tad abhipretya

dhritarāshtram abhāshata

rājan nirgamyatām śīghram

paśyedam bhayam āgatam

SYNONYMS

vidurah — Mahātmā Vidura; tat — that; abhipretya — knowing it well; dhritarāshtram — unto Dhritarāshtra; abhāshata — said; rājan — O King; nirgamyatām — please get out immediately; śīghram — without the least delay; paśya — just see; idam — this; bhayam — fear; āgatam — already arrived.

TRANSLATION

Mahātmā Vidura knew all this, and therefore he addressed Dhritarāshtra, 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 Dhritarāshtra or even Mahārāja Yudhishthira; therefore spiritual instruction, as was given to old Dhritarāshtra, was equally applicable to younger Mahārāja Yudhishthira. 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 Dhritarāshtra, who was too materialistic. The word rājan is especially addressed to Dhritarāshtra significantly. Dhritarāshtra was the eldest son of his father, and therefore according to law he was to be installed on the throne of Hastināpura. 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 Pāndu, his younger brother. His younger brother left behind him some minor children, and Dhritarāshtra 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, Dhritarāshtra wanted to become a king, and he contrived all sorts of intrigues in consultation with his brother-in-law Śakuni. 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 Mahārāja Yudhishthira. Mahārāja Yudhishthira, as a matter of duty, maintained Dhritarāshtra in royal honor, and Dhritarāshtra was happily passing away his numbered days in the illusion of being a king or the royal uncle of King Yudhishthira. Vidura, as a saint and as the duty-bound affectionate youngest brother of Dhritarāshtra, wanted to awaken Dhritarāshtra from his slumber of disease and old age. Vidura therefore sarcastically addressed Dhritarāshtra 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 Dhritarāshtra 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 Mahārāja Yudhishthira in that way because he knew that a king like Mahārāja Yudhishthira 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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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness