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*VIDŪRA NĪTI – 1*


Vidura (skilled, intelligent or wise) was one of the central characters in the Mahabharata. He is described as the prime minister of the Kuru Kingdom and also the uncle of the Pandavas and Kauravas.As per legend, Sage Mandavya was punished for a crime he did not commit ; he therefore cursed Lord Yamaraja that he would be born in the mortal world to a low class woman.

Vidura was the half-brother to the kings Dhritarashtra and Pandu of Hastinapura, born to the sage Vyasa and Sûdri, a lady-in-waiting to the queens Ambika and Ambalika of the city Both Ambika and Ambalika were wives of King Vichitravirya of Hastinapura, who died childless. Anxious to ensure the continuation of the royal lineage, Vichitravirya’s mother Satyavati called another of her sons, the ascetic Vyasa (born through Sage Parashara), to bestow motherhood upon the two widowed queens.

Vyasa, as a hermit practicing severe austerities, was unpleasant and even fearsome in appearance, so much so that Ambika shut her eyes tight when she saw him, and her sister Ambalika went pale with fear. Vyasa informed his mother that as a result, the sons they bore would respectively be blind (Dhritarashtra), and jaundiced (Pandu).Fearing that no such child would be a worthy heir, Satyavati asked Vyasa to grant another son to Ambika. Still fearful of Vyasa, Ambika sent her lady-in-waiting to Vyasa. This dutiful lady was not frightened by Vyasa’s appearance and bore a normal, healthy, son. Thus, Vidura was born.

*Vidura, the wise adviser*

Vidura was raised and educated by Bhishma: however, since neither of his parents were of royal blood, he was made counsellor to his brothers . When Satyavati enquired about her grandchildren’s strengths, Bhishma praised Dhristarashtra’s strength, Pandu’s military prowess, and Vidura’s intellect. When time came for a crown prince to be chosen, it was Vidura who opined that despite being older, Dhritarashtra’s blindness made him an unfit king. Vidura then supported Pandu’s selection to the kingship, much to the chagrin of Dhritarashtra.


Upon Pandu’s abdication, Vidura took on the reins of government for all practical purposes, guiding his brother’s government. Vidura was most respected as an adviser by the Pandavas, whom he forewarned on various occasions of Duryodhana’s plots to exterminate them, such as the plan to burn them alive in the house of wax.

*Game of dice*


Vidura tried to stop Yudhishthira from playing the game of dice, but his efforts were of no use: disastrous consequences followed.Excepting Prince Vikarna, Vidura was the only one who protested against the humiliation of Draupadi in the Kaurava court. Unlike Bhishma, Dronacharya, Kripacharya and Karna, Vidura did not have an obligation to Hastinapura or Duryodhana, but to his family – reason why Vidura felt compelled to side with dharma and the Pandavas.

Vidura was considered as Dharmaraja, which means the Lord of truth. Krishna respected Vidura for his devotion to people’s welfare and his proficiency in every sphere of knowledge. When Krishna visited Hastinapura as a peace emissary of the Pandavas, he shunned Duryodhana’s offer to stay in the royal palace, preferring instead the home of the neutral Vidura.


Vidura repeatedly advised everyone in the Court to pay heed to the messenger, Krishna. However, Duryodhana was irritated and burst out, blaming the low-born mother of Vidura as the cause for him betraying the Kauravas. In protest against this verbal assault, Vidura resigned on the spot from the post of Prime minister and broke his bow, vowing not to take part in the Kurukshetra War. Some lesser known versions of Mahabharatha praise Vidura as an archer so great that if he had participated on the side of Kauravas in the war, the Pandavas would have been crushed.

After the Kurukshetra War, Yudhishthira became the emperor and upon his request, Vidura resumed his post as Prime minister. After many years, Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, Kunti and Vidura decided to retire and went to the forest to live a simple life. Sanjaya also accompanied them. When Yudhishthira went to forest after two years to visit them, he found Vidura’s body to be lifeless. When he went near to it, Vidura’s spirit entered Yudhishthira’s body and Yudhishthira realised that he and Vidura belonged to same entity, Yama. Yudhishthira left Vidura’s body in woods and didn’t cremate it on the advice of a heavenly voice.

*Legacy*

Vidura is held to be a paragon of truth, dutifulness, impartial judgement and steadfast dharma. He is considered the embodiment of the inner consciousness of the Mahabharata.Till his death Vidura remained an honest and able man who followed Dharma with all his heart and mind. Apart from Krishna, Vidura is the most intelligent man in the Mahabharata, who lived his life by his own rules.Despite his intelligence, Vidura could never be king, though he deserved to be. In brief, there was no one equal to Vidura in devotion to virtue and in the knowledge of the dictates of morality.

Vidura-niti (Vidura Neethi), or Vidura’s Statecraft, narrated in the form of a dialogue between Vidura and King Dhritrashtra, is considered the precursor in some ways of Chanakyaneeti. We will discuss it in the coming days.


*To be continued………*

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*VIDŪRA NĪTI -2*

*Relevance*

The contemporary importance of Vidura Niti cannot be underestimated. The centre of Sanathana Dharma is the home and the householder is held up as the ideal. However, since the rise of the monastic movements, the focus has shifted from the home to the ashram. The status of the householder has been downplayed and most preaching nowadays centres on the Upanishads and Vedanta. The trivarga purushārthas: Dharma (ethics), Artha (material success) and Kāma (pleasure and enjoyment) have been neglected and only the fourth — Moksha is discussed, recommended and glorified.


The alternative and better way forward is the teaching of the Nīti Śāstras to the youth and to householders. There can be no better way to begin than an overview of Vidura Nīti which is described from the 33rd chapter to the 40th chapter in the Udyoga Parva of the Mahabharata. The original text is in great detail but doesn’t always make for easy reading as the topics jump around considerably and do not connect with each other in a systematic and smooth fashion.


I have tried here to condense and simplify an excellent translation entitled “The teachings of a sudra advisor” by Sri Rama Ramanuja Achari in which the verses have been rearranged according to topic and those which were too obscure or irrelevant have been deleted. The translation has used for reference the Gorakhpur Hindi translation and the Sanskrit E-text from Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune.

*The setting*

The setting of the teaching of Vidura Niti is the palace of Dhritarasthra, the blind king whose sons – the Kauravas are about to engage in a fratricidal war with their cousins the Pandavas for the kingdom. The king has just been visited by his charioteer Sanjaya, who had brought a message from the Pandavas entreating a reconciliation.



Sanjaya had not minced his words and had directly told the king that his acts and decisions had been contrary to Dharma. He told him that he had earned a bad reputation in this world, and would reap misery in the next : calamity would surely overtake one who is deficient in wisdom, or who is cruel, or who cherishes hostility for a long time, or who is not steady in Kshatriya chivalry, or is devoid of energy, or is of a bad disposition.


He added that Duryodhana and all the courtiers devoted to him were united in their firm determination that the Pandavas should not to get back their share of the kingdom. The destruction of the Kauravas, therefore, is certain to be brought about by the force of circumstances.


He warned him,” If you don’t make peace, then through your fault Arjuna will consume the Kurus like a blazing fire consuming a heap of dried grass. Your majesty, you alone, yielding to your uncontrollable son, had regarded yourself as crowned with success, and abstained from intervening at the time of the gambling fiasco. You will surely see now the fruit of that (weakness of yours)”. After delivering his message and severely rebuking the king, Sanjaya retired for the night to prepare for his address to the assembled kurus on the next day.


Dhritarasthra was confused, agitated and depressed with Sanjaya’s brutally honest submission. He pondered and realized that the only person who could advise him properly was Vidura. He sent for him and soon he was in his chamber – the ever reliable, honest and wise half – brother.

Dhritarashtra welcomed him and said:– “O Vidura, Sanjaya has departed after rebuking me. Tomorrow he will deliver Yuddhisthira’s message to the Kaurava court. I have not yet been able to ascertain what exactly that message is. Therefore, my body is burning, and that has produced sleeplessness. My mind knows no peace and all my senses are agitated. Please advise and help me. You are the wisest amongst all of us.”

Vidura replied “Sleeplessness affects a thief, a lustful person, one that has lost all one’s wealth, one that has failed to achieve success, and one that is weak and has been attacked by a strong person. I hope, O king, that none of these grave calamities has overtaken you! I hope, you do not grieve, coveting the wealth of others.”

Vidura was ironical here as both he and Sanjaya thought that the king had been rendered senseless through his attachment to his children. He was also being sarcastic, as all these conditions could be very well be applied to Dhritarashtra and his sons. The kingdom and its wealth rightfully belong to the Pandavas.


He continued “Even if unasked, one should still always speak the truth to one whose defeat is to be avoided, whether what is said is good or bad, hateful or pleasing. I shall, therefore, say what is for the good of the Kurus. I shall say what is both beneficial and consistent with ethics.”



*To be continued….*

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*VIDŪRA NĪTI -3*


*Who is a real Pandita?*



Over the next few days, we’ll explore Vidura’s excellent expositions on various relevant topics as addressed to King Dhritharashtra. The master class that Vidura expounded is as useful and important to us today as it was necessary for the king.

To begin with let us look at Vidura’s list of qualities that a person should have to be called as a Pandita (scholar):

Vidura uvāca ||

ātma-jñānam samaraṁbhas titikṣā dharma nityayā | yam arthān nāpakarṣanti sa vai paṇḍita ucyate 17||
*One who is endowed with self-knowledge, productiveness, forbearance and steadiness in virtue, and is not motivated by material gains is called a pandita.*

niṣevate praśastāni ninditāni na sevate |
anāstikaḥ śraddha-dhāna etat paṇḍita lakṣaṇam || 18 ||
*Other indications of a pandita, are regularly performing deeds that are praiseworthy, and rejection of all that is censurable, a firm conviction in the teaching of the Veda and generosity*.

krodho harṣaśca darpaśca hrīstambho mānyamānitā | yam arthān nāpakarṣanti sa vai paṇḍita ucyate ||
19 ||
*One whom neither anger nor joy, nor pride, nor false modesty, nor stupefaction, nor vanity, can draw away from the four legitimate goals of life (purusārthas), is considered as a pandita.*


yasya kṛtyaṁ na jānanti mantraṁ vā mantritaṁ pare | kṛtam evāsya jānanti sa vai paṇḍita ucyate || 20 ||
*One whose projects and proposed recommendations remain concealed from competitors, and whose projects become known only after they have been accomplished, is considered to be a pandita.*

yasya saṁsāriṇī prajñā dharmārthāv anuvartate | kāmād arthaṁ vṛṇīte yaḥ sa vai paṇḍita ucyate || 21 ||
*One who daily reflects upon both virtue (dharma) and success (artha), and who prefers success over mere pleasure (kāma), is considered a pandita.*

yathā śakti cikīrṣanti yathā śakti ca kurvate |
na kiñcid avamanyante paṇḍitā bharatarṣabha || 22 ||
*They that are strongly motivated, and act according to the best of their ability, and disregard nothing as insignificant, are called panditas, O King.*

kṣipraṁ vijānāti ciraṁ śṛṇoti vijñāya cārthaṁ bhajate na kāmāt |
nāsampṛṣṭo vyupa yuṅkte parārthe tat prajñānaṁ prathamaṁ paṇḍitasya || 23 ||
*One that understands quickly, listens patiently, pursues one’s objectives with considerate planning and not from selfish desires and who doesn’t waste breath discussing the affairs of others without being asked, is said to possess the foremost mark of wisdom*
.
nāprāpyamabhivāñcanti naṣṭaṁ necchanti śocitum |
āpatsu ca na muhyanti narāḥ paṇḍita buddhayaḥ || 24 ||
*They that don’t strive for goals that are unattainable, that don’t grieve for what is lost and gone, that don’t allow their minds to be clouded amid calamities, are regarded as possessing intellects endued with wisdom*

niścitya yaḥ prakramate nāntar vasati karmaṇaḥ|
avandhya-kālo vaśyātmā sa vai paṇḍita ucyate ||25 ||
*One who, having commenced a well-thought out project, persevers till it is completed, who never wastes time, and who is self-controlled, is regarded as a pandita.*

ārya karmaṇi rajyante bhūti karmāṇi kurvate |
hitaṁ ca nābhyasūyanti paṇḍitā bharata-rṣabha || 26 ||
*They who are panditas, O King, always delight in honest deeds, and always act to advance their happiness and prosperity, and never sneer at anything that is [objectively] beneficial*
.
na hṛṣyatyātma-saṁmāne nāvamānena tapyate | gāṅgo hrada ivākṣobhyo yaḥ sa paṇḍita ucyate || 27 ||
*One who exults not at honours, and grieves not at insults, and remains cool and un-agitated like a lake on the course of Ganga, is reckoned as a Pandita.*

tattvajñaḥ sarva bhūtānāṁ yogajñaḥ sarva karmaṇām | upāyajño manuṣyāṇāṁ naraḥ paṇḍita ucyate || 28 ||
*That one who knows the nature of all creatures (viz., that everything is impermanent), who is mindful also of the inter-connectedness of all acts, and who is proficient in the knowledge of the methodology [for people to attain their objectives], is reckoned as a pandita.*

pravṛtta vāk-citra katha ūhavān pratibhānavān |
āśu granthasya vaktā ca sa vai paṇḍita ucyate || 29 ||
*One who speaks boldly, can converse on various subjects, knows the science of debate, possesses intellectual acuity, and can interpret the meaning of texts, is reckoned as a pandita.*

śrutaṁ prajñānugaṁ yasya prajñā caiva śrutānugā | asambhinnārya maryādaḥ paṇḍitākhyāṁ labheta saḥ || 30 ||
*One whose studies are regulated by reason, and whose reason follows the śāstra, and who never abstains from paying respect to those that are good, is called a pandit.*

prajñām evāgamayati yaḥ prājñebhyaḥ sa paṇḍitaḥ |
prājño hyavāpya dharmārthau śaknoti sukham edhitum || 31 ||
*He that draws wisdom from them that are wise, is really learned and a pandita. And one that is wise, by attending to both virtue (Dharma) and profit (artha), succeeds in achieving happiness*

arthaṁ mahāntam āsādya vidyām aiśvaryam eva vā | vicaraty-asamunnaddho yaḥ sa paṇḍita ucyate
|| 32 ||
*But one who, having attained immense and prosperity or has acquired (vast) learning, does not behave arrogantly, is reckoned as a pandita*

*To be continued…*