740603 - Lecture SB 01.13.12 - Geneva

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

740603SB-GENEVA - June 03, 1974 - 20:07 Minutes

Nitāi: (leads chanting of verse, etc.) (devotees repeat)

ity ukto dharma-rājena

sarvaṁ tat samavarṇayat

yathānubhūtaṁ kramaśo

vinā yadu-kula-kṣayam

(SB 1.13.12)

(break)

Translation: "Thus being questioned by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahātmā Vidura gradually described everything that he had personally experienced, except the news of the annihilation of the Yadu dynasty."

Prabhupāda:

ity ukto dharma-rājena

sarvaṁ tat samavarṇayat

yathānubhūtaṁ kramaśo

vinā yadu-kula-kṣayam

(SB 1.13.12)

Yadu-kula-kṣayam. The Yadu dynasty . . . when Kṛṣṇa was present, the family members were about ten millions. This is Kṛṣṇa. Everything is wonderful. He married 16,108 wives, and each wife had ten children, and each child begot another ten children. In this way, the Yadu-kula was a very big family. So they were destroyed.

There are two comments on this point, why Yadu-kula was destroyed by Kṛṣṇa plan. One comment is that if they would continue to live, then the same misconception, that a brāhmaṇa is born in the brāhmaṇa family, they would continue to speak that, "We are also gods, because we are born of God's family, Kṛṣṇa's family." Just like in India there is a class, they call themselves Nityānanda-vaṁśa, descendants of Lord Nityānanda. But that does not actually happen. And another comment is that all these members of Yadu-kula, they appeared in the Yadu-kula just to enhance the opulence of Kṛṣṇa. But they came from different heavenly planets to help Kṛṣṇa in His incarnation. Just like a big man, wherever he goes there are many others also go there to help him. When a king goes somewhere, the king does not go alone. He goes with his secretaries, his military commanders, and so many other companions.

So these Yadu-kulas were like that. They came to help Kṛṣṇa's līlā, pastimes, within this material world. So some of them were born as sons of Kṛṣṇa, some of them as grandson, as great-grandson, and Kṛṣṇa did not want to leave them behind. Kṛṣṇa was planning to go back to His Vaikuṇṭha here, Vṛndāvana planet. So He did not like that they should remain. They should also go back. Now, to go back means they must meet death after . . . because otherwise it is unnatural. So . . . and who can kill them? Nobody can kill them. That is also another point. The family of Kṛṣṇa, there is no power in the whole world that anybody could kill them. So Kṛṣṇa planned that they should be killed amongst themselves by fighting. So another lesson is that if we fight amongst ourselves, even we belong to the family of Kṛṣṇa, we are ruined. This is the instance of Yadu-kula. Although they belonged to Kṛṣṇa's family directly, still, because they fought amongst themselves, they were all banished, vanquished.

So this was not a very palatable incidence. So Vidura, when he was asked by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about the family members of Yadu-kula, he did not describe it, because they were very thickly related as family members, so it would be a great shock to the Pāṇḍavas that Yadu-kula, descendants of the Yadu-kula, had been annihilated in such an unpalatable way. So he did not describe. Yathānubhūtaṁ kramaśaḥ. Ity ukto dharma-rājena sarvaṁ tat samavarṇayat. He described everything. Vinā yadu-kula-kṣayam. Vinā. Vinā means "without," without the incidence, how the Yadu-kula was destroyed by fighting amongst themselves.

nanv apriyaṁ durviṣahaṁ

nṛṇāṁ svayam upasthitam

nāvedayat sakaruṇo

duḥkhitān draṣṭum akṣamaḥ

(SB 1.13.13)

He did not describe because he did not like also to see that Pāṇḍavas would be sorry. He went back to his home after so many years, and they were receiving them, and at that time Vidura did not like to see them aggrieved on account of this incidence.

kañcit kālam athāvātsīt

sat-kṛto devavat sukham

bhrātur jyeṣṭhasya śreyas-kṛt

sarveṣāṁ sukham āvahan

(SB 1.13.14)

Vidura left his home for good. It is not that he has again come back to live with his family members. No. His only purpose was that his elder brother Dhṛtarāṣṭra was rotting there. He lost everything. He lost his kingdom, lost his sons, grandsons and everything. Still he could not give up the so-called material happiness. He was . . . of course, these Pāṇḍavas, they were treating Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his wife Gāndhārī very gorgeously as head of the family, but he was not ashamed that he intrigued so much difficulties and plot against the Pāṇḍavas. There was big fight, Kurukṣetra, in which he lost everything. Still he was living under their care for some material comforts. So this was very shameful affair. So Vidura was very much attracted, attached to Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Therefore, bhrātur jyeṣṭhasya śreyas-kṛt. Bhrātuḥ means brother, and jyeṣṭha means elder. So actually, Vidura went there for the benefit of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Therefore, kañcit kālam atha avātsīt. He decided to live at home along with the family members for some time. Avātsīt.

Sat-kṛto devavat sukham. He was living just like in the opulence of demigods. Because they were all nephews. Pāṇḍavas were so well behaved, cultured devotees, and Vidura was devotee. So he was treated just like deva-vat, godly. That is required. Just like whenever I go anywhere, they treat me very nicely, I live very comfortably, similarly, Vidura was treated by the Pāṇḍavas to live very comfortably, deva-vat, just like godly standard. But he did not live there for getting some material comforts. His aim was that, "This poor man, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, my elder brother, he has not yet been lessoned, that what is the value of these material comforts." He was living shamelessly. So he wanted to instruct him, and thus he lived there for some time.

kañcit kālam athāvātsīt

sat-kṛto devavat sukham

bhrātur jyeṣṭhasya śreyas-kṛt

sarveṣāṁ sukham āvahan

(SB 1.13.14)

So although he especially lived in the palace for the benefit of his elder brother, still, so long he lived, it was a very pleasing time for all of them. Because he was living not as a dull or dumb man. He was speaking about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore everyone was feeling very happy. (reads purport) "Saintly persons like Vidura must be treated as well as a denizen from heaven." "As well as a denizen from heaven." Yes. If any saintly person comes at home, formerly this was the system. In our childhood we have seen, many saintly person used to come, and my father used to receive them very nicely, some of them. Still, the system is if you go to any Indian village and . . . I mean to say, those who are sannyāsīs, saintly person, they are received very well. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was touring in South India, so many brāhmaṇas were coming to invite Him. That is the system. He hasn't got to bother for his food or shelter any place. That is the system.

So Vidura, he was a saintly person. He was received by the Pāṇḍavas and treated just like denizens. (reads) "In those days denizens of heavenly planets used to visit homes like that of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and sometimes persons like Arjuna and others used to visit higher planets." We get information. Arjuna also went to the heavenly planets, and person from heaven, when there was big yajñas, sacrifice, they used to come and visit Indra, Candra. And sometimes person like . . . (reads) "Nārada is a spaceman who can travel unrestrictedly not only within the material universes but also in the spiritual universes." Wherever he wanted, he could go. He can go. He's still living. Not that . . . (reads) "Even Nārada used to visit the palace of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and what to speak of other celestial demigod. It is only the spiritual culture of the people concerned that makes interplanetary travel possible, even in the present body. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira therefore received Vidura in the manner of reception offered to the demigods. This example means demigods were visiting.

"Mahātmā Vidura had already adopted the renounced order of life, and therefore he did not return to his paternal palace to enjoy some material comfort. He accepted out of his own mercy what was offered to him by the Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, but the purpose of living in the palace was to deliver his too much materially attached elder brother, Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Dhṛtarāṣṭra lost all his state and descendants in the fight with Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and still, due to his sense of helplessness, he did not feel ashamed to accept the charity and hospility of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira." Suppose you create some enemy, always fought with your enemy. So if you accept his hospitality and live there, thinking that, "I am living very comfortably," it is not very good sense.

(reads) "On the part of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, it was quite in order to maintain his uncle in a befitting manner, but acceptance of such magnanimous hospitality by Dhṛtarāṣṭra was not at all desirable. He accepted it because he thought that there was no other alternative. Vidura particularly came to enlighten Dhṛtarāṣṭra and to give him a lift to the higher status of spiritual cognition. It is the duty of the enlightened souls to deliver the fallen ones, and Vidura came to that reason. But talks of spiritual enlightenment are so refreshing that while instructing Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Vidura attracted the attention of all the members of the family, and all of them took pleasure in hearing him patiently. This is the way of spiritual realization. The message should be heard attentively, and if spoken by realized soul, it will act on the dormant heart of the conditioned soul. And by continuously hearing, one can attain the perfect stage of self-realization."

Therefore śravaṇam is very essential. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). So in all our centers, this process should be followed. We have got now so many books. Simply if we read books . . . our Yogeśvara Prabhu is very enthusiastic to read books. So everyone should read books, and others should hear. That is very essential, śravaṇam. The more you hear . . . we have got so many books. Whatever is already published . . . just like we are describing one verse daily. So at least . . . there are so many verses already in stock, you can go on speaking for fifty years. These books already published, you can go on. There will be no want of stock.

So this practice should be adopted. Don't waste time. As much as possible, try to hear about this transcendental subject matter, Bhāgavatam. Yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam. It is stated that, "The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is very, very dear to the Vaiṣṇavas, to the devotees." In Vṛndāvana, you will find, they are always reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is their life and soul. So now we have got already six volumes, and further . . . how many? Eight volumes are coming? So you will have enough stock. So you should read. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). That is the main business. That is pure devotional service. Because we cannot devote twenty-four hours in hearing and chanting, therefore we have extended our activities, program activities, in so many ways. Otherwise, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so nice, if you practice anywhere, any condition, simply by reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you will be happy. So adopt this practice and make your spiritual life perfect more and more.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)