Friday, October 9, 2020

Vidura Niti - 10 - Forgiveness, conduct, and the end

A
common refrain of Dhritarashtra was to bemoan the vicissitudes of fate, the meaningless of karma, and the supremacy of destiny. It was perhaps his way of not taking responsibility for his actions. In some ways, he was the antithesis of Krishna, who was the ultimate karmayogi. The seventh chapter of Vidura Niti begins in a similar vein. Dhritarashtra says, "Man is not the master of his destiny. He is like a wooden puppet dangling from a string. The creator has made him subject to destiny." While Dhritarashtra seemed to be coming round to accepting Vidura's views, the love for his sons was irreconcilable, in his opinion, with doing what was right for the Pandavas.

рдзृрддрд░ाрд╖्рдЯ्рд░ рдЙрд╡ाрдЪ
рд╕рд░्рд╡ं рдд्рд╡рдоाрдпрддीрдпुрдХ्рддं рднाрд╖рд╕े рдк्рд░ाрдЬ्рдЮрд╕ंрдорддрдо्
рди рдЪोрдд्рд╕рд╣े рд╕ुрддं рдд्рдпрдХ्рддुं рдпрддो рдзрд░्рдорд╕्рддрддो рдЬрдпः [5.39.7]
'Dhritarashtra said, "All that you have said has been approved of by the wise and is for my welfare. But I cannot abandon my son. Where there is dharma, there is victory."

He says much the same thing towards the end of Vidura Niti - "My inclination has always been to turn towards the Pandavas. But whenever I meet Duryodhana, it turns in a contrary direction. No mortal one is capable of transgressing destiny. I think that destiny is the one who acts and human endeavour is futile."

Vidura has a solution for this dilemma also. He suggests to the king that he "Give them a few villages so that they can sustain themselves. ... Your sons will be protected through this deed." This is also the message that Krishna delivers to the king at Hastinapur (Bhagvata Yana parva). Duryodhana had committed an evil act earlier, and it was incumbent on the king to rectify it now. Vidura advised the king that quarrels with relatives were ill-advised. He said:
рдЬ्рдЮाрддрдпрд╕्рддाрд░рдпрди्рддीрд╣ рдЬ्рдЮाрддрдпो рдордЬ्рдЬрдпрди्рддि рдЪ
рд╕ुрд╡ृрдд्рддाрд╕्рддाрд░рдпрди्рддीрд╣ рджुрд░्рд╡ृрдд्рддा рдордЬ्рдЬрдпрди्рддि рдЪ [5.39.23]
"In this world, relatives rescue and relatives make one sink. Those who follow good conduct, rescue. Those who follow evil conduct, make one sink."

Vidura's words on humility and good conduct are well worth reproducing:
рдЕрд╡ृрдд्рддिं рд╡िрдирдпो рд╣рди्рддि рд╣рди्рдд्рдпрдирд░्рдеं рдкрд░ाрдХ्рд░рдоः
рд╣рди्рддि рдиिрдд्рдпं рдХ्рд╖рдоा рдХ्рд░ोрдзрдоाрдЪाрд░ो рд╣рди्рдд्рдпрд▓рдХ्рд╖рдгрдо् [5.39.32]
"Humility destroys bad conduct. Valour destroys adverse circumstances. Forgiveness always destroys anger. Good conduct destroys evil omens."

After the Pandavas were exiled, Yudhishthira had told Draupadi the greatness of forgiveness, that "Forgiveness is dharma. Forgiveness is sacrifices. Forgiveness is the Vedas. Forgiveness is the sacred texts," and so on. The shlokas start off as: рдХ्рд╖рдоा рдзрд░्рдоः рдХ्рд╖рдоा рдпрдЬ्рдЮः рдХ्рд╖рдоा рд╡ेрджाः рдХ्рд╖рдоा рд╢्рд░ुрддрдо् [3.3.36a]. Here Vidura adds exquisite nuance to the concept of forgiveness: 

рдХ्рд╖рдоेрджрд╢рдХ्рддः рд╕рд░्рд╡рд╕्рдп рд╢рдХ्рддिрдоाрди्рдзрд░्рдордХाрд░рдгाрдд् [5.39.46a]
"A weak person must forgive everything. A strong person must do that for the sake of dharma."

Of course, the situation was different when Yudhishthira spoke the words, uttered more out of compulsion and a recognition of the predicament facing the Pandavas at the time, so it is important to place those words, and any other from the Mahabharata, in their appropriate context to gain a true appreciation of their import.

This chapter ends with more advice from Vidura on what one should sorrow over, what causes aging, what is the cause of diminishing, and more.
  • рдЕрдХ्рд░ोрдзेрди рдЬрдпेрдд्рдХ्рд░ोрдзрдорд╕ाрдзुं рд╕ाрдзुрдиा рдЬрдпेрдд्
  • рдЬрдпेрдд्рдХрджрд░्рдпं рджाрдиेрди рдЬрдпेрдд्рд╕рдд्рдпेрди рдЪाрдиृрддрдо् [5.39.58]
  • "Anger should be conquered with lack of anger.
  • Wickedness should be conquered with goodness.
  • Miserliness should be conquered with generosity.
  • Falsehood should be conquered with truth."

  • рдЕрд╡िрдж्рдпः рдкुрд░ुрд╖ः рд╢ोрдЪ्рдпः рд╢ोрдЪ्рдпं рдоिрдеुрдирдордк्рд░рдЬрдо्
  • рдиिрд░ाрд╣ाрд░ाः рдк्рд░рдЬाः рд╢ोрдЪ्рдпाः рд╢ोрдЪ्рдпं рд░ाрд╖्рдЯ्рд░рдорд░ाрдЬрдХрдо् [5.39.62]
  • "One should sorrow over a man who is without learning. 
  • One should sorrow over a couple that has no offspring. 
  • One should sorrow over subjects who are hungry. 
  • One should sorrow over a kingdom that has no king."

  • рдЕрдз्рд╡ा рдЬрд░ा рджेрд╣рд╡рддां рдкрд░्рд╡рддाрдиां рдЬрд▓ं рдЬрд░ा
  • рдЕрд╕ंрднोрдЧो рдЬрд░ा рд╕्рдд्рд░ीрдгां рд╡ाрдХ्рд╢рд▓्рдпं рдордирд╕ो рдЬрд░ा [5.39.63]
  • "Those who have bodies age through travels. 
  • Mountains age through rain. 
  • The lack of intercourse ages women. 
  • Harsh words age the mind."

  • рдЕрдиाрдо्рдиाрдпрдорд▓ा рд╡ेрджा рдм्рд░ाрд╣्рдордгрд╕्рдпाрд╡्рд░рддं рдорд▓рдо्
  • рдХौрддूрд╣рд▓рдорд▓ा рд╕ाрдз्рд╡ी рд╡िрдк्рд░рд╡ाрд╕рдорд▓ाः рд╕्рдд्рд░िрдпः [5.39.64]
  • "The Vedas are tarnished if they are not recounted. 
  • Brahmanas are tarnished from lack of vows. 
  • Curiosity tarnishes chaste women. 
  • Banishment from home tarnishes women. 

  • рд╕ुрд╡рд░्рдгрд╕्рдп рдорд▓ं рд░ूрдк्рдпं рд░ूрдк्рдпрд╕्рдпाрдкि рдорд▓ं рдд्рд░рдкु
  • рдЬ्рдЮेрдпं рдд्рд░рдкुрдорд▓ं рд╕ीрд╕ं рд╕ीрд╕рд╕्рдпाрдкि рдорд▓ं рдорд▓рдо् [5.39.65]
  • Silver tarnishes gold. 
  • Tin tarnishes silver. 
  • Lead tarnishes tin. 
  • Dust tarnishes lead."

  • рди рд╕्рд╡рдк्рдиेрди рдЬрдпेрди्рдиिрдж्рд░ां рди рдХाрдоेрди рд╕्рдд्рд░िрдпं рдЬрдпेрдд्
  • рдиेрди्рдзрдиेрди рдЬрдпेрджрдЧ्рдиिं рди рдкाрдиेрди рд╕ुрд░ां рдЬрдпेрдд् [5.39.66]
  • "Do not vanquish sleep with more sleep. 
  • Do not vanquish women through desire. 
  • Do not conquer a fire by kindling it. 
  • Do not conquer thirst through liquor."

In closing, Vidura exhorts Dhritarashtra to give up desire, for "Those who have thousands live. Those who have hundreds also live." (рд╕рд╣рд╕्рд░िрдгोрд╜рдкि рдЬीрд╡рди्рддि рдЬीрд╡рди्рддि рд╢рддिрдирд╕्рддрдеा - 5.39.68a)

Vidura continues in the next chapter, telling the king that "Hope destroys steadfastness. Death destroys prosperity. Anger destroys riches. Miserliness destroys fame. Failure to tend destroys animals. O king! Even one single angry brahmana destroys a kingdom."
(рдЖрд╢ा рдзृрддिं рд╣рди्рддि рд╕рдоृрдж्рдзिрдорди्рддрдХः; рдХ्рд░ोрдзः рд╢्рд░िрдпं рд╣рди्рддि рдпрд╢ः рдХрджрд░्рдпрддा
рдЕрдкाрд▓рдиं рд╣рди्рддि рдкрд╢ूंрд╢्рдЪ рд░ाрдЬ;рди्рдиेрдХः рдХ्рд░ुрдж्рдзो рдм्рд░ाрд╣्рдордгो рд╣рди्рддि рд░ाрд╖्рдЯ्рд░рдо् - 5.40.7)

Vidura says that the objective of his advising the king was for him to be content and to give up the transient. The body was transient, and only a person's deeds followed him, just as relatives and well-wishers returned after casting a dead person's body into the fire, it was the dead person's deeds that followed him. 

Here, Vidura invokes vivid imagery to present a picture of the soul, deeds, and more, and which is worth reproducing in full: 
рдЖрдд्рдоा рдирджी рднाрд░рдд рдкुрдг्рдпрддीрд░्рдеा; рд╕рдд्рдпोрджрдХा рдзृрддिрдХूрд▓ा рджрдоोрд░्рдоिः
рддрд╕्рдпां рд╕्рдиाрддः рдкूрдпрддे рдкुрдг्рдпрдХрд░्рдоा; рдкुрдг्рдпो рд╣्рдпाрдд्рдоा рдиिрдд्рдпрдордо्рднोрд╜рдо्рдн рдПрд╡ [5.40.19]
The soul is a river. Purity represents its tirthas. Truthfulness is its water. Steadfastness constitutes the banks. Self-control represents the waves. Bathing in these, a performer of pure deeds purifies himself. The soul becomes pure and is like water in the eternal waters. 

and 

рдХाрдордХ्рд░ोрдзрдЧ्рд░ाрд╣рд╡рддीं рдкрдЮ्рдЪेрди्рдж्рд░िрдпрдЬрд▓ां рдирджीрдо्
рдХृрдд्рд╡ा рдзृрддिрдордпीं рдиाрд╡ं рдЬрди्рдорджुрд░्рдЧाрдгि рд╕ंрддрд░ [5.40.20]
There is a river in which the five senses are the water and desire and anger are the crocodiles. Make a boat out of steadfastness and cross the difficult eddies of repeated birth.

Dhritarashtra began the seventh chapter with a lament about the primacy of destiny. He ends the eighth chapter with another lament - "I think that destiny is the one who acts and human endeavour is futile.

In the last chapter of Vidura Niti, Dhritarashtra asks Vidura whether there was anything he had not yet spoken about. Vidura answered that the sage Sanatsujata was the one who could speak with the king. The sage manifested himself and Vidura requested the sage to clarify the king's doubts.

This ends Prajagara Parva, which contains Vidura Niti.

Note: Translated excerpts from Bibek Debroy’s unabridged, ten-volume, English translation of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute’s Critical Edition of the Mahabharata, published by Penguin from 2010 to 2015. The translations here are from volume 4. The Sanskrit verses are John Smith’s revision of Prof. Muneo Tokunaga’s version of the text, and available online at https://bombay.indology.info/

This was first published in Indic Today on Sep 18, 2020.


 
© 2020, Abhinav Agarwal (рдЕрднिрдирд╡ рдЕрдЧ्рд░рд╡ाрд▓). All rights reserved.