Connect!


Dhritrāshtra praised Vidura & said: You’ve spoken very well on true wisdom & yet I’m still not satiated by hearing your Nectarian words. Pls speak more


Vidura continued: The virtue of kindness or mercy is superior to bathing in all holy places of pilgrimage. Thus, I urge you to be kind to Pāndavās as you’re to your own sons. Let me narrate a story to illustrate this point:


There was once a girl of unrivaled beauty named Kesini. Desiring to find a good husband, she arranged for her Swayamvara & when Virocana, the King of Daityas heard the news, he came there. Kesini asked him: O King! Pls tell me who is superior, Brāhmanās or Daityas?


Virocana said: In my opinion Daityas are better than Brāhmanās


Kesini said: The Brāhmana, Sudhanvan, will come here tomorrow. I request you to remain here for night so that I will be able to see both of you together


Next morning, Sudhanvan arrived. Kesini offered the Brāhmana Arghya, a nice seat & water to wash his feet. Virocana said: Dear Sudhanvan, pls come & sit with me on my royal couch. Brāhmana said: O King! I could never think myself as your equal & thus sit on the same seat with you


Virocana said: What you’ve said is a fact. Only a wooden plank, an animal skin, or a straw mat are seats you are worthy of accepting


Sudhanvan replied: Only a father & his son, 2 Brāhmanās of the same age & learning, 2 Kshatriyās, two Vaishyās & 2 Sudrās should sit together and not others. Your father, Prahlāda, always respected my father by sitting on a lower seat. Thus, I can understand that you are a spoiled child who is ignorant of truth


Virocana responded by challenging: Let us bet all our wealth as to who is actually superior. Then we can take the judgement of a learned person who is qualified to give proper answer. Sudhanvan accepted & said: Why we should wager mere wealth? Let us stake our very lives


Virocana agreed & asked: Who’ll we approach that is competent to answer our questions? Sudhanvan suggested: Let’s go to your father, the ever truthful Prahlāda, for he would not lie even to save his own son


Both Sudhanvan & Virocana were excited with anger. When Prahlāda saw them approach in angry mood, he asked his son: Dear Virocana, have you befriended Sudhanvan? I’m very surprised, for I never saw you two together


Virocana said: No we're not friends. We came to ask you to answer our questions truthfully


Truthfulness is a quality which defines our human existence. And our mind is meant to serve as a tool for us to perceive it but is our biggest obstacle. Our mind blocks those truths which are unpalatable & accepts those which are favorable to our sensual pleasures. It starts believing in the lies & burns away our intelligence to act on destructive indulgence


We can protect from our mind’s resistance to truth & receptivity to lies by regularly studying scriptures regardless of how we feel. We can thus keep ourselves connected to the steady channel of timeless truth & not deviate


Thoughts? #gameoflife

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Victory! It was early in morning as both sides awaited the rising of Sun, a brisk wind carried drops of water & thunder was heard, although not a cloud was seen in sky. After some time, the wind picked up so that not only was there a dust storm, but even small pebbles were blown here & there. Meteors fell from the sky & earth trembled. When the Sun rose, it lacked its usual splendor. And yet both armies looked magnificent & all warriors appeared jubilant in anticipation When Maharaj Yudhisthira saw the vast Kaurava army with Bhisma in its midst, he became disheartened & his face became pale. He said to his brother Arjun: I don’t think that we have a chance for victory. The vast army containing so many illustrious warriors appears impenetrable Arjun said: Dear brother, you must remain confident, knowing that even though we are inferior in numbers, victory is always with the righteous. You have forgotten that Lord Krsna is protecting us? Sri Krsna is the Supreme...
Read more
Image
Emotions! As R āksasās led by Ghatotkaca attacked, only Asvattāma remained firm & dispelled their illusions. Ghatotkaca rushed at Asvattāma, but the son of Drona drove him back with a forceful stream of arrows. The son of Ghatotkaca, named Anjanaparva joined the fray, showering his arrows upon Asvattāma, but Drona’s son quickly retaliated by knocking down his flag, killing his two drivers, breaking his bow & at last killing his horses   Anjanaparva flew into the sky & began showering trees upon Asvattāma. In retaliation the son of Drona afflicted him so severely that the Rāksasā soon had to return to the shelter of his chariot. Asvattāma discharged a fierce arrow that took away Anjanaparva’s life & then continued to slaughter many other Pāndava warriors   Ghatotkaca became terribly aggrieved seeing the death of his son & so he rushed at Asvattāma while challenging him. In the spectacular duel that followed the entire sky became lit up by the spark...
Read more
Image
  Emotional outburst – It hurts!   Hearing Bhima’s roar, all Pāndava warriors triumphantly blew conch shells & shouted with joy. Duryodhana went to Drona on a swift chariot. With great anger he said: O Preceptor! Arjun, Sātyaki & Bhima have approached Jayadratha after vanquishing our soldiers. How could you let them defeat you & then pass right thro’ your army? Do you not know that all our warriors harshly criticize you for this grievous lapse? Anyways, let us forget what has passed. Now pls instruct me about what should be done for Jayadratha’s protection?   Drona replied: To protect Jayadratha is certainly our foremost duty, but I wish to remind you that all our present sufferings were brought about because you made Sakuni challenge Yudhisthira to gamble at the dice board. That dice game was the preliminary contest, but this war is the real gambling match wherein Jayadratha has become the stake & the deadly arrows are the dice. Go now, my dear Du...
Read more