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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

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