Lessons from the Life of Dhrtarashtra - Part 1

Date: 2018-08-04 Author: Sudarshana devi dasi

Hare Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

Our beloved spiritual master HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says that the meaning of Dhrtarashtra's name is also very interesting and it very well matched his nature. Dhṛta means to "catch hold of" and rāṣṭra means "nation". Since he was very much attached to ruling the nation, he was called Dhrtarashtra. Maharaj says that just like how Dhrtarashtra was attached to the nation, we are also Dhṛta-house Dhṛta-land, Dhṛta-gold, Dhṛta-dollar, Dhṛta-pound. The 13th Chapter of First Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam is titled - "Dhrtarashtra quits home", shows how a conditioned soul who is entangled in attachment to such material things can become free from all such entanglements. So praying to the lotus feet of Srila Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada and all the Vaishnavas, let us try to meditate on some of the verses in this Chapter.

Suta Goswami begins this chapter by narrating to the sages about the return of to Hastinapura after his pilgrimage. Prior to the , Vidura being insulted by , considering it as special mercy of Lord Krishna leaves for pilgrimage. During that time he met the great sage Maitreya Muni and received transcendental knowledge from him. In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.13.2 Suta Goswami says,

yāvataḥ kṛtavān praśnān kṣattā kauṣāravāgrataḥ jātaika-bhaktir govinde tebhyaś copararāma ha

After asking various questions and becoming established in the transcendental loving service of Lord Krishna, Vidura retired from putting questions to Maitreya Muni.

The word praśnān in the above verse means questions. His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada says how it is important for a person seeking transcendental knowledge to approach a bona-fide spiritual master and ask questions about transcendental knowledge. The word 'upararāma' in the above verse means "retired from". Vidura retired from asking questions to Maitreya Muni. His Divine Grace nicely says in the purport to the above verse, "Vidura retired from putting questions before Maitreya Muni when he was convinced by Maitreya Rshi that the summum bonum of life is to be finally situated in the transcendental loving service of Lord Sri Krishna, who is Govinda, or one who satisfies His devotees in all respects."

All of us are in search of happiness in this material world and Srila Prabhupada refers this search to hunger. In his wonderful purport to verse 1.12.6, His Divine Grace says, "The whole material world is full of hungry living beings. The hunger is not for good food, shelter or sense gratification. The hunger is for the spiritual atmosphere..This hunger is actually for spiritual food, spiritual shelter, spiritual defense and spiritual sense gratification. These can be obtained in the association of the Supreme Spirit, Lord Sri Krishna, and therefore one who has them cannot be attracted by the so- called food, shelter, defense and sense gratification of the material world, even if they are relished by the denizens of the heavenly planets."

A small child who is separated from the parents, does not find solace even after getting the best of eatables or toys which he/she likes. Unless the child is brought back to his/her parent, the child can never be peaceful or satisfied. Similarly unless the conditioned soul like us are brought back to the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna, we can never be satisfied. Thats why Srila Prabhupada is very nicely giving the meaning for the word "Govinda" as - "one who satisfies His devotees in all respects." Here we find that Mahatma Vidura's hunger for transcendental knowledge was well satisfied by the transcendental instructions of Maitreya Muni. So he stopped asking further questions. Krishna willing we shall meditate on what Vidura did after receiving this knowledge in the subsequent offerings.

Hare Krishna.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Sudarshana devi dasi.