Sage Advice For Human Society
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.1.10
Dallas, May 21, 1973
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Take a testDallas, May 21, 1973
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Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
yadopahuto bhavanam pravisto
mantraya prstah kila purvajena
athaha tan mantra-drsam variyan
yan mantrino vaidurikam vadanti
[SB 3.1.10]
Translation: "When Vidura was invited by his elder brother Dhrtarastra for consultation, he entered the house and gave instructions which were exactly to the point. His advice is well known, and instructions by Vidura are approved by expert ministers of state."
Prabhupada: So Vidura was a great devotee and great politician also. Not that a devotee should not take parts in politics. They knew everything, but they did not take part. Just like Vidura and his elder brother Dhrtarastra. He was politician, Dhrtarastra. His whole life was diplomacy and politics. But still, in difficult position he used to consult Vidura. So why a politician should consult a devotee? No. If I want to do something, I must take advice, the best advice, from the best man. That is the principle.
So Vidura was so expert advisor, counselor, that there was a statement, vaidurikam. Just like the canakya-sloka. On ordinary things, canakya-sloka is evidence. Canakya Pandita said... I think you can introduce canakya-sloka amongst the students. Canakya Pandita said that vidvatvam ca nrpatvam ca naiva tulyam kadacana. A man who is learned, and man who is very rich, so how they should be compared? The Canakya Pandita says, "There is no comparison." Comparison must be there when there is points of similarity. Just like we say, "Your face is just like moon." So if the face is actually similar to the moon, then we can say. Points of similarity. Analogy means there must be points of similarity. The largest number of similarity makes the analogy perfect. This is logical rules. So Canakya Pandita says that to a rich man and a learned man, there is no comparison. They are different categories. Why? Sva-dese pujyate raja vidvan sarvatra pujyate. A rich man, a king, may be very respectful, respectable, in his own country amongst his own men, but a vidvat, a learned scholar, he is respected all over the world. Tri-bhuvane manyau. So if one is respected all over the world and if one is respected in his own village, so how there can be any comparison? These are the Canakya Pandita's instructions, very valuable. There are many.
And another:
matrvat para-daresu
para-dravyesu lostravat
atmavat sarva-bhutesu
yah pasyati sa panditah
Who is a learned scholar? Now, somebody will say one who has passed the M.A., Ph.D. degrees in university, he is learned scholar. Canakya Pandita says, "No, that is not the criterion." Simply to hold degrees of university examination, that is not the test of his becoming learned scholar. That is not. Then what is the test of his becoming learned scholar? Three things. Matrvat para-daresu. Except one's married wife, if one sees all other woman like mother, he is a learned scholar. Matrvat para-daresu. Para-dravyesu lostravat. And other's property, just like garbage in the street. And atmavat sarva-bhutesu yah pasyati sa panditah. If one has acquired... By education, there must be some effect. So these are the tests how one has advanced in education. He must treat all woman except his mother, except his wife, as mother. In India still, women, especially in asramas, any woman, visitor, she is addressed as "Mother" by all the... She may be young girl, but she is addressed as "Mother." This is the etiquette. "Mother, what can I help you?" This is the very relationship.
The brahmacari goes to householders' place for begging alms. The system cannot be introduced here. It is very difficult. Otherwise, another business of these children were to go door to door and knock and ask some alms: "Give us some alms." So in India they have got sufficient stock of rice, flour, dal. They keep at least one month provision in every house, even in poor's man. As soon as he gets his money, he purchases the whole month provisions -- rice, dal, ata, ghee -- and keeps it. So when the brahmacari goes there, a little rice or little dal, they contribute. In this way by collection of these alms from the neighboring householders, practically the asrama's eating problem is solved. Brahmacari is supposed to live in gurukula at the place of guru just like a menial servant. Even Krsna, He also lived as a menial servant. His teacher asked Him to bring some fuel from the jungle, and He went with Sudama Vipra, and while collecting these dry woods there was a storm and there was heavy rain, and they became lost in the jungle, Krsna and Sudama Vipra. Then his teacher, Sandipani Muni... With the assistance of other boys, they were rescued. So this is the position of the brahmacari, that they go to collect alms, all kinds of, for gurukula.
So Vidura... Krsna consciousness includes varieties of activities. They, in..., the press representatives they asked me, "Whether your students, do you take part in politics? Is it sanctioned?" Why not? Our Bhagavad-gita is produced in battlefield, in battlefield. So why should I deride battle? No. When there is need for fighting, there must be fighting. This world is like that. Otherwise there is no need of fighting. But there is a class of men who will fight. Still it is existing. When there is fight, those who are meant for military purposes, they fight. Not the civilians go and fight. No. Similarly, in the society, there must be divisions. Not that everyone should be called, "Come on, you go to fight." Where is his training? That was not the system. First of all, catur-varnyam maya srstam [Bg. 4.13]. These children, according to strict Vedic principle, by practical psychology, they should be tested, "What is the tendency of this boy?" There can be four kinds of tendencies: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. Some child is to become a brahmana, some child is to be become a ksatriya, some child is to become a vaisya, and the rest, sudras. They do not... Sudras does not require any training. Sudra means no training. Ordinary worker class. Otherwise other three, especially two, namely the brahmanas and ksatriyas, they require very magnificent training. Because they will administer the whole affairs of the society.
So brahmanas, they would give advice to the ksatriyas, and ksatriyas, according to their advice, would rule over the citizens. This was the system. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Vibhagasah, "by division of quality and work." A brahmana must be qualified and at the same time work as a brahmana. So we are training, especially, our students to become qualified brahmanas. We cannot take up all other department. Similarly, others may take up the line of training... Military men... Others may take... There are training classes. Maybe mercantile firm, you can get your lessons. So there was organized method to train these mercantile men, administrator and brahmana. So Vidura, although he was born of sudra mother... His mother was sudra, maidservant. Formerly, when a prince was married, along with the princess, a few dozens of maidservants would go with the king. So to become king, always it is to be understood he has to maintain more than one wife. That is king. Even in Muhammadan kingdom, Nawab was Ridali Shah (?). After the Mogul period... In Lucknow, if you go... So he had 164 wives, begam(?) And all of them had children. And when Britishers occupied, the Britishers had to give them pension according to the share. So amongst the Muhammadans also, polygamy was allowed. And Hindus, especially the higher class, brahmanas and ksatriya, polygamy is allowed. Now they have made laws. But that is quite natural. If every woman has to be married, then polygamy must be there. Otherwise how every woman is going to get a husband? Because male population is always shorter than the female population.
So Vidura was born of a maidservant. The father was the king. The father was the same, Maharaja Yudhisthira, er, Dhrtarastra, and the father, Vidura, the same, and the mother different. So Vidura, because he was not born of the queen, he had no share in the throne. But Dhrtarastra loved him very much. Although stepmother's son, he would like him very much because he was very intelligent. So on every occasion he would consult him, and his consultation was so valuable that later on it became vaidurikam, "consultation as expert as given by Vidura." So he was invited. Diplomacy, politics were going on, how to cheat the Pandavas. That was his politics, Dhrtarastra. Dhrtarastra was born blind, although he was eldest son of his father, but he was born blind. So he could not occupy the throne. His next brother, younger brother, Pandu, the father of the Pandavas, he occupied. He became king. Now, this Pandu died at an early age, and the sons of Pandu, they were minor children. So Dhrtarastra took charge for their maintenance as his other sons. But his policy was that "I could not be elevated on the throne because I was blind, but actually the kingdom belongs to me. So anyway, my brother occupied the throne. Now he is dead and gone. So why his sons should be king? My son should be king." This was the politics. So he was trying how to kill the Pandavas from the very beginning. And Vidura was restricting him, restraining him. So this is the subject matter. He called Vidura, "What is to be done?" Vidura, he disclosed everything to Vidura. Vidura said, "No, you cannot do that." That will be discussed next morning.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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